1857223 - Thunderbird 115 - new interface that had lost my emails and my calendars: blank calendar and message tab. Error about3Pane.js, TypeError: webBrowser is undefined

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Thunderbird :: Mail Window Front End, defect)

Description

[emmanuelle.comets]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Ubuntu; Linux x86_64; rv:109.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/118.0

Steps to reproduce:

Nothing !

Actual results:

I think I was on Thunderbird 102.
Yesterday, Thunderbird 115 got installed (without warning, without my consent, without my knowledge), during a workday (not when I closed it, not when I rebooted, during normal activity).
A event full of gibberish opened that I couldn't close, and I needed to add an event but Thunderbird wouldn't let me. So I closed Thunderbird, launched it again. And Boom. A new interface, that had lost my emails and my calendars. Everything.
Since yesterday I've tried downgrading to 68 (only version available 'easily' through apt), but though I can get back my emails (phew), my calendars are still lost and I have all my next days' meetings and tasks on them, which is a hell of a mess.

Expected results:

I don't know but at the very least when a new version is going to affect my work (as in, lose ALL my meetings and hide ALL my emails), I'd really like to have a say in it. Not to mention it is unacceptable to have a new version breaking all my work, and not having an easy option to downgrade back to the latest working version.
It's the second time that this has happened to me (I think the update from 91 to 102 had the same result, and it took a few days/weeks to get back to functional) and it is making me very wary of Thunderbird, so that after more than 15 years raving about it, I'm looking for a more stable tool now.

Comment 1

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

We of course work very hard for the upgrade experience to be as smooth as possible.
Probably all the data is there. But you'd have to give more details about what the problem you describe.
Did you try starting with -safe-mode?

Comment 2

[emmanuelle.comets]

I didn't try, my priority was getting access to my locally stored emails so I reverted to an ancient version of thunderbird. Yes I'm pretty sure the data is still there (my default profile is (+I can see my emails on the older version) and so is a folder with the promising name of 'calendar-data').
I will try 'upgrading' to 115 over the weekend to try the safe mode and report the result here !

And thank you for getting back to me ! I'm sure a lot of hard work went into the update, but I guess my point is that it's the second time an update breaks my system without any prior warning that something potentially ominous is going to happen and that makes me think I need to find another software than Thunderbird as I really, really rely on the combo email+calendar both in my work and daily life (scary thought but I'll bring that to another forum on technological dependency xD).

Comment 3

[emmanuelle.comets]

As promised, an update:
thunderbird -safe-mode
works to regain access to emails and local calendars (not the Google ones since the add-on letting me access those is disabled, but I can access these on a phone; and customised settings are gone)
So I can now wait until the bugs are ironed out and the add-ons can be re-enabled :-)
Wishlist +1: incorporate an opt-in for major updates so they can be postponed until things like add-on and custom settings can carry on seamlessly.

Comment 4

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

You don't need the add-on for google calendars. You can just set up a standard CalDAV calendar instead. (Google CalDAV do not support tasks though, only events).
I guess we can conclude the errors were somehow due to the add-on(s)?

Comment 5

[emmanuelle.comets]

Solid no to that: I removed all the (3) add-ons I had (including Lightning provider for calendars, I'll try your suggestion for that) but I still can't see my messages or my events unless I launch thunderbird in safe-mode. So unless other add-ons exist I'm not aware of, I think we can conclude errors are not due to add-ons ? (I also disabled themes just in case).
The tab for Messages is just completely blank (not even a title like the "Calendar" tab) and the local calendars don't show up (so I just have a lot of free time :-/ )
For messages, I can enter a password and they seem to be retrieved, but nothing shows. Clicking on Write a new message also doesn't work.
For the calendar, I can add an event but I can't edit it (ie add reminders for instance) and when I try even the name of the event I just created doesn't appear (it's like it's a new event, and I can't save anything, any change I make doesn't register). Also somewhat logically when I close thunderbird and re-open it, the event is not there (so it's not I guess interacting properly with whatever local files I have).

