Software:Lightning

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Short description: Free software
Lightning
ThunderbirdwithLightning.png
Lightning 0.9 running on Thunderbird 2.0.0.19
Developer(s)Mozilla Foundation / Mozilla Corporation
Initial release0.1 (March 2006)
Stable release6.2.6.1 (March 25, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-03-25)[1]) [±]
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 It superseded the previous Mozilla Sunbird and the older Mozilla Calendar extension.[2] With version 38 of Thunderbird, the Lightning add-on was integrated and preloaded by default;[3] 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.[4] 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.[5] In addition to general bug-fixing, Sun focused on calendar views, team/collaboration features and support for the Sun Java System Calendar Server.[6]

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.[7][8] 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.[9][10]

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.[3][11] With the 2020 release of Thunderbird 78, Lightning is now a permanent part of the program.[12]

See also

References

  1. "Calendar Versions - Mozilla | MDN". Mozilla.org. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Calendar/Calendar_Versions. 
  2. Lightning Project Launched to Provide Calendar Features for Mozilla Thunderbird- MozillaZine - MozillaZine article announcing the Lightning project and its aims.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "There is no Lightning 4.0 | Mozilla Calendar Project Blog". https://blog.mozilla.org/calendar/2015/06/there-is-no-lightning-4-0/. 
  4. "Mozilla's Lightning to strike Outlook?" (in en). https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/mozillas-lightning-to-strike-outlook/. 
  5. "Calendar Weblog". http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/calendar/2006/10/sun_microsystems_announces_int.html. 
  6. Interview On Mozilla Lightning and OpenOffice.org
  7. "Lightning 0.9 Release Notes". September 23, 2008. https://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/releases/lightning0.9.html. 
  8. David Ascher (February 18, 2009). "Lightning-in-Thunderbird status update". http://ascher.ca/blog/2009/02/18/lightning_update/. 
  9. "Lightning 1.0 Beta 2 and Compatibility". June 17, 2010. http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/calendar/2010/06/lightning_10_beta_2_and_compat.html. 
  10. "Lightning :: Add-ons for Thunderbird". July 29, 2011. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/lightning/. 
  11. "Thunderbird — Release Notes (38.0.1)" (in en). https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/38.0.1/releasenotes/. 
  12. Sipes, Ryan (2020-07-16). "What’s New in Thunderbird 78" (in en-US). https://blog.thunderbird.net/2020/07/whats-new-in-thunderbird-78/. 

External links