Firefox Freezes and Mouse acts crazy

[ichido]

I have been having a rough time when using Firefox 88.0.1 64 bit for the last month or so. My mouse starts Highlighting (Selecting) text when I Left Click some where, and then as I move the mouse (without holding down the Left Button), it Highlights sections I don't want Selected, nor am I trying to Select Anything. Firefox stops responding to the Mouse Movement and Mouse Buttons (Logitech M325). There is No Way to Stop the Selecting or Unfreezing FF other than holding down the Power Button to shut down the system and reboot. It's like FF has taken over my Laptop and I cannot even move the pointer over to the Main Menu to Shut Down my laptop.
I have been Updating Everything asked to by the Update Mgr, Except the Linux Kernel. (mostly due to a Problem that became Catastrophic with the New Kernel) so I will consider that Update Kernel Option a Very Last Resort!
I will try a different Mouse to see if there is any difference and I'll will post the results.
I saw in a different post about FF Freezing, and the poster was asked to post the "$ inxi Fxz, so here is my output from "$ inxi -Fxz" is:

Code: Select all

System:    Kernel: 5.4.0-70-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 Desktop: Cinnamon 4.8.6 
           Distro: Linux Mint 20.1 Ulyssa base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:   Type: Portable System: Dell product: Latitude E6400 v: N/A serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: Dell model: 0HT027 serial: <filter> BIOS: Dell v: A09 date: 11/21/2008 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT0 charge: 55.5 Wh condition: 55.5/55.5 Wh (100%) model: Samsung SDI DELL 8TJD213 
           status: Full 
           Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech Wireless Mouse M325 charge: 55% (should be ignored) 
           status: Discharging 
CPU:       Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core2 Duo P8400 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Penryn rev: 6 
           L2 cache: 3072 KiB 
           flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 9043 
           Speed: 798 MHz min/max: 800/2268 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 798 2: 798 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel Mobile 4 Series Integrated Graphics vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel 
           bus ID: 00:02.0 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
           resolution: 1280x800~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Mobile Intel GM45 Express (CTG) v: 2.1 Mesa 20.2.6 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel 82801I HD Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-70-generic 
Network:   Device-1: Intel 82567LM Gigabit Network vendor: Dell driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k port: efe0 
           bus ID: 00:19.0 
           IF: enp0s25 state: down mac: <filter> 
           Device-2: Intel WiFi Link 5100 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 1100 bus ID: 0c:00.0 
           IF: wlp12s0 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 119.24 GiB used: 67.50 GiB (56.6%) 
           ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Micron model: SK hynix SC300 2.5 7MM 128GB size: 119.24 GiB 
RAID:      Hardware-1: Intel 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] driver: ahci v: 3.0 bus ID: 00:1f.2 
Partition: ID-1: / size: 51.46 GiB used: 43.54 GiB (84.6%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 44.0 C mobo: N/A sodimm: 43.0 C 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0 
Info:      Processes: 190 Uptime: 4h 03m Memory: 3.80 GiB used: 1.35 GiB (35.6%) Init: systemd runlevel: 5 
           Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 inxi: 3.0.38 

I am running LM 20.1 Cinn, (ver 4.88.6), Kernal 5.4.0-70-generic om my Dell Latitude E6400.
any and all advice will be helpful. Thanks!

[karlchen]

Good night, ichido.

In case you had not mentioned yourself,

I will try a different Mouse to see if there is any difference and I'll will post the results.

this would have been my advice. No mouse lives forever.
Looking at the age of your Dell notebook E6400, from 2008, I wonder a bit whether the mouse adapter port might be worn out and transmit incorrect signals. Just an idea. Try another mouse first. Would be a pretty cheap "repair", a new mouse.

<Nostalgic memories>
Used an E6400 for 4 or 5 years for my daily office work many years ago. Really liked that Dell. Was really sad when the leasing period had expired and I had to return it.
</Nostalgic memories>

Cheers,
Karl

[ichido]

My "OLD" E6400 works Great in all aspects with the LM20.1.
I have changed to a Different M325 and so far so good!
Thanks for your reply, but "Good night, ichido."??

[gittiest personITW]

Without assuming to speak for Karlchen, possibly 'Good evening' (time difference between US and Europe) was meant so I wouldn't take offence - in case you thought he was going to turn up on your doorstep with a baseball bat uttering the last words that Ichido the Mortal One might hear, 'Good night, Ichido'.

[karlchen]

Hello, ichido.

possibly 'Good evening' (time difference between US and Europe) was meant

Precisely this. My post was written at 23:37 CEST. Had no wish of causing any concerns. Will stick to the more common "hello" or "hi" in future.
Karl

[ichido]

karlchen,

Thank you for your help and advice!
Sorry for the misunderstanding of your Comment "Good Night".
ichido signing off at 8:45pm EST or Zulu -5 hours.

[ichido]

New Mouse and again Complete System Freeze up.
Hold down power button to turn off Mint Linux and Firefox.
Then Restart to get working again and regain control of Laptop.

[SMG]

I have been Updating Everything asked to by the Update Mgr, Except the Linux Kernel. (mostly due to a Problem that became Catastrophic with the New Kernel) so I will consider that Update Kernel Option a Very Last Resort!

What problem was this?

Your root partition is quite full. I recommend you free up space as that will likely help performance on your computer which may also resolve the issue you are seeing. How to Clean Linux Mint Safely

Partition: ID-1: / size: 51.46 GiB used: 43.54 GiB (84.6%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5

[ichido]

Thank you SMG but I use pCloud, Cloud Backup, which shows a large drive of 2 Terabits, which actually are Not on my Hard drive but are in my Cloud Storage.
See: https://www.pcloud.com/download-free-on ... orage.html
I have 7.8GB of free space on my hard drive.
The Only time I have problems with the Mouse are when using Firefox.
But thanks for the suggestion.

[SMG]

Thank you SMG but I use pCloud, Cloud Backup, which shows a large drive of 2 Terabits, which actually are Not on my Hard drive but are in my Cloud Storage.
See: https://www.pcloud.com/download-free-on ... orage.html
I have 7.8GB of free space on my hard drive.

I quoted the information from your Mint install, so I do not know why you are mentioning pCloud. That is not relevant to your Mint install.

This is your Mint install which is ~85% full.
Partition: ID-1: / size: 51.46 GiB used: 43.54 GiB (84.6%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5

As part of running Mint, temporary files are created and the more you run (such as when running a web browser), the more free space is utilized by those temporary file. Your system, before you even begin running the browser, is 85% full, so it makes sense that performance will be impacted due to a full root partition.

Here are some tips: How to Clean Linux Mint Safely