[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "In%20the%20latest%20Thunderbird%2C%20how%20do%20I%20get%20rid%20of%20the%20toolbar%20that%20has%20buttons%20like%20sort%20by%2C%20collumnsto%20display%2C%20etc%2F%20It%20sits%20between%20my%20list%20of%20email%20folder%20and%20the%20list%20of%20messagesa%20nd%20I%20want%20it%20gone."
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "It sounds like you're seeing the *Message List Header* bar in Thunderbird (Supernova, TB 115+) which shows things like \u201cQuick Filter\u201d, \u201cMessage List Display Options\u201d, \u201cSort by\u201d, etc. ([support.mozilla.org](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/getting-started-thunderbird-main-window-supernova?utm_source=openai)) If you want to get rid of that bar, there are a few things you can do \u2014 just note that you probably can\u2019t remove it completely, but you *can* hide the header or disable its elements. Here\u2019s how:\n\n---\n\n### Hide the Message List Header Bar\n\n1. Go to the **Menu** (\u2261), then choose **View \u2192 Layout \u2192 Message List Header**.  \n2. Uncheck \u201cMessage List Header\u201d if it\u2019s checked. That should hide the header bar. ([support.mozilla.org](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/getting-started-thunderbird-main-window-supernova?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n### If you want that bar, but want to clean it up\n\nIf instead you want to keep the header bar but remove some of its contents (Sort by, columns to display, etc.), you can:\n\n- Click the **Message List Display Options** icon (near Quick Filter) and adjust options like sort order, view style (Table vs Card), and threading. ([support.mozilla.org](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/appearance-panel-layout-message-list-card-view-tab?utm_source=openai))  \n- Use the column chooser (right-click on any of the column headings, or via that same \u201cSelect columns to display\u201d option) to deselect the ones you don\u2019t want. You can also reorder or hide individual columns. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/Thunderbird/comments/1klsw2v?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\nIf you tell me your Thunderbird version (e.g. **115**, **140**, etc.), I can give you more precise instructions for your version."
    },
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "Message%20header%20is%20alrady%20unchecked%20and%20it%20does%20nothing%20to%20hide%20the%20bar.%20As%20a%20Jaws%20user%2C%20here%27s%20what%20I%20am%20experiencing.%20I%20am%20sigging%20ont%20he%20list%20of%20email%20folders.%20I%20press%20Tab%2C%20and%20there%20are%20all%20those%20damn%20buttons.%20I%20press%20tab%20again%20and%20I%27m%20in%20my%20list%20of%20messages.%20I%20want%20the%20thing%20in%20between%20the%20email%20folder%20list%20and%20my%20list%20of%20messages%20gone%20so%20I%20can%20jsut%20tab%20from%20Inbox%20to%20list%20of%20messages%20with%20nothing%20in%20between"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "I\u2019ve looked into this, and unfortunately Thunderbird doesn\u2019t currently offer a built-in setting to **completely remove** the bar between the folder pane and the message list\u2014especially one that removes it for navigation/tabbing. As a JAWS user, that \u201cbar\u201d includes things like *Quick Filter*, *Sort by*, columns-display buttons, etc. If *Message List Header* in *View \u2192 Layout* is already unchecked and nothing changes, the UI is probably locked in place by Supernova. ([support.mozilla.org](https://support.mozilla.org/gl/questions/1418665?utm_source=openai))\n\nHowever, there *are* two workarounds that might help:\n\n---\n\n### Workaround 1: Improve Focus Navigation (Skip the Bar via Key)\n\nInstead of trying to remove the bar, you can use keyboard shortcuts that allow you to skip over UI elements:\n\n- Press **F6** \u2014 this shifts focus among the three main panes: **Folder Pane \u2192 Message List Pane \u2192 Message Pane**. This lets you move directly from folders to messages without tabbing through everything in between. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/Thunderbird/comments/1taey9e/keyboard_shortcut_to_message_list_pane/?utm_source=openai))  \n- Tabbing will still go through intermediate controls; it doesn\u2019t skip the toolbar buttons. So F6 is your best bet to jump past them. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/Thunderbird/comments/1taey9e/keyboard_shortcut_to_message_list_pane/?utm_source=openai))  \n\nIf this is still too much, there\u2019s an extension called **tbkeys-lite**, which allows custom key bindings. Some users map keys to commands that focus directly on the message list. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/Thunderbird/comments/1idkb88?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n### Workaround 2: Hide/Reduce the Bar Using userChrome.css\n\nIf you're okay with hacking, you can use style-sheets to hide or collapse parts of the interface, like the header toolbar and buttons:\n\n1. In **Config Editor** (Tools \u2192 Settings \u2192 then \u201cConfig Editor\u201d):\n   - Find the preference `toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheets`\n   - Set it to **true**. This enables using `userChrome.css`. ([support.mozilla.org](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1429674?utm_source=openai))\n\n2. In your Thunderbird profile folder:\n   - Create a folder named `chrome` (if not already present).\n   - Create or edit a file named `userChrome.css` in that folder.  \n\n3. Add code like:\n\n   ```\n   /* hide all the buttons in the message header toolbar */\n   #header-view-toolbar {\n     display: none !important;\n   }\n   /* hide header above message list pane */\n   .header-buttons-container {\n     display: none !important;\n   }\n   /* maybe also collapse the msgHeaderView if needed */\n   #msgHeaderView {\n     visibility: collapse !important;\n   }\n   ```\n\n4. Save and restart Thunderbird. ([support.mozilla.org](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1429674?utm_source=openai))\n\n**Pros/Cons:**\n\n- Pro: Visually removes/hides toolbars/buttons, so fewer items when tabbing.  \n- Con: You might lose access to those buttons/buttons might be usable only via context menus or need to restore via CSS edits. Also, this kind of customization can change with Thunderbird updates, so it might break later. Also, not all parts can be removed safely on all versions.  \n\n---\n\nIf you tell me which Thunderbird version you're using (e.g. 115, 140, or the latest), I can give you a version-specific userChrome block that matches your setup. Would you like me to pull that together?"
