[plug] ./configure

[Richard Yellin]

Hi All the best for 2008 to plug members
I can't install the thunderbird source code. I'll explain with some  
background comments before putting my Q. below
I was using Opera for linux (9.5, but many earlier versions too) as my MTA  
 from the mail server on Westnet, and recently had authentication problems  
for my IMAP account and couldn't download my new email.
(The message was "CRAM=MD5 authentication refused, incoming IMAP")
I have solved that by switching to OperaMail, cancelling the IMAP and  
using a POP account with Auto authentication.

With no new email, I decided to install Firefox and Thunderbird for the  
first time. After g'zipping and untarring with -zxvf  
thunderbird-2.0.0.9.tar.gz in my d/load directory ..~/.opera/download and  
doing cd thunderbird (checked with ls) this problem arose:

rhyellin at richi [~/.opera/download]$ cd thunderbird
rhyellin at richi [~/.opera/download/thunderbird]$ ./configure
bash: ./configure: No such file or directory
rhyellin at richi [~/.opera/download/thunderbird]$

Question (at last)   Would someone please explain why "./configure" won't  
start

I have puzzled over this for 2 or 3 days and looked up a few linux books  
and articles but they don't seem to touch on this.  In the past I have  
always been able to install and configure source code.
Many thanks
-- 
regards Richard