Betterbird on MX Linux: A Refined Mail Client for Power Users

Betterbird is a community‑driven fork of Mozilla Thunderbird that focuses on fixing long‑standing bugs and polishing the user experience. It’s especially appealing to Linux users who want a reliable, modern mail client with better conversation threading and fewer UI quirks. Think of it as Thunderbird’s smarter sibling. Same foundation, but smoother in daily use.

Installation on MX Linux

Installing Betterbird is straightforward thanks to the project’s installer script. Open a terminal and run:

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Betterbird/thunderbird-patches/main/install-on-linux/install-betterbird.sh

sudo bash install-betterbird.sh

• The script installs Betterbird under /opt/betterbird/
• A desktop entry is automatically created, so you’ll find Betterbird in the XFCE menu under Internet.
• To launch it from the terminal, create a symlink so the command betterbird works everywhere:

sudo ln -s /opt/betterbird/betterbird /usr/bin/betterbird

Now you can simply type betterbird in the terminal to start the application.

Key Features

Betterbird builds on Thunderbird’s strengths but adds refinements that make everyday email management easier:

• Improved Threading:
  • Enable per‑folder threading via View → Sort By → Threaded.
  • Toggle threading in Table view for a cleaner overview.
  • Use Ctrl+Shift+O to view entire conversations across folders, including Sent items.
• UI Fixes and Polish:
  • No more blank tiles after deletes.
  • Automatic folder compaction keeps things tidy.
• Modern Account Support:
  • Works seamlessly with Gmail and other providers using OAuth2 authentication.
  • Handles multiple accounts with ease.

Optional Cleanup

If you previously had Thunderbird installed and want to fully commit to Betterbird, you can remove Thunderbird packages:

sudo apt-get purge thunderbird*
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get clean

This step is optional as Betterbird runs independently and doesn’t require Thunderbird to be present.

Final Thoughts

Betterbird feels instantly familiar yet noticeably smoother. On MX Linux, the installation is painless, the menu integration works out of the box, and with a quick symlink you can launch it from the terminal just like any other system tool. Its threading improvements and bug fixes make it a strong choice for anyone who relies on email conversations and wants a client that simply gets out of the way.

If you’re looking for a better Thunderbird experience on Linux, Betterbird is exactly that, a better option.