Can you suggest anything else ? safe-mode is all well and good but it reverts to default settings every time I log back, plus at some point I'd really like to get my google calendars back. I get a boatload of messages in console I'm copying below in case there's something else on my system that doesn't work the way it should and rings a bell for you...
Best,
Emmanuelle

Comment 6

[emmanuelle.comets]

Attachment: Console output

Console output from launching thunderbird:

Comment 7

[emmanuelle.comets]

Console output from launching thunderbird:

[ImapModuleLoader] Using nsImapService.cpp
ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.
ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.
ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.
console.debug: "Found 0 public keys and 0 secret keys (0 protected, 0 unprotected)"
console.debug: "Successfully loaded optional OpenPGP library libgpgme.so.11 from system's standard library locations"
console.debug: "gpgme version: 1.13.1"
console.warn: services.settings: Failed to load last_modified.json: TypeError: NetworkError when attempting to fetch resource.
JavaScript error: resource:///modules/VirtualFolderWrapper.jsm, line 243: Component returned failure code: 0x80550005 [nsIMsgFolder.msgDatabase]
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/mailTabs.js, line 100: TypeError: win.messageBrowser is undefined
JavaScript error: resource:///modules/MsgIncomingServer.jsm, line 924: NS_ERROR_ABORT: Password dialog canceled
JavaScript error: resource:///modules/MsgIncomingServer.jsm, line 924: NS_ERROR_ABORT: Password dialog canceled
JavaScript error: resource:///modules/MsgIncomingServer.jsm, line 924: NS_ERROR_ABORT: Password dialog canceled
JavaScript error: resource:///modules/MsgIncomingServer.jsm, line 924: NS_ERROR_ABORT: Password dialog canceled
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js, line 6889: TypeError: webBrowser is undefined
console.error: "An error occurred updating the cmd_fullZoomReduce command: [Exception... "[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]'[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]' when calling method: [nsIController::isCommandEnabled]" nsresult: "0x80570021 (NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://messenger/content/globalOverlay.js :: getEnabledControllerForCommand :: line 49" data: yes]"
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js, line 6889: TypeError: webBrowser is undefined
console.error: "An error occurred updating the cmd_fullZoomEnlarge command: [Exception... "[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]'[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]' when calling method: [nsIController::isCommandEnabled]" nsresult: "0x80570021 (NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://messenger/content/globalOverlay.js :: getEnabledControllerForCommand :: line 49" data: yes]"
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js, line 6889: TypeError: webBrowser is undefined
console.error: "An error occurred updating the cmd_fullZoomReset command: [Exception... "[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]'[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]' when calling method: [nsIController::isCommandEnabled]" nsresult: "0x80570021 (NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://messenger/content/globalOverlay.js :: getEnabledControllerForCommand :: line 49" data: yes]"
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js, line 6889: TypeError: webBrowser is undefined
console.error: "An error occurred updating the cmd_fullZoomReduce command: [Exception... "[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]'[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]' when calling method: [nsIController::isCommandEnabled]" nsresult: "0x80570021 (NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://messenger/content/globalOverlay.js :: getEnabledControllerForCommand :: line 49" data: yes]"
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js, line 6889: TypeError: webBrowser is undefined
console.error: "An error occurred updating the cmd_fullZoomEnlarge command: [Exception... "[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]'[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]' when calling method: [nsIController::isCommandEnabled]" nsresult: "0x80570021 (NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://messenger/content/globalOverlay.js :: getEnabledControllerForCommand :: line 49" data: yes]"
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js, line 6889: TypeError: webBrowser is undefined
console.error: "An error occurred updating the cmd_fullZoomReset command: [Exception... "[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]'[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]' when calling method: [nsIController::isCommandEnabled]" nsresult: "0x80570021 (NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://messenger/content/globalOverlay.js :: getEnabledControllerForCommand :: line 49" data: yes]"
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/tabmail.js, line 1462: TypeError: messageBrowser is undefined
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/tabmail.js, line 1462: TypeError: messageBrowser is undefined
console.error: mailnews.pop3.0: "Got an error name=pop3PasswordFailed"
console.error: mailnews.pop3.1: "Got an error name=pop3PasswordFailed"

