Thunderbird with TenFourFox
I'm very pleased to be able to use TenFourFox on my PowerPC Mac
G5 Dual. I just learned in February that my Mac could work on the
Internet! So, I'm trying to transition from XP and use Mac
exclusively on the 'net. I would like to use Thunderbird for my
WildBlue, Google-managed, E-mail accounts on Mac, but I can't find
where you had a link for your version to download it. I saw it, but
planned to go to it later. Now, I can't find it. I am a neophyte,
technologically, I just want to use it to handle my mail —
nothing beyond that, at this time.
Can you help me?
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Support Staff 1 Posted by Chris (chtrusch... on 12 Mar, 2014 12:16 PM
Itascasmall, we don't make Thunderbird and don't offer downloads. The last Thunderbird version for PPC Macs was 3.1 (ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/3.1.20/mac/), but this version is outdated and has security risks.
You can use Tenfourbird instead. You can download it at the Tenfourbird Sourcefourge site: http://en.sourceforge.jp/projects/tenfourbird/
2 Posted by itascasmall on 12 Mar, 2014 06:11 PM
Chris,
Ah, hah! That must be what I saw and in my haste to get going on
TenFourFox, I forgot the details. I was looking for your equivalent, so
TenFourBird is what I want. Thank you very much for responding promptly.
It's so great to be able to use my perfectly good Mac on the Internet -- my
service provider thought I had to have a bunch of WildBlue files loaded
onto Mac when the satellite service was installed. It worked fine on the
Dell XP, but not on Mac! An Apple Store salesman told me my G5 -- at 10.3.9
and 6+ years old at the time -- needed 10.4, but that it was too old to
upgrade, and I'd have to buy a new model. With the Dell, I wasn't about to
discard the G5 just for the 'net! I didn't question the advice. I removed
the WildBlue files from Mac, but didn't try it again until this February
and it worked fine. Except that Safari was obviously too old. Apple sent
me the 10.4.3 installation disks and, then, I was able to update to 10.4.11
so I could download TenFourFox.
Your Web site informed me about the dangers of using Safari and Adobe. I'm
glad I had not updated Adobe when I went online! And, I was glad to see
that TenFourFox disables Java. Wondering about disabling Safari or just
not clicking-on-it....
I haven't done a lot of browsing, yet, because I want to be sure I'm safe.
My local tech says I could download Avast, so I thought I'd do that. I
bought Norton's anti-virus program several years ago, but never installed
it, so wondered if I should do so now and look for updates online... I
don't actually know what protection I might have already with the 10.4.11.
My tech says I don't need to worry about it because he's never had a
problem with his 10.4 and 10.2 Macs. But...?
Thank you again for your help, and for providing programs for our systems!
If I'd known about you sooner, I would have fixed my G3 iMac instead of
donating it to the local school! (My first Mac was a 128k in August, 1984!)
Itasca Small
Support Staff 3 Posted by Chris (chtrusch... on 12 Mar, 2014 06:39 PM
I wouldn't use Safari on 10.4 or 10.5 anymore on a regular basis. You can just drag it out of you Dock. Don't delete the application, though, just make sure it's not set as your default browser. Safari is too much interwoven with the OS (which doesn't receive security updates anymore) – just like IE on Windows. If you want to be up-to-date security-wise, TenFourFox is the way to go, and if you need plugins, use Camino or Opera as a secondary browser.
Regarding antivirus software, it's debated whether you need it at all on a Mac. I don't use it and I haven't had a single problem with malware in the >ten years I've been using Mac OS X. If you feel safer with it, install it, but I can't recommend anything. Some people I trust recommend ClamXav (http://www.clamxav.com/download.php#tiger).
The most effective protection you have on PPC 10.4.11 is a) a web browser that's up-to-date, b) a robust OS that can largely look after itself, and c) the fact that virtually all of the few malware programs for Mac OS X are Intel only :-)
Glad to be able to help – I hope your G5 will serve you well for many years to come.
