Closed Bug 1614774 Opened 5 years ago Closed 8 months ago

Tabs become empty: the page turns white and the URL disappears from the address bar

Categories

(Core :: DOM: Content Processes, defect, P2)

Product:
Core
Component:
DOM: Content Processes
Type:
defect

Tracking

()

Status:
RESOLVED WORKSFORME
Tracking Flags:
Tracking Status
firefox74 --- ?
firefox75 --- fix-optional
firefox76 --- ?

People

(Reporter: cpeterson, Unassigned)

References

Details

(Keywords: regression, regressionwindow-wanted, steps-wanted)

Attachments

(1 file)

Browser Console
36.77 KB, image/png
Details

I've noticed tabs become "empty" this week. (I'm using Nightly 75.) The page turns white, the URL disappears from the address bar, and the Reload toolbar button is disabled. Thus the emptiness is more than just a visual problem. However, the address bar still knows the tab exists because typing the page title in the address bar (in the same tab or another tab) suggests "Switch to tab".

Nika suspects this bug might be tab-switch related.

mccr8 says: "It seems to happen most often if I have some game-related Wiki page open, and I'm opening and closing a ton of other tabs on that same Wiki."

I most recently saw this bug on a Bugzilla tab. I have many Bugzilla tabs opened, but only one went empty. If I see this bug again, I'll check the browser toolbox for errors.

I have Fission enabled, but because this bug is intermittent, I don't know if it is related to Fission or not.

I've seen this for quite awhile. I haven't actually noticed it this week.

See Also: → 1611870

Noticed for the first time today outside of pinned tabs (with a github page). Only interesting failure message from browser console is:
22:25:35.624 InvalidStateError: An attempt was made to use an object that is not, or is no longer, usable ContentMetaChild.jsm:167

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/file/fdd10ea7281bf12721ebce7475a6153c3f9e5a5a/browser/actors/ContentMetaChild.jsm#l167

(In reply to Sebastian Hengst [:aryx] (needinfo on intermittent or backout) from comment #2)

Noticed for the first time today outside of pinned tabs (with a github page).

@aryx, do you have Fission enabled?

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/file/fdd10ea7281bf12721ebce7475a6153c3f9e5a5a/browser/actors/ContentMetaChild.jsm#l167

Looks like enndeakin was the last person to touch that line of code in Fission bug 1590752 (Firefox 72).

Flags: needinfo?(aryx.bugmail)
See Also: → 1590752

No, fission is not enabled in this profile.

Flags: needinfo?(aryx.bugmail)
Fission Milestone: ? → ---

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/file/fdd10ea7281bf12721ebce7475a6153c3f9e5a5a/browser/actors/ContentMetaChild.jsm#l167

An error there would just cause the page's icon to not get saved to history, likely because you closed a tab before it could be saved. We could fix that with a try/catch around the code. I doubt though that the error would cause the symptoms described in comment 0.

The content meta error is bug 1596981 though.

Considering this is an intermittent issue, I don't think we will be able to find it's regressor using mozregression even if we had the steps to reproduce. This being considered, I will set the [qa-regression-triage] tag so it won't appear in other bug list queries because I will do my best to find its regressor if steps to reproduce somehow emerge.

Furthermore, I have attempted to reproduce this issue in Windows 10 with every information this bug has, but I could not reproduce it. Also, I have asked all my colleagues if they have seen this issue during testing or normal use since Nightly75 was born, but none of us has.

:cpeterson , :mccr8 , :aryx

  • Which operating systems were you using when the issue reproduced?
  • Furthermore, I thought it might be related to bug 1614885, but this one displays a gray screen in the content area, not a white screen as mentioned in comment 0. Can you please exclude yourselves from the discussions if you reproduced this other issue? Do you think they might be related?

Thank you for your contributions!

QA Whiteboard: [qa-regression-triage]
Flags: needinfo?(cpeterson)
Flags: needinfo?(continuation)
Flags: needinfo?(aryx.bugmail)
  • Observed on Windows 8.1
  • The screenshot from 1614855 uses either the dark theme or the developer edition and is gray because of that

When I hit this issue and opened the Browser Toolbox, messages for the last 8h (session duration?) got shown but nothing had an obvious connection to the issue (I had opened the tab but not focused it for hours).

Flags: needinfo?(aryx.bugmail)

(In reply to Bodea Daniel [:danibodea] from comment #7)

  • Which operating systems were you using when the issue reproduced?

Windows 10 Version 10.0.19041 Build 19041 (Windows Insider "Slow" ring).

  • Furthermore, I thought it might be related to bug 1614885, but this one displays a gray screen in the content area, not a white screen as mentioned in comment 0. Can you please exclude yourselves from the discussions if you reproduced this other issue? Do you think they might be related?

I don't think I am seeing bug 1614885:

  1. I do not "lose the ability to open any urls" (as described in bug bug 1614885 comment 0). Only one tab out of many becomes empty and it previously had loaded content. I don't think I actually see a foreground tab become empty. I think it is emptied when it's in the background or as I switch to it.
  2. I only first saw this problem on 2020-02-10 (75 Nightly), while bug 1614885 appears to be a regression in 73.
  3. I don't have Win7 compatibility mode enabled.
Flags: needinfo?(cpeterson)

I've seen this on Win10 and OSX. I don't think I have Win7 compatibility mode enabled.

The browser mostly works normally. It is just feels like one tab got unloaded.

Flags: needinfo?(continuation)

Bugbug thinks this bug is a regression, but please revert this change in case of error.

