Thunderbird jumps from 3.1 to 5.0 (just like Firefox's leap from 3.6 to 4.0 to 5.0)

Mozilla has number-creep on the brain.

After dealing with Firefox 3.6.17's abrupt end of life in favor of 4.0, and then 4.0's deprecation in favor of 5.0 (and yes, I had to change repositories every time because Linux in general and Debian in particular doesn't force new software on users), now I learn that Thunderbird is jumping from 3.1 to 5.0.

I use the Debian Mozilla Team APT archive for all my Mozilla software needs (Firefox/Iceweasel and Thunderbird/Icedove). Now I'll be dipping into my sources.list files to up the Icedove repo from 3.1 to 5.0 once the Debian Mozilla Team offers the new version (they generally need a little time to package it up).

Thunderbird/Icedove remains my No. 1 e-mail client, and 3.1 brought features I wanted/needed that weren't in 3.0 (principally the Quick Filter functionality), so I had to make the move from the standard 3.0 in Debian Squeeze. Now I'll be on the 5.0 bandwagon.

Why am I tracking things so new on a base so stable (that being Debian Squeeze)? I believe that's the best way to do it: Run a stable base if your hardware is happy with it (and mine is ) and selectively roll in new versions of applications you need to be new from added repositories.

Fortunately or not, for me that includes the Linux kernel, since I need a post-2.6.32 kernel to solve sound issues on my Lenovo G555 laptop. Otherwise I'd ride 2.6.32 as long as I could.

Here are the apps I'm using newer versions of, including the original (in parentheses) and current-to-me (following, not in parentheses) versions:

• Linux kernel from Liquorix (2.6.32) 2.6.38.7 (I'm sticking with this one for awhile, even though 2.6.39 is out)

• Firefox/Iceweasel web browser from the Debian Mozilla Team (3.5.x) 5.0

• Google Chrome web browser from Google (Chromium 6.0.x) 12.0.x

• Thunderbird/Icedove mail client from the Debian Mozilla Team (3.0) 3.1

• LibreOffice from Debian Backports (OpenOffice 3.2.x) 3.3.2

That's it. I also have Dropbox, which I installed with a Linux Mint Debian Edition package.

Otherwise I'm running stock Debian Squeeze.

I'd like to try the newer gThumb, but I've got enough functionality in the Squeeze version right now. Still, I'll probably pluck the package from Sid when 2.13.2 rolls in.