Linux Mint 21 Vanessa freezing by Thunderbird

[lajkot]

Hello, I started using Linux in a year, so I'm not an expert, but until now I managed the issues. But now I'd like to ask help.

Details: My PC is 12 years old. Running Linux Mint 21. When I open 3-or 4 mail windows in Thunderbird, the PC is freezing.
The mouse pointer is working, if I'm listening to music it is continuous, but windows are frozen, screen is frozen, and I must restart the PC by reset button.
Once I was waiting 10 minutes, but nothing happened.

(If I open the mails on new tabs in Thunderbird, it is working. But sometimes I forget it, and the templates Thunderbird open only in new windows)

Could you please help me?

The system details:

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxpmrz
System:
  Kernel: 5.15.0-52-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 11.2.0
    Desktop: Cinnamon 5.4.12 Distro: Linux Mint 21 Vanessa
    base: Ubuntu 22.04 jammy
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: ASUSTeK model: P5K v: Rev 1.xx
    serial: <superuser required> BIOS: American Megatrends v: 1201
    date: 10/14/2008
Battery:
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech Wireless Keyboard PID:0055
    charge: 70% (should be ignored) status: Discharging
  Device-2: hidpp_battery_1 model: Logitech Wireless Mouse PID:003f
    charge: 55% (should be ignored) status: Discharging
Memory:
  RAM: total: 7.76 GiB used: 1.42 GiB (18.3%)
  RAM Report:
    permissions: Unable to run dmidecode. Root privileges required.
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core2 Duo E8400 bits: 64 type: MCP
    arch: Core Yorkfield rev: 6 cache: L1: 128 KiB L2: 6 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2004 min/max: 1998/2997 cores: 1: 2004 2: 2004
    bogomips: 12022
  Flags: ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3 vmx
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA G84 [GeForce 8600 GT] vendor: ASUSTeK driver: nouveau
    v: kernel bus-ID: 01:00.0
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.3 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa gpu: nouveau resolution: 1280x1024
  OpenGL: renderer: NV84 v: 3.3 Mesa 22.0.5 direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 82801I HD Audio vendor: ASUSTeK P5K PRO : 82801IR
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-52-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
  Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros Attansic L1 Gigabit Ethernet
    vendor: ASUSTeK P5B-MX/WiFi-AP P5KPL-VM driver: atl1 v: kernel port: N/A
    bus-ID: 02:00.0
  IF: enp2s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1015.36 GiB used: 45.49 GiB (4.5%)
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST31000528AS size: 931.51 GiB
  ID-2: /dev/sdb vendor: Kingston model: SVP200S390G size: 83.85 GiB
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 81.48 GiB used: 45.48 GiB (55.8%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdb3
  ID-2: /boot/efi size: 512 MiB used: 5.2 MiB (1.0%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/sdb2
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 2 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) file: /swapfile
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 37.0 C mobo: 45.0 C gpu: nouveau temp: 46.0 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0 psu: 0 case-1: 0 case-2: 0 gpu: nouveau fan: 0
  Power: 12v: 11.93 5v: N/A 3.3v: 3.38 vbat: N/A
Repos:
  Packages: 2706
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64] https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
    1: deb http://packages.linuxmint.com vanessa main upstream import backport
    2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy main restricted universe multiverse
    3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
    4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
    5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jammy-security main restricted universe multiverse
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/winehq.list
    1: deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/winehq.gpg] http://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ jammy main
Info:
  Processes: 218 Uptime: 2m Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 11.3.0
  Shell: Bash v: 5.1.16 inxi: 3.3.13

Thank you very much, Tamás

[lajkot]

An update: Mozilla firefox is the same: Some windows are opened - freezing, some tabs are opened - OK.
Until now no other sw window issue.

[MikeNovember]

Hi,

If enabled, try to disable graphics hardware acceleration in Thunderbird and Mozilla settings.

Regards,

MN

[lajkot]

Hi,

If enabled, try to disable graphics hardware acceleration in Thunderbird and Mozilla settings.

Regards,

MN

Hi MN, Thank you the idea! I didn't know that these sw use hw acceleration. I will use this solution if it will be necessarry, but today the system updated Mozilla, the kernel, and some other parts, and the problem is gone. Now the hw acceleration is on, and everything is ok.

Thank you for your time, I appreciate!
Regards
Tom

[MikeNovember]

Hi,

Hardware graphics acceleration works... or not! When it does not work, it can freeze an app.

Glad for you it works now, with hardware acceleration (better performance, particularly for browsers).

Note that, with a 2008 dual-core processor, your system is not really adapted to Cinnamon. Mate, or XFCE require much less resources and you could have better performance (more RAM and CPU % allocated to applications than with Cinnamon).

Regards,

MN