Keywords: regression

The priority flag is not set for this bug.
:neha, could you have a look please?

For more information, please visit auto_nag documentation.

Flags: needinfo?(nkochar)

I don't recall seeing this bug for at least week. I used to see it a couple times a day. Perhaps it has been fixed...

Flags: needinfo?(nkochar)
Priority: -- → P2

I saw it once yesterday. I was watching the US presidential debate in a background tab, and I think I had it muted, and I came back and it was gone. I think that's the first time I've seen it in a month or so, though.

(In reply to Chris Peterson [:cpeterson] from comment #13)

I don't recall seeing this bug for at least week. I used to see it a couple times a day. Perhaps it has been fixed...

Correction: I saw this problem again today. I have multiple Firefox windows open. When I foregrounded a background window, the tab was empty. I didn't see any obvious problems in the browser console.

I had been switching back and forth between different Wi-Fi networks at the time, but that doesn't seem like it would be related.

I've had this happen a few times just now, for two Reddit pinned tabs I had open for a few days.

Hi Chris, will someone work on this for 75?

Flags: needinfo?(cpeterson)

(In reply to Jens Stutte [:jstutte] from comment #17)

Hi Chris, will someone work on this for 75?

I don't know. I haven't been tracking this bug because it's not Fission specific.

@ Matt, does this "tabs become empty" bug seem like it could be related to DocumentChannel, content processes disappearing, Graphics, or Layout?

The bug first appeared in 75 Nightly. I don't know yet if it's still happening in 76 Nightly. We don't have STR and the bug is intermittent. I never saw it more than once or twice a day.

status-firefox76: --- → ?
Flags: needinfo?(cpeterson) → needinfo?(matt.woodrow)

Given that it affects the address bar, I'd say not layout or graphics.

Could be DocumentChannel, frontend, DOM etc.

Without STR it's hard to say much more sorry.

Flags: needinfo?(matt.woodrow)

(In reply to Matt Woodrow (:mattwoodrow) from comment #19)

Given that it affects the address bar, I'd say not layout or graphics.
Could be DocumentChannel, frontend, DOM etc.
Without STR it's hard to say much more sorry.

Hsin-Yi, could you find someone on your team to investigate the issue?

Flags: needinfo?(htsai)

(In reply to Ethan Tseng [:ethan] from comment #20)

(In reply to Matt Woodrow (:mattwoodrow) from comment #19)

Given that it affects the address bar, I'd say not layout or graphics.
Could be DocumentChannel, frontend, DOM etc.
Without STR it's hard to say much more sorry.

Hsin-Yi, could you find someone on your team to investigate the issue?

Hi Ethan, I will keep monitoring this. But as Matt commented, it's intermittent with not so high reproduce rate, I am afraid we can't do much until our QA team helps figure out the STR or regression window.

Flags: needinfo?(htsai)

I represent QA Team. We can't provide you with any help because we can't reproduce it. With an issue of this severity, we would certainly talk about it around the office, but we haven't actually reproduced it in our team. I suggest this has a lower reproducibility rate than previously expected.

I think I've been seeing this empty tab problem again starting this week. Unfortunately, I don't have STR. Next time it happens, I check the DevTools inspector and console.

Attached image Browser Console —

I'm getting this issue every now and then.

Currently, I have Windows 10 Pro 1909, Firefox 83.0
I have Restore session enabled.

What happens is:

  • start Firefox
  • windows are restored
  • I switch to some "random" FF window

Result:
The currently selected tab in that window has this issue:

  • page blank
  • URL blank
  • refresh button disabled
  • favicon correct
  • title: not sure, will check next time it happens

The workaround from bug 1611870 comment 4 "A work around I've found that works for me is to go back in history one page and then back." does not work, because the current page does not seem to be in history. I can go back and get the previous page, but then the "forward" button is disabled.

Basically, the page is"forgotten". This is especially annoying if I don't know the URL of the page, so it is basically lost.

I attach the screenshot of the console (not sure if helpful...)

I'm getting this issue every now and then.

Currently, I have Windows 10 Pro 1909, Firefox 83.0
I have Restore session enabled.

What happens is:

  • start Firefox
  • windows are restored
  • I switch to some "random" FF window

Result:
The currently selected tab in that window has this issue:

  • page blank
  • URL blank
  • refresh button disabled
  • favicon correct
  • title: not sure, will check next time it happens

The workaround from bug 1611870 comment 4 "A work around I've found that works for me is to go back in history one page and then back." does not work, because the current page does not seem to be in history. I can go back and get the previous page, but then the "forward" button is disabled.

Basically, the page is"forgotten". This is especially annoying if I don't know the URL of the page, so it is basically lost.

I attach the screenshot of the console (not sure if helpful...)

I think this is what I've been seeing after a browser restart (eg update) several times now - the symptoms seem to be the same:

  • tab exists (often it's a pinned tab)
  • tab has the correct favicon
  • url bar is empty
  • reload & history buttons are disabled, as would be with a new tab

I've found this morning that restarting the browser resolved the issue (but that was on a pinned tab, which may be dealt with differently from other tabs, ie I expect that pinned tabs have their url stored in my prefs somewhere & are always restored to that url)

Severity: normal → S3

Are the people involved here still seeing this?

QA Whiteboard: [qa-regression-triage] → [qa-regression-triage] dom-lws-bugdash-triage
Flags: needinfo?(cpeterson)

Closing as WFM.

Status: NEW → RESOLVED
Closed: 8 months ago
Flags: needinfo?(cpeterson)
Resolution: --- → WORKSFORME
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