Time format in Thunderbird [SOLVED]

[kle]

Hi
Thunderbird is ignoring my global date/time settings. This is, apparently, a known problem.

In my case: My locale settings are for Norway - 24 hours and dd.mm.yy, Language UK.
Thunderbird gives me 12 hours AM/PM, and mm.dd.yyyy.
(I literally almost missed my plane, LOL, which leaves at 10.00, which was interpreted by Thunderbird Lightning as 10 PM.)

I have seen http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3086350.0 and http://kb.mo)illazine.org/Change_the...tion_displayed, but only got error messages.
(eg. LC_TIME: cannot change locale)
Evidently there is something I am missing.

Could somebody please spell it out for me - exactly what commands to run and from what folder?

[kle]

Re: Time format in Thunderbird [SOLVED]

Thunderbird bases its date and time format on the so-called "locale" settings.
In my case, running "locale" in konsole, revealed that I was not using the "locale" I thought I was using (Norway). I was using US.

So: back to System settings -> Coungtry/Region
The "locale" settings are not determined by my "Country or region", set to Norway.
All other programs I use respect the "Country or region" and give me the correct decimal symbol, time format etc. Not Thunderbird.

A little trial and error gave the solution: the "locale" settings are determined when you "select system language". First you have to add the language in question, unless it's already listed. ("install new language" followed by "Add language").

Then you go back to your package manager (I use Synaptic) and install
thunderbird-locale-[the code for your language].

Please note that the languages listed under "select system language" may not all be available, and if they are not, your trying to install them may not even give you an error message. THIS IS A BUG, I'd say.

Additional note for Norwegians: Bokmål is not there. You have to use nynorsk (both in settings and for Thunderbird-locale). Bokmål is listed and pretends to download. You won't get an error message. it just won't work. Frankly, I think that was a rather cute trick on the part of the nynorsk activists. I take my hat off:-)

So now I have my preferred date and time format in Thunderbird. The price I had to pay was that I have to use Norwegian as my system language, rather than English, but not to despair: In the list of "languages" under "Locale", I merely moved English to the top.