Lightning (software)

This article is about the Thunderbird calendar extension. For the just-in-time compilation library, see GNU lightning.

Lightning

Lightning 0.9 running on Thunderbird 2.0.0.19
Developer(s)	Mozilla Foundation / Mozilla Corporation
Initial release	0.1
Stable release	1.0  (November 7, 2011; 2 days ago (2011-11-07)) [+/−]
Preview release	none  (n/a) [+/−]
Written in	C++, XUL, XBL, JavaScript
Operating system	Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, others
Available in	37 languages
Type	Personal information manager
License	MPL, MPL/GPL/LGPL tri-license
Website	www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/lightning/

The Lightning project, announced on December 22, 2004, and currently^[update] in development by the Mozilla Foundation, produces an extension that adds calendar and scheduling functionality to the Mozilla Thunderbird mail and newsgroup client and SeaMonkey internet suite. Lightning is an iCalendar compatible calendar.

Unlike the discontinued Mozilla Sunbird and Mozilla Calendar extension, Lightning aims to integrate tightly with Thunderbird.^[1]

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.^[2][3] 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.^[4][5]

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.^[6] In addition to general bug-fixing, Sun focused on calendar views, team/collaboration features and support for the Sun Java Calendar Server.^[7]

See also

Free software portal

• Mozilla Calendar Project
• List of personal information managers
• List of applications with iCalendar support

References

1. ^ Lightning Project Launched to Provide Calendar Features for Mozilla Thunderbird- MozillaZine - MozillaZine article announcing the Lightning project and its aims.
2. ^ "Lightning 0.9 Release Notes". September 23, 2008. http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/releases/lightning0.9.html. Retrieved June 22, 2010. 
3. ^ David Ascher (February 18, 2009). "Lightning-in-Thunderbird status update". http://ascher.ca/blog/2009/02/18/lightning_update/. Retrieved June 22, 2010. 
4. ^ "Lightning 1.0 Beta 2 and Compatibility". June 17, 2010. http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/calendar/2010/06/lightning_10_beta_2_and_compat.html. Retrieved June 22, 2010. 
5. ^ "Lightning :: Add-ons for Thunderbird". July 29, 2011. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/lightning/. Retrieved August 3, 2011. 
6. ^ Calendar Weblog
7. ^ Interview On Mozilla Lightning and OpenOffice.org

External links

• Official website
• Lightning release notes
• Mozilla Calendar Blog
• The Rumbling Edge
• Latest nightly builds