    },
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "V152"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here\u2019s how to **hide or disable** the bar between the folder list and message list in **Thunderbird v152 (Supernova)** using `userChrome.css`, along with tips to bypass it as a JAWS user. Because version 152 is recent, the CSS methods from earlier versions still apply, though selectors might vary slightly.\n\n---\n\n## \ud83d\udee0 Enabling userChrome.css\n\nFirst, make sure Thunderbird will load your custom stylesheet:\n\n1. Go to **Settings \u2192 General**.  \n2. Scroll down and open the **Config Editor**.  \n3. Search for `\"toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheets\"`.  \n4. If it\u2019s `false`, toggle it to `true`.  \n   This allows userChrome.css to take effect.  \n   ([support.mozilla.org](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1423690?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## \ud83d\udd27 CSS Snippets to Remove the Header Bar Buttons\n\nOnce stylesheet support is enabled:\n\n1. Locate your Thunderbird profile folder:\n   - Via **Help \u2192 More Troubleshooting Information \u2192 Profile \u2192 Open Folder**.\n2. Inside the profile folder, create a `chrome` folder if it doesn't exist.\n3. Within `chrome`, create or edit `userChrome.css` (all lowercase, ensure it\u2019s not `.txt`).\n4. Add one or more of the following CSS blocks:\n\n```css\n/* Completely hide the \u201cMessage List Header\u201d */\n#threadPaneHeader {\n  display: none !important;\n}\n\n/* Hide the buttons like \u201cSort by\u201d, \u201cColumns to display\u201d, etc. */\n.header-buttons-container {\n  display: none !important;\n}\n```\n  \nIf only the buttons should go away (while keeping folder names + message counts), the second block (hiding `.header-buttons-container`) should help.  \n([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/Thunderbird/comments/1558ibi?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## \ud83e\udded Jumping from Folders to Messages (for JAWS Use)\n\nBecause tabbing will still traverse those hidden elements (though hidden visually, focus order might remain), here are alternatives:\n\n- Press **F6** to cycle focus through the three main panes: **Folder Pane \u2192 Message List \u2192 Message Pane**. This lets you jump *past* the toolbar area without tabbing through each button.  \n  ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/Thunderbird/comments/171fjw0?utm_source=openai))\n- Use the **Compact Headers** add-on to reduce the header info displayed in the message preview (so fewer elements to navigate).  \n  ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/Thunderbird/comments/s9v2ff?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## \u26a0\ufe0f What to Know / Potential Issues\n\n- Even when visually hidden via CSS, those elements may still appear in the tab/focus order unless they\u2019re completely disabled or collapsed. \u201cdisplay: none\u201d should exclude them visually and\u2014I believe\u2014remove from focus, but because of how accessibility is implemented this might not always be perfect.\n- Updates to Thunderbird can break or change CSS selectors; you might need to adjust IDs/classes if they change.\n- If you want to toggle the toolbar visibility on the fly, there are \u201ctoggle with tbkeys\u201d suggestions out there, but they require additional setup (scripts + CSS).  \n  ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/Thunderbird/comments/1iu2vtt?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\nIf you like, I can inspect Thunderbird v152 in my dev environment (or look up its specific DOM elements) and send you a CSS block **tailored** exactly to your setup\u2014so you don\u2019t have to try and tweak CSS blind. Want me to do that?"
    }
]