Thank you for the message.

I have /usr/local/thunerbird-new/thunderbird and

[aki@beebalm ~]$ which thunderbird
/usr/local/bin/thunderbird

I ran the diagnostic on both.

For the thunderbird-new:

> [aki@beebalm ~]$ /usr/local/thunderbird-new/thunderbird &
> [1] 29086
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ unlog
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ *** glibc detected *** corrupted double-linked list: 
> 0x08e3e5c0 ***
> /usr/local/thunderbird-new/run-mozilla.sh: line 131: 29094 Aborted    
> "$prog" ${1+"$@"}
>
> [1]    Exit 134                      
> /usr/local/thunderbird-new/thunderbird
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ klog
> Password:
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ /usr/local/thunderbird-new/thunderbird &
> [1] 29120


At this point, I get the "thunderbird is already running" error message. 
(Please see attachment). I have a script written now to delete the lock 
files in my alias.

> [aki@beebalm ~]$ alias
> l.      ls -d .* --color=tty
> ll      ls -l --color=tty
> ls      ls --color=tty
> m       more
> mozcl   (rm -rf 
> /afs/hep.wisc.edu/home/aki/.mozilla/firefox/ftfcl6z0.default/lock 
> /afs/hep.wisc.edu/home/aki/.mozilla/firefox/ftfcl6z0.default/.parentlock)
> thcl    (rm -rf 
> /afs/hep.wisc.edu/home/aki/.thunderbird/cmlipscu.default/lock 
> /afs/hep.wisc.edu/home/aki/.thunderbird/cmlipscu.default/.parentlock)
> vi      vim
> [1]    Done                          
> /usr/local/thunderbird-new/thunderbird
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ thcl
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ /usr/local/thunderbird-new/thunderbird &
> [1] 29135

At this point, (after thcl cleared the lock files) the 
/usr/local/thunderbird-new/thunderbird did run. Now for 
/usr/local/bin/thunderbird

> [aki@beebalm ~]$ thunderbird &
> [2] 29156
> [1]    Done                          
> /usr/local/thunderbird-new/thunderbird
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ *** loading the extensions datasource
> *** ExtensionManager:_updateManifests: no access privileges to 
> application directory, skipping.
> *** loading the extensions datasource
> *** ExtensionManager:_updateManifests: no access privileges to 
> application directory, skipping.
>
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ unlog
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ *** glibc detected *** double free or corruption 
> (!prev): 0x09485d90 ***
> /usr/local/thunderbird/run-mozilla.sh: line 159: 29173 
> Aborted                 "$prog" ${1+"$@"}
>
> [2]    Exit 134                      thunderbird
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ klog
> Password:
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ thunderbird &
> [1] 29199
> [aki@beebalm ~]$ /usr/local/thunderbird-new/thunderbird &
> [2] 29225
> [1]    Done                          thunderbird

As you can see, there were strings of error messages, but the clearing 
of the lock-files did not appear to be necessary.

-aki