Lightning (software)

In this article, we will explore the topic of Lightning (software) from different perspectives and approaches. Lightning (software) has been a topic of interest for decades, and its relevance remains high today. During this tour, we will examine its origins, its impact on society and its evolution over time. Likewise, we will analyze the various opinions and positions that exist around Lightning (software), as well as the challenges and opportunities it presents. This article aims to provide a comprehensive and enriching view on Lightning (software), in order to provide the reader with a deeper and more complete understanding of this fascinating and influential topic.

This article is about the Thunderbird calendar extension. For the just-in-time compilation library, see GNU lightning.
Lightning
Developer(s)Mozilla Foundation / Mozilla Corporation
Initial release0.1 (March 2006)
Stable release6.2.6.1 (March 25, 2019 (2019-03-25)[1]) [±]
Preview release6.8b3 (Beta) (March 8, 2019 (2019-03-08)[2][3]) [±]
Written inC++, XUL, XBL, JavaScript
Operating systemLinux, Windows, macOS, others
Available in50 languages
TypePersonal information manager
LicenseMPL 2.0
Websitewww.thunderbird.net/calendar/

Lightning is a project from the Mozilla Foundation originally designed as an extension ("add-on") that adds calendar and scheduling functionality to the Mozilla Thunderbird mail client and SeaMonkey internet suite. It superseded the previous Mozilla Sunbird and the older Mozilla Calendar extension.[4] With version 38 of Thunderbird, the Lightning add-on was integrated and preloaded by default;[5] since version 78 of Thunderbird (released 2020), Lightning is part of Thunderbird and no longer an add-on extension. Lightning is compatible with iCalendar calendars.

History

The Lightning project was announced on December 22, 2004, in an effort to integrate Mozilla Sunbird into Mozilla Thunderbird.[6] Sun Microsystems contributed significantly to the Lightning Project to provide users with an alternative free and open-source choice to Microsoft Office by combining OpenOffice.org and Thunderbird with the Lightning Extension.[7] In addition to general bug-fixing, Sun focused on calendar views, team/collaboration features and support for the Sun Java System Calendar Server.[8]

Version 0.9 was the last planned release for Thunderbird 2. A calendar was originally to be fully integrated into Thunderbird 3, but those plans were changed due to concerns with the product's maturity and level of support.[9][10] Lightning 1.0b2 is compatible with Thunderbird 3.1, Lightning 1.0b5 is compatible with Thunderbird 5 and 6, and Lightning 1.0b7 is compatible with Thunderbird 7.[11][12]

Lightning 1.0 was released to the public on November 7, 2011. It was released alongside Thunderbird 8.0. Following that, every Thunderbird release has been accompanied by a compatible Lightning point release. Lightning finally started shipping with Thunderbird with version 4.0, on Thunderbird 38.0.1 released in 2015.[5][13] With the 2020 release of Thunderbird 78, Lightning is now a permanent part of the program.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Calendar Versions - Mozilla | MDN". Mozilla.org. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  2. ^ "Lightning :: Versions :: Add-ons for Thunderbird". Mozilla.org. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  3. ^ "Calendar Versions - Mozilla | MDN". Mozilla.org. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  4. ^ Lightning Project Launched to Provide Calendar Features for Mozilla Thunderbird- MozillaZine - MozillaZine article announcing the Lightning project and its aims.
  5. ^ a b "There is no Lightning 4.0 | Mozilla Calendar Project Blog". blog.mozilla.org. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  6. ^ "Mozilla's Lightning to strike Outlook?". CNET. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  7. ^ "Calendar Weblog". Archived from the original on 2010-02-12. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  8. ^ Interview On Mozilla Lightning and OpenOffice.org
  9. ^ "Lightning 0.9 Release Notes". September 23, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  10. ^ David Ascher (February 18, 2009). "Lightning-in-Thunderbird status update". Archived from the original on October 2, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  11. ^ "Lightning 1.0 Beta 2 and Compatibility". June 17, 2010. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  12. ^ "Lightning :: Add-ons for Thunderbird". July 29, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  13. ^ "Thunderbird — Release Notes (38.0.1)". Thunderbird. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  14. ^ Sipes, Ryan (2020-07-16). "What's New in Thunderbird 78". The Thunderbird Blog. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
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