Ubuntu

Firefox grey screen

Asked by Eric Bursley

I have a problem with Firefox as described in this Ubuntu forum message that I posted, and it seems like several other people are seeing the same thing.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=5457363
Basically if I have Firefox open, and filling out a web form, or using an internet application that uses Java, or .NET. I can't open another Firefox window without causing the original firefox window from turning transparent gray, and becoming non-responsive. I can kill the task, but why should I have to go to this level.
I have also found that I can't open up more than two Firefox windows at once. i.e. Open Firefox, start browsing, open another, start browsing, and finally open a third. Both other Firefox windows turn gray, and become non-responsive. Typically this happens when Firefox is retrieving data from the server when I open another window. i.e. form is being created dynamically using post back information.

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
Sam_
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:

This question was reopened

Revision history for this message
Eric Bursley (eric-bursley) said : 		#1

I'm running Ubuntu 8.04 i386 using custom kernel for Xeon and PAE support. My system is a Dell Precision 690 with 2 dual core Xeon processors and 4GB of RAM.
This also doesn't happen on my Windows systems, so I believe this has something to do with a setting in Gnome or Firefox.

Revision history for this message
Shane Fagan (shanepatrickfagan) said : 		#2

Try to reinstall firefox in synaptic.

Hope that helps
Shane Fagan

Revision history for this message
Eric Bursley (eric-bursley) said : 		#3

Nope, that doesn't work.

Revision history for this message
Sharar Ravitz (jewfro-macabbi) said : 		#4

are you using sun-java or icedtea-java7? icea tea is more stable for me. You could try switching - no matter which your using.

Revision history for this message
Eric Bursley (eric-bursley) said : 		#5

that didn't help much either. I noticed that when this happens, firefox is running at 100% cpu. I can reproduce this at will now by trying to open up three Firefox windows at once.
another interesting thing, this may have something to do with it or not.
When I start firefox in a command shell using : firefox &, I get a process ID as typical. when I try to startup a second or third, the command shell says the first instance is Done, even though its not.

Revision history for this message
Eric Bursley (eric-bursley) said : 		#6

I clicked the wrong button, I still have a problem

Revision history for this message
Sharar Ravitz (jewfro-macabbi) said : 		#7

It you get the error that consistently after re-installing firefox and trying both versions of java - you may consider filing a firefox bug report. The only other thing I can recommend trying is removing your mozilla settings directory (and do make a backup so you can quickly restore your settings if it doesn't help: cp -r .mozilla .mozilla.backup).

To remove it

rm -r .mozilla

Revision history for this message
Eric Bursley (eric-bursley) said : 		#8

Personally I think this is a bug because I get a similar problem on my Ubuntu installed laptop. Also as I mentioned in my first post, several other people have seen the same bug.

Revision history for this message
Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#9

Hi,
I'm sorry, but I'm not able to reproduce this scenario.
I've opened four instances of firefox, with sites open using java, flash and forms. I even grouped and tabbed them to switch fast and typed, loaded, reloaded and so on, also the cpu went not higher.

My guess is, that it could be related to sqlite.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox-3.0/+bug/229745

You can watch these files in .mozilla -> firefox -> abcd.default
I don't save formhistory or any other history in firefox settings, maybe that's it, but if the option is there it shouldn't make trouble of course.

Revision history for this message
Eric Bursley (eric-bursley) said : 		#10

I follow the information in the bug report listed above, but I don't believe it is related because I think I already have the patch mentioned.

My xulrunner information:
ii xulrunner-1.9 1.9.0.1+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.8.04.2 XUL + XPCOM application runner
ii xulrunner-1.9-gnome-support 1.9.0.1+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.8.04.2 Support for Gnome in xulrunner-1.9 applications

If this isn't the right version, can you point me to the updated dpkg that contains the patch?

Revision history for this message
Best Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#11

Hi Eric,
the entry in the bug shows - commit 118 -> Fix Available rev 119 uploaded to hardy-proposed.
https://code.launchpad.net/~mozillateam/xulrunner/xulrunner-1.9.hardy
https://edge.launchpad.net/~mozillateam/+archive

It's up to you now sorting out if sqlite is still the problem, maybe by de/activating specific history functions.
Or if you might consider the suggestion above to remove or rename .mozilla or to remove addons successive.

Revision history for this message
Eric Bursley (eric-bursley) said : 		#12

Looks like it was the Google tool bar extension causing my issues. After I renamed the .mozilla directory, and added in extensions one by one, I didn't have a problem until I added the Google tool bar again.