4 Posted by itascasmall on 12 Mar, 2014 07:49 PM
Chris,
Thank you!
I'll follow your instructions regarding Safari. And, avoid it with
diligence. I will also remember the plugin advice regarding Camino and
Opera! Don't know what I may need yet, at this point. I do want to add-on
the video programs soon. Oh, thanks for your notes also, warning about
Flash!
With my low-knowledge-level, I didn't realize the browser itself provided
security! Since I plan to use TenFourFox -- updating whenever it is advised
-- and now possibly the other two, I am going to avoid obsessing about
security at all. I know I've always heard Macs are safe, but, got confused
when I had to read your blog entries too fast. I did note that it seemed
the Intel system was the most vulnerable. I'm going to assume that the
"robust OS" is my 10.4.11 working in TenFourFox...
My local tech, Matt at Macmedia in Scottsdale, Arizona, says he can upgrade
it to 10.5, if I should find that I need it. But, as I am an older woman,
I'd rather not have to transport my heavy G5 to his facility! (He is the
one who recommended I try TenFourFox and gave me your link.) I'm glad to
know your experience is the same as his, so I am not going to worry about
it, but appreciate and will keep the name and link for ClamXav, in case
something should give me cause to act.
Please forgive me, I sometimes overthink things... On the TenFourBird
download page, it lists Windows systems and updating all drivers. Do I
need to understand this, or can I just click the "Start Download" button
and go from there?
I really appreciate your help! Thanks for the kind words regarding my G5
serving me well. I know that, as a "Mac Person" yourself, you can
empathize with my delight in being able to use it more fully.
Sincerely,
Itasca Small
Support Staff 5 Posted by Chris (chtrusch... on 13 Mar, 2014 07:23 AM
You're welcome. You can upgrade to 10.5 yourself with a 10.5 install disc (used from Ebay) without carrying your Mac to the shop, but this is only necessary if you want to run software (such as Spotify or VLC video player 2.x) which requires 10.5 or newer. Otherwiese, 10.4 is perfectly fine, I run it myself on two of my three Macs. You can find a very nice PPC software repository over at http://ppcarchive.dyniform.net/software.html.
The correct download at Tenfourbird for your G5 is "TenfourbirdG5-24.3.0.zip" (go to http://en.sourceforge.jp/projects/tenfourbird and scroll down to "Latest Files").
6 Posted by itascasmall on 13 Mar, 2014 05:49 PM
Chris,
I'm certain all of this valuable information will make my Mac Internet
experience much easier, and enjoyable!
Thank you so much for all your help!
Itasca Small
7 Posted by itascasmall on 13 Sep, 2014 11:52 PM
Chris,
I've been using and enjoying TenFourFoxG5 and TenfourbirdG5 for months
now, since you helped me get started with TenfourbirdG5---thanks, again!
I've upgraded both programs when alerted, with no problems. Until I
upgraded to TenfourbirdG5 31.1.0, the other day. I could not get the
"Reply," "Reply All," and "Forward" buttons to work. I didn't try the
other three buttons. I was just glad I could retrieve the 24.7.0
version from the Trash, where I had just boldly placed it! Then, I just
got a message for 24.8.0, so I upgraded to it.
I could not figure-out how to get to the right page to report the
31.1.0, glitch, and by now, I thought you would probably have already
found it anyway. I hope that is the case and that a correction will be
available soon. I thought perhaps the 24.8.0 might be a stop-gap fix
while you work on 31.1.0. . . ?
Thank you for your great work for our Mac Community.
Sincerely,
Itasca Small
Support Staff 8 Posted by Cameron Kaiser on 14 Sep, 2014 12:20 AM
Tenfourbird is made by someone independent of this project. Although they use TenFourFox code as part of their work, we don't actually maintain or issue it. You can ask your question of the maintainer through that project's own support forums: http://en.sourceforge.jp/projects/tenfourbird/forums/
9 Posted by itascasmall on 14 Sep, 2014 12:44 AM
Thank you!