Thunderbird source code

[TMcGrath]

I am attempting a custom Thunderbird build using the latest
release of the source code, currently version 17.0.2.

I understand there are different ways to get the source.

One way is by running these two commands from MozillaBuild:
hg clone http://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central
python client.py checkout

Another way is to grab the bz2 tar file located here:
ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/latest/source/

Does anyone have a recommendation on which way to go? There is
also the CVS method. Thanks

My dev machine is Win7 64 bit running Visual Studio 2010

[Edeph]

Hello,

i recommend you to start with the source from the ftp server, and later on to move on to the other, more complex ones that keep your source up to date and so on. I think it's better for testing purposes.

[Nick Thomas]

On 15/01/13 10:37 PM, TMcGrath wrote:
> I am attempting a custom Thunderbird build using the latest release of
> the source code, currently version 17.0.2.
>
> I understand there are different ways to get the source.
>
> One way is by running these two commands from MozillaBuild:
> hg clone http://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central
> python client.py checkout

This would actually get you development code rather than stable release;
the code is kept in separate repositories. Use
hg clone http://hg.mozilla.org/releases/comm-release/
instead.

The 17.0.2 code is on the THUNDERBIRD_17_0_2_RELEASE tag there, ie
hg up -r THUNDERBIRD_17_0_2_RELEASE
after the clone. IIRC there are variables you can pass to client.py to
use the same tag for code that it pulls (cue Thunderbird/SeaMonkey
person for further details).

> Another way is to grab the bz2 tar file located here:
> ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/latest/source/

If you use the bundle from there, in conjunction with the doc
https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Developer_Guide/Source_Code/Mercurial#Bundles
then you end up in the same state as cloning, ie a repository with full
history. If you grab the tar.bz2 then it's just a snapshot with no history.

> Does anyone have a recommendation on which way to go? There is also the
> CVS method. Thanks

CVS is no longer used. Personally I'd go for full history, because it's
easier to generate diffs, pull in later versions etc.

If you haven't already try to get an unmodified build going first, then
start hacking if that's successful. This may be helpful for setting up
the software environment
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Simple_Thunderbird_build

Good luck!

[TMcGrath]

I'll keep reading the online docs but if you can give me the
exact steps that will really help.

So to get full history would I just go hg clone
http://hg.mozilla.org/releases/comm-release/
or do need to also follow that with python client.py checkout?

And what pray tell does this do exactly?: hg up -r
THUNDERBIRD_17_0_2_RELEASE
I assume it updates an existing repository?

Thanks a lot

[Edmund Wong]

TMcGrath wrote:

> So to get full history would I just go hg clone
> http://hg.mozilla.org/releases/comm-release/
> or do need to also follow that with python client.py checkout?

hg clone http://hg.mozilla.org/releases/comm-release

then

python client.py checkout

that will also get you releases/mozilla-release in the
./mozilla folder.

>
> And what pray tell does this do exactly?: hg up -r
> THUNDERBIRD_17_0_2_RELEASE
> I assume it updates an existing repository?

this updates your tree to the revision of THUNDERBIRD_17_0_2_RELEASE.

Edmund