Reminderfox Update 2.1.6.1 -- some important details -- How to work with FX >57 or TB

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Guenter

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Mar 10, 2018, 10:38:04 AM3/10/18

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Reminderfox 2.1.6.1 is out, it's a maintenance release with some important fixes.

First it works again with Google Calendar. But the main reason for this release was a great necessity to follow Mozilla changes after Firefox 57 (Quantum). Mozillas moved to new technologies and removed old, mature technics, parts they don't need anymore for Firefox Quantum etc..

Those changes have not only impact on Firefox but also on Thunderbird and Seamonkey. Reminderfox 2.1.6.1 is following changes which are recommended by the Thunderbird development team and can be seen here [1]. Tests with Firefox up to release 56 and Thunderbird up to version 60 show not problem to successfully work with the new release.

Not for every of the Mozilla changes there are sufficient solutions to keep all of our Reminderfox features, so for sure some users will find in some ways the release has limitations compared with previous versions.

Reminderfox made use of the statusbar with some fancy options, but with the recent Mozilla changes it was not possible to keep it alive with all those bells and whistles. Showing "Today's Reminders" on the statusbar has changed to show with the Foxy toolbar button (which is customizable for different FX/TB toolbars) only. That mode was available before already.

But for the Reminderfox statusbar feature (showing "Today's Reminders") there are some possibilities to bring it back (partially), pending on the system (Firefox, Thunderbird or Seamonkey) and their version.
Ways for a revival are:

Firefox -- doesn't has the statusbar, it was replaced with "addon-bar", but also that was disabled/removed. For the user there are no handles to show a statusbar/addonbar.

An easy workaround can be made by the user itself ... install an additional addon which enables a replacement of a statusbar/addonbar. Here is one which works at least with FX 52.6.0 (esr), at the moment not working with FX56.0.2 (version before Quantum).

Works with Firefox 52.6.0 / 20180118122319
https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/the-addon-bar/
the_addon_bar_restored-3.2.9-compat-fixed-4-fx.xpi

A more complete solution would be a Reminderfox code change which have to build/enable a kind of addon-bar and then place a special icon with the "Today's Reminders" on that.

Thunderbird -- Current versions has the statusbar. So a possible solution for the current Reminderfox 2.1.6 would be to use that <statusbar/>. It requires code changes with Options tab:Access and some prefs (to configure that feature) and the tooltiptext handling for today's reminders with an icon.

So if someone is keen to use it there are solution .. up to contribute to the Reminderfox code base which can be found on GIT [2]. A solution for that could be merged easily there.

[1] https://wiki.mozilla.org/Thunderbird/Add-ons_Guide_57
[2] Github: https://github.com/neandr/reminderfox