Thunderbird changes single line breaks into doubles when converting html to plaintext
I often reply to HTML email in plaintext, for security, simplicity, and because HTML email is just dumb. When I reply or forward an HTML email, the quoted text has every single line break converted into two line breaks. This wastes screen space and looks terrible. Double line breaks (i.e. a blank line between paragraphs) is correctly converted to two line breaks.
If I have the Enigmail extension enabled, it gets worse and the double line breaks now become four line breaks.
What I expect is for double line breaks (like between paragraphs) to be converted to two newlines in plain text, and single line breaks (like between lines of a signature) to be converted to one newline in the plaintext.
Is there a way to fix this?
All Replies (4)
Restart Thunderbird in Safe Mode. Help > Restart with addons disabled
Test a Reply to see what occurs.
If everything is as expected, then an addon extension causing the conflict.
You already seem to be aware of one addon causing an issue, but please run Thunderbird in Safe Mode and report back on results.
Enigmail exacerbates the issue, but the single break to double break still occurs without it. I did start it in safe mode as suggested and saw it behaved the same as when I had simply disabled Enigmail.
Have a look at info under 'Advanced' 'Flowed Format' section at this link: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Plain_text_e-mail_(Thunderbird)
Do you view incoming messages in 'Original HTML' or 'Plain Text' ? Try selecting Plain text to test a 'Reply' 'Menu icon' > 'View' > 'Message Body as' > 'Plain Text'
Confirm that you have unchecked: right click on mail account in Folder Pane and select 'Settings' Select 'Composition & Addressing' Confirm this is unchecked / not selected: 'Compose messages in HTML format' click on OK
What settings have you got in Options? Menu icon > Options > Options > Display > 'Formatting' tab Also when you click on 'Advanced' button.... can you post an image of settings. I'm looking for image like the one below.
Menu icon > Options > Options > Composition > 'General' tab Uncheck if selected: 'Use Paragraph format instead of Body Text by default' This should only effect the HTML emails but as a test, could you make sure it is not selected. click on OK
Changing view incoming messages to plaintext fixed it. I probably should have had it that way already. Maybe it'll mess up the occasional message that actually needs to be in html to read properly, but then I suppose I'll switch and switch back.
The other settings were already as you suggested, and didn't seem to affect the extra line breaks either way. Enigmail isn't causing a problem when enabled now either.
Thank you!