New Thunderbird 2021: A Step Towards Multi-Process Architecture

Thunderbird, one of the most popular email clients, has made a significant step towards adopting a multi-process architecture in its latest Daily version. This development is expected to lay the foundation for future improvements and enhancements in the browser's performance.

For those who may be unaware, Thunderbird loads extensions in child processes and uses separate processes for content loading. For instance, when users check the system's process manager, they can verify that Thunderbird indeed employs multiple processes. However, this change will not have any noticeable effects on users when upgrading to the Daily version, which supports multi-process architecture.

While the current implementation may not provide immediate improvements, it is a crucial cornerstone for future enhancements. The introduction of multiple processes in Thunderbird is similar to what Google Chrome and all Chromium-based browsers have adopted.

One notable drawback of using multiple processes is that it requires more memory usage. However, Mozilla's decision to introduce support for multi-processor architecture in Firefox in 2016 has already shown promising results in terms of browser stability.

As Thunderbird is built on the same codebase as Mozilla Firefox, it is likely to follow the latter's path and adopt a similar architecture. This development bodes well for Thunderbird users, who can expect improvements in performance and overall user experience in the future.

In conclusion, Thunderbird's move towards multi-process architecture is an important step towards enhancing its capabilities and providing a better user experience. While it may not have any immediate noticeable effects, it sets the stage for future enhancements that will benefit users in the long run.

New thunderbird 2021