137596 - Browser completely hangs

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(SeaMonkey :: General, defect)

Description

[beanladen]

Solaris 8 + Fvwm 2.4.4, PatchCluster 1, 0.9.8, 0.9.9, build 2002040813

A very bad bug occured today:

1. Install 0.9.8. 0.9.9 or latest trunk on clean solaris 8, set all preferences
 => works
2. Apply recommended PatchCluster 1 (8_recommended) from sunsolve.sun.com
3. Try to start Mozilla again => hangs with 33% mozilla-bin and 67% Xsun
4. Remove .mozilla directory and start again => Browser almost always starts
5. Set some preferences (e.g. proxy, mail accounts, color preferences)
    if not stuck on one of these actions: quit Mozilla
6. Start Mozilla again. Browser hangs immediately or hangs during the next
    few actions (opening window etc.) with the same CPU load signature as in 3.
7. You can repeat actions 4.-6. indefinitely...
8. Start newest trunk build with --debug => hangs on ddd banner window as above

Seems that some patch on the X server or libraries does not harmonize with Mozilla.
To run Mozilla beyond 0.9.8, patches must be applied, but this apparently does
not work. So we cannot patch to run 0.9.9+,  or we are stuck to 0.9.8 and cannot
patch either.
It's indeed a very very very baaad idea to make Mozilla rely on having a 
specific combination of OS and patchlevel ! Since administrators are usually
applying patches very seldom and if,  only the recommended clusters,
Mozilla will very seldom find what it requires. This will definitely be the end
of Mozilla on this platform (we will go back to Netscape 4.7 tomorrow).
None of other common X-programs we use are that picky on applied patches.

Comment 1

[beanladen]

Additional information:
The Solaris browser starts correctly when working remotely from
a Linux Fvwm2.4.4 X - server.

Comment 2

[beanladen]

Sorry, wrong  Platform: it's Sparc,  not Intel.

Comment 3

[beanladen]

See also bug #137585, which applies here when installing 0.9.9+
on unpatched Solaris (step 1 above does not mention that bug).

Comment 4

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

In netscape.public.mozilla.general Neil Calkin <[e-mail]> wrote:

> Sometimes (on the order of every day or so) mozilla 0.9.9
> (and earlier versions) will freeze up on me, and I have

Edit run-mozilla.sh, and search for "XSUNTRANSPORT".  Where it sets it to
"shmem", change it to "noshmem".  (I'm going from memory here...)

A quick search on groups.google.com should provide the details as to why
this is necessary.  The jist seems to be related to some changes Sun made
with the X server.

Comment 5

[beanladen]

Your memory is right,  the change resolves all problems.
As a patch, this change should go into the starter script for 
mozilla to prevent others running into that mess. I don't
see any reasons to stick to the 'shmem' value.
Thanks a lot ! Mozilla will get a new chance tomorrow.

Comment 6

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

> As a patch, this change should go into the starter script for 
> mozilla to prevent others running into that mess.

Except that slows down mozilla for people who have a non-broken Solaris
install....  There's a bug in Sun's bug system about this.

Comment 7

[beanladen]

Don't agree with 'resolved invalid'. If this does not
go into the starter script, you will quickly get a LOT
of dups. At least there must be a prominent remark
in the release notes for Solaris 7-9.
Then it could get maybe a 'resolved wontfix'.