Closed Bug 1670268 Opened 4 years ago Closed 4 years ago

Login difficulties with Thunderbird 78.3.2

Categories

(Thunderbird :: Untriaged, defect)

defect

Tracking

(Not tracked)

RESOLVED INVALID

People

(Reporter: Markus.Elfring, Unassigned)

References

()

Details

(Whiteboard: [support])

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:81.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/81.0

Steps to reproduce:

Today I have dared to install the software package “MozillaThunderbird 78.3.2-1.2”.
I set two environment variables (according to help information) for a test run on my LInux system.
https://wiki.mozilla.org/MailNews:Logging#Linux.2Funix

elfring@Sonne:~> export MOZ_LOG=IMAP:5,timestamp MOZ_LOG_FILE=/tmp/imap-log-20201009.txt && /usr/bin/thunderbird

Actual results:

The information “Connected to imap.web.de…” is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the application window.

No error message is presented which would explain a missing login dialogue display.

Expected results:

I am waiting too long on the display of the dialogue where I can enter the login credentials for my mail account as it happened with the software “Thunderbird 68.12” yesterday.

Flags: needinfo?(Markus.Elfring)

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #1)
I got the impression that the document “Thunderbird 78 FAQ” does not explain the software behaviour which I observe here.
The topic “After upgrading to Thunderbird 78, I cannot get or send email messages.” points technical details out for further clarification also in my situation.
🔮 I hope that that my email service provider supports required communication protocols with recent enough versions.
🤔 Now I am looking for solutions for the question “Why does the login dialogue not appear in an acceptable time frame (with current software versions)?”.

Do I need to try out if the desired login procedure would work better with another IMAP account configuration?

Have you tried the information on changing 'security.tls.version.min' value to 1 and then restarting Thunderbird to see if you get desired login ?

(In reply to Anje from comment #3)
I can see that the value “3” was set for the configuration parameter “security.tls.version.min”.
But it seems that it can not be changed by the GUI interface “config editor” at the moment.

  • Where should an alternative setting be specified instead for another system test?
  • Should I get any other error indication for a questionable communication parameter (according to login attempts)?

(In reply to Markus Elfring from comment #4)

I can see that the value “3” was set for the configuration parameter “security.tls.version.min”.
But it seems that it can not be changed by the GUI interface “config editor” at the moment.

Did you right-click on “security.tls.version.min”, select Modify from the context menu, then enter the required value, and click "OK"?

(In reply to WaltS48 [:walts48] from comment #5)
I observe another software “surprise” here.
I can click on the entry “Modify” in the context menu which is presented according to the dialogue “about:config”. But I do not see that a corresponding input field is offered.
Was the editing of such system settings restricted anyhow for my Linux software distribution?

(In reply to Markus Elfring from comment #6)

Was the editing of such system settings restricted anyhow for my Linux software distribution?

As most distributions do their own Thunderbird build from the source before placing it into the repositories, you would have to ask those sorts of questions of the maintainers of the repository.

A check of the imap.web,de server on Port 993 suggests that the server supports TLS up to version 3. https://www.immuniweb.com/ssl/?id=6koLwVmi

It also indicated that it does not support oscp stapling. Have you tried turning off the option for that in preferences?

(In reply to Matt from comment #7)
I assume that information sources like the following can help to clarify involved software build configurations a bit more.

The mentioned SSL security test seems to look promising.

I have switched the configuration parameters “security.ssl.enable_ocsp_must_staple” and “security.ssl.enable_ocsp_stapling” (because of your hint) to “false” for another program test.
But I am missing still the display of a login dialogue.
Should graphical user interface behaviour be checked any more if it might look in the way that current communication settings would not hinder to enter my credentials for an IMAP account?

I have no idea if the manually edited preference is the one the user interface toggles.

I suggest you log the connection. https://wiki.mozilla.org/MailNews:Logging perhaps with a log we might be able to determine where the connection error occurs.

(In reply to Matt from comment #9)
I can specify additional environment variables for further program tests.
But I observe so far that the expected log file is not created here.

I got a few additional ideas.

  • Would it make sense to check the software behaviour also with a current development version of the mentioned mail program?
  • Do subsequent software dependencies hinder any test approaches with more recent components?
Flags: needinfo?(Markus.Elfring)

🤔 Which source code place should trigger a login dialogue display?
Which software components are involved here for the presentation of dialogues?

How are the chances to repair user interface functionality (also for a login dialogue display)?

Please try 78.3.3 or later, try a build from thunderbird.net to make sure it's not a distro problem.

(In reply to Magnus Melin [:mkmelin] from comment #14)
I have not noticed remarkable improvements for this issue after the installation of the software package “MozillaThunderbird 78.3.3-1.3”.

Which class libraries do handle login aspects for this program so far?

That doesn't sound like a build from thunderbird.net

Your question doesn't have a direct answer, it's an interaction of many parts of the program: IMAP code, NSS code, toolkit password manager, and other backend code

(In reply to Magnus Melin [:mkmelin] from comment #16)

  1. I propose to take another look also at a corresponding installation source.
  2. I might be able to try a current development version out for the discussed program if I get informed in the way that fundamental data structures will not be modified in undesirable ways.
  3. Do you know any test cases for the general display of required dialogues within your software infrastructure?

Yes, that's from a distro, not the official version.
You can download and run, then use a new profile. Force it by running "thunderbird -p", but it would happen automatically since you're starting with software from another location.

(In reply to Magnus Melin [:mkmelin] from comment #18)
Who would like to answer my previous questions (besides “distribution” concerns)?

Answers depends on what the problem would turn out to be.

(In reply to Magnus Melin [:mkmelin] from comment #20)
I hope that a better common understanding can be achieved for remaining open issues if more constructive answers will follow.

I have noticed that the software “Mozilla Thunderbird 78.4.0-1.1” seems to work with the additional program start parameter “--safe-mode”.
Under which circumstances will the standard operation mode work as expected again?

A reinstallation of a software package like “MozillaThunderbird-translations-common 78.4.0-1.1” seems to help somehow.

If it works in safe-mode it means the problem is due to some add-on, I guess the above listed translations-common whatever that is.

(In reply to Magnus Melin [:mkmelin] from comment #24)
Can it become easier to prevent “hiccups” because of software translations according to internationalisation (or localisation)?

Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 4 years ago
Resolution: --- → INVALID
Whiteboard: [support]

I would appreciate more constructive answers for remaining open questions (according to mentioned software aspects).

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