(thunderbird:7526): Gtk-WARNING **: 17:35:38.351: Error loading theme icon 'dialog-question' for stock: Icon 'dialog-question' not present in theme oxygen
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js, line 6948: TypeError: webBrowser is undefined
console.error: "An error occurred updating the cmd_stop command: [Exception... "[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6948}]'[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6948}]' when calling method: [nsIController::isCommandEnabled]" nsresult: "0x80570021 (NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://messenger/content/globalOverlay.js :: getEnabledControllerForCommand :: line 61" data: yes]"
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/tabmail.js, line 1462: TypeError: messageBrowser is undefined
JavaScript error: resource:///modules/MsgIncomingServer.jsm, line 924: NS_ERROR_ABORT: Password dialog canceled
JavaScript error: resource:///modules/MsgIncomingServer.jsm, line 924: NS_ERROR_ABORT: Password dialog canceled
JavaScript error: resource:///modules/MsgIncomingServer.jsm, line 924: NS_ERROR_ABORT: Password dialog canceled
JavaScript error: resource:///modules/MsgIncomingServer.jsm, line 924: NS_ERROR_ABORT: Password dialog canceled
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/tabmail.js, line 1462: TypeError: messageBrowser is undefined
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/tabmail.js, line 1462: TypeError: messageBrowser is undefined
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js, line 6889: TypeError: webBrowser is undefined
console.error: "An error occurred updating the cmd_fullZoomReduce command: [Exception... "[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]'[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]' when calling method: [nsIController::isCommandEnabled]" nsresult: "0x80570021 (NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://messenger/content/globalOverlay.js :: getEnabledControllerForCommand :: line 49" data: yes]"
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js, line 6889: TypeError: webBrowser is undefined
console.error: "An error occurred updating the cmd_fullZoomEnlarge command: [Exception... "[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]'[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]' when calling method: [nsIController::isCommandEnabled]" nsresult: "0x80570021 (NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://messenger/content/globalOverlay.js :: getEnabledControllerForCommand :: line 49" data: yes]"
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js, line 6889: TypeError: webBrowser is undefined
console.error: "An error occurred updating the cmd_fullZoomReset command: [Exception... "[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]'[JavaScript Error: "webBrowser is undefined" {file: "chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js" line: 6889}]' when calling method: [nsIController::isCommandEnabled]" nsresult: "0x80570021 (NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://messenger/content/globalOverlay.js :: getEnabledControllerForCommand :: line 49" data: yes]"
JavaScript error: chrome://messenger/content/about3Pane.js, line 4340: NS_ERROR_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE) [nsIObserverService.removeObserver]

Comment 8

[emmanuelle.comets]

For completion, this is what I get when I run in safe-mode:
console.warn: services.settings: Failed to load last_modified.json: TypeError: NetworkError when attempting to fetch resource.
console.debug: "Found 0 public keys and 0 secret keys (0 protected, 0 unprotected)"
console.debug: "Successfully loaded optional OpenPGP library libgpgme.so.11 from system's standard library locations"
console.debug: "gpgme version: 1.13.1"
console.debug: "Trying to load /usr/lib/thunderbird/libotr.so"
console.debug: "Trying to load libotr.so from system's standard library locations"
console.debug: "Trying to load libotr.so.5 from system's standard library locations"
console.debug: "Trying to load libotr.so from system's standard library locations"
console.log: (new Error("Cannot load required OTR library", "resource:///modules/OTRLib.sys.mjs", 110))
console.error: Calendar:
Could not find definition for GMT +0100 (Standard) / GMT +0200 (Daylight)
(.... several times)
console.error: Calendar:
Could not find definition for Customized Time Zone
(.... 3 times)
console.error: ({})
(.... 3 times)

Comment 9

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

(In reply to emmanuelle.comets from comment #8)

Could not find definition for GMT +0100 (Standard) / GMT +0200 (Daylight)

Anything we can improve for this one?

Comment 10

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Attachment: Bug 1857223 - Avoid webBrowser is undefined errors while checking cmd_fullZoomEnlarge. r=#thunderbird-reviewers

I'm not sure when this would trigger practice, but it apparently can (webBrowser is set up async). Other commands are already prepared for it
https://searchfox.org/comm-central/rev/cc797d0d48a62f9da08208f5b96d7c365740dd68/mail/base/content/about3Pane.js#7032

Comment 11

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central/rev/ae999d669828
Avoid webBrowser is undefined errors while checking cmd_fullZoomEnlarge. r=freaktechnik

Comment 12

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Comment on attachment 9358566 [details]
Bug 1857223 - Avoid webBrowser is undefined errors while checking cmd_fullZoomEnlarge. r=#thunderbird-reviewers

[Approval Request Comment]
Regression caused by (bug #): supernova
User impact if declined: apparently can mess up the 3pane
Testing completed (on c-c, etc.): c-c
Risk to taking this patch (and alternatives if risky): very safe

Comment 13

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Comment on attachment 9358566 [details]
Bug 1857223 - Avoid webBrowser is undefined errors while checking cmd_fullZoomEnlarge. r=#thunderbird-reviewers

[Triage Comment]
Approved for esr115, somewhat aggressively, because we'd like to remove as many possible causes of empty/broken UI.
Candidate builds for 115.4.0 will be tested.

Comment 14

[Daniel Darnell [:dandarnell]]

Thunderbird 115.