More Thunderbird news: how to set default view. It is possible, though in an awkward manner.
The trick: use the config editor (Edit > Preferences > Advanced > General), and fix the view according to this comment in Thunderbird’s bugtracker bug about this. I like my mails threaded (in all folders), and sorted with newest on top. You can set this per folder, but I want to do it once and be done with.
To do this:
I want descending (sort_order: 2), date-sorted (sort_type: 18), threaded (view_flags: 1) mails.
So change the relevant mailnews.default_* values to reflect that :)
The comment in full (to safeguard, and in case your settings don’t match mine):
(PS: Note that according to comment 102, further below, the linked comment had _type and _order swapped. That’s changed below.)
Prefs are named as follows; first three apply to Mail and RSS folders, the second three to Newsgroups.
mailnews.default_sort_order
mailnews.default_sort_type
mailnews.default_view_flags
mailnews.default_news_sort_order
mailnews.default_news_sort_type
mailnews.default_news_view_flags
In about:config (Tools | Options | Advanced | General, Config Editor),
you can enter "news._def" to filter out all the prefs but these.
sort_type:
byNone 17 byPriority 23 byLocation 29
byDate 18 * byStatus 24 byTags 30
bySubject 19 * bySize 25 byJunkStatus 31
byAuthor 20 * byFlagged 26 byAttachments 32
byId 21 ** byUnread 27 byAccount 33
byThread 22 byRecipient 28 byCustom 34
* = commonly desired values
** = by Order Received (?)
sort_order:
ascending 1
descending 2
view_flags -- the second group of values can be added to one of the first group to combine effects,
with several limitations:
Unthreaded 0
Threaded 1
Grouped 64 [mail only (?)]
ShowIgnored 8 [news only]
ShowUnreadOnly 16
ShowExpanded 32 [doesn't seem to work]
ShowUnreadOnly will check the View|Threads|Unread menu; this will cause only
unread items to be seen, but doesn't force a threaded view.
Edit: of course, afterwards I find the add-on to do just this :)
Edit 2: Again, no convincing case… not sure if this works …
Edit 3: Nope, it doesn’t work. :(
Edit 4: see next post, kind of got it working.