Firefox problem after updating (SOLVED)

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McDuff

Firefox problem after updating (SOLVED)

Post by McDuff »

Hi. I'm just done an update using the Update Manager & installed all the recommended elements (Manager is set for levels 1 & 2 only). Since then, I cannot get Firefox to load any web pages. I've since installed Opera to allow me to get online but cannot find a solution to why Firefox will not now work. Looking at the history in Update manager, it looks like 59 files were changed, including going from Firefox 58.0.2 to 60.0.1 but I suppose the problem could have been caused by any of the files? I have tried going into the Software Manager & then removing & re-installing Firefox but the problem is still there. Can anyone help please?
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
sammiev

Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by sammiev »

If you open up a terminal and run Firefox from there, it will report any errors.
Post the errors back here so people can help or it may just give you the answer you were looking for.
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Flemur
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Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by Flemur »

McDuff wrote: Wed May 23, 2018 8:51 am going from Firefox 58.0.2 to 60.0.1
My FF v60 ESR had a screwed-up password manager (would either do nothing, or put the password in the 'username' box) and it also seemed to cause "video downloadhelper" to download videos from a background tab, but using the file names from the foreground tab. I fixed both issues by going back to v59 (not ESR).

As sammiev suggested, in a terminal try

Code: Select all

firefox
but also try

Code: Select all

firefox -safe-mode
Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] if/when it is solved!
Your data and OS are backed up....right?
tho9504
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Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by tho9504 »

i have the same issue when i update to Firefox 60. All i get is a blank screen when i open firefox. i reverted back to version 59 because i had timeshift. I read here somewhere this could be because Firefox 60 does not work well with Firejail.
McDuff

Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by McDuff »

sammiev wrote: Wed May 23, 2018 8:57 am If you open up a terminal and run Firefox from there, it will report any errors.
Post the errors back here so people can help or it may just give you the answer you were looking for.
I've managed to open Firefox from the Terminal & have attached the output as suggested.
Errors.odt
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Flemur
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Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by Flemur »

McDuff wrote: Wed May 23, 2018 10:10 amI've managed to open Firefox from the Terminal & have attached the output as suggested.Errors.odt
My OS wants to open that file with "file-roller" and shows me a list of files rather than error messages.

The proper way to show the output is to copy it from the terminal, paste the text here and enclose it in "text" tags (the "</>" symbol).
Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] if/when it is solved!
Your data and OS are backed up....right?
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Moem
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Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by Moem »

Here's your output, enclosed in the 'code' tags (the [</>] symbol).

Code: Select all

chris@chris-7200-3017D ~ $ firefox

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(firefox:2583): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2637): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:2687): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed
ATTENTION: default value of option force_s3tc_enable overridden by environment.
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karlchen
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Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by karlchen »

<Side issue>
Flemur wrote: Wed May 23, 2018 10:18 amMy OS wants to open that file with "file-roller" and shows me a list of files rather than error messages.
Are you sure it is your OS and not your browser only? I had to tell my Firefox as well that it should open the .odt file with Libre Office Writer. I do not have to tell my OS, hm, rather my graphical file-manager, that it should open the .odt file with Libre Office Writer, because it already knows.
</Side issue>
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Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by Flemur »

karlchen wrote: Wed May 23, 2018 10:41 amAre you sure it is your OS and not your browser only?
Yup. I don't have LibreOffice installed; I downloaded the file and it opens with file-roller, no other suggestions.
I do not have to tell my OS, hm, rather my graphical file-manager,
The file manager is using the system-wide mime associations provided by the OS; there are no custom associations for .odt in ~/.config/mimeapps.list

Edit: .odt association are defined in several files under /usr/share/mime/

Code: Select all

  <expanded-acronym>OpenDocument Text</expanded-acronym>
  <sub-class-of type="application/zip"/>
  <generic-icon name="x-office-document"/>
  <glob pattern="*.odt"/>
"application/zip"
Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] if/when it is solved!
Your data and OS are backed up....right?
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karlchen
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Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by karlchen »

<side issue>
Hi, Flemur.

Actually .odt files are .zip archives, having a different filename extension and a specifically structured content. Fileroller will recognize the .odt file as a .zip archive and show the content, files and folders; but of course it does not know how to interpret the content as a Libre Office text document. This is why you saw what you saw. :)
Your office suite, whichever it is, does not know open document file formats?

Cheers,
Karl
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McDuff

Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by McDuff »

Sorry, we appear to have gone off topic here. Do I need to supply any other info?
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Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by karlchen »

Sorry, McDuff.

My mistake to start discussing how to open .odt files from inside the browser. :oops:
Back to the problem which you reported:
I have read the messages which are displayed in the terminal when you launch Firefox manually.
Yet, I am not sure whether the displayed error messages explain why Firefox does not open any webpage.
The only message which
a) is different from the rest
b) looks suspicious to me
is this one: ATTENTION: default value of option force_s3tc_enable overridden by environment.
Yet, I admit I do not know what it really means and whether it could be related to your problem.

What would be interesting to know is this: what exacty happens when you try to open a webpage in Firefox. Does Firefox display any error message?

Also, have you tried firefox -safe-mode as suggested by Flemur? With which result?

Regards,
Karl
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JohnFrumm

Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by JohnFrumm »

tho9504 wrote: Wed May 23, 2018 10:04 am i have the same issue when i update to Firefox 60. All i get is a blank screen when i open firefox. i reverted back to version 59 because i had timeshift. I read here somewhere this could be because Firefox 60 does not work well with Firejail.
@tho9504,
There were a few threads started over exactly this FF 60/firejail issue. Pjotr offered a solution that works (bottom of page 2 of the thread):
viewtopic.php?f=47&t=269263&sid=107fb76 ... f&start=20
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karlchen
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Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by karlchen »

McDuff, do you use Firejail as well?
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JoeFootball
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Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by JoeFootball »

JohnFrumm wrote:Pjotr offered a solution that works ...
Note to all that the links that Pjotr provided are to the Release Candidates for 0.9.54, which were the latest at the time, but the stable builds are now released, which supersedes them.

EDIT: https://firejail.wordpress.com/download-2/

Joe
McDuff

Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by McDuff »

karlchen wrote: Wed May 23, 2018 5:16 pm McDuff, do you use Firejail as well?
No. Not sure what it is. The only "extra" thing I use is an ad blocker.
McDuff

Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by McDuff »

karlchen wrote: Wed May 23, 2018 3:39 pm Sorry, McDuff.

My mistake to start discussing how to open .odt files from inside the browser. :oops:
Back to the problem which you reported:
I have read the messages which are displayed in the terminal when you launch Firefox manually.
Yet, I am not sure whether the displayed error messages explain why Firefox does not open any webpage.
The only message which
a) is different from the rest
b) looks suspicious to me
is this one: ATTENTION: default value of option force_s3tc_enable overridden by environment.
Yet, I admit I do not know what it really means and whether it could be related to your problem.

What would be interesting to know is this: what exacty happens when you try to open a webpage in Firefox. Does Firefox display any error message?

Also, have you tried firefox -safe-mode as suggested by Flemur? With which result?

Regards,
Karl
I'm not able to access my PC at the moment. I'll answer this tomorrow.
McDuff

Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by McDuff »

karlchen wrote: Wed May 23, 2018 3:39 pm Sorry, McDuff.

My mistake to start discussing how to open .odt files from inside the browser. :oops:
Back to the problem which you reported:
I have read the messages which are displayed in the terminal when you launch Firefox manually.
Yet, I am not sure whether the displayed error messages explain why Firefox does not open any webpage.
The only message which
a) is different from the rest
b) looks suspicious to me
is this one: ATTENTION: default value of option force_s3tc_enable overridden by environment.
Yet, I admit I do not know what it really means and whether it could be related to your problem.

What would be interesting to know is this: what exacty happens when you try to open a webpage in Firefox. Does Firefox display any error message?

Also, have you tried firefox -safe-mode as suggested by Flemur? With which result?

Regards,
Karl
When I open Firefox using the shortcut on my desktop, it opens with a "blank" search screen (Not my Google home-page) with the words "Search using Chambers (UK) or type address" If I type anything in & press enter, nothing happens. Also, if I use one of my bookmarks, nothing happens.

When I start from the Terminal, it opens as normal & the terminal window shows the output given previously.

When I start in Safe-Mode, in Terminal, it opens up at my home page but the bar with my favourites/bookmarks does not show. The terminal window show multiple (/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:3321): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_ref: assertion 'object->ref_count > 0' failed messages but no other strange ones as you quoted before..

Hope this helps.
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karlchen
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Re: Firefox problem after updating

Post by karlchen »

Hi, McDuff.

The details which you explain really suggest that you should be affected by the Firefox 60 and Firejail issue.
Even though the term Firejail does not mean anything do you, you might have followed one of the numerous "10 things to do after installing Linux Mint 18" guides and have installed Firejail without remembering now.
Please, check this post in your own thread.
Also, go through the Firefox 60.0 and Firejail thread carefully.
+ In this thread: workaround for the issue post here
+ in this thread: Firejail update solving the issue: Pjotr's post

Best regards,
Karl
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McDuff

Re: Firefox problem after updating (SOLVED)

Post by McDuff »

It appears that I DID have Firejail installed after all. Same removed & reinstalled & everything is now OK. Many Thanks again to all who have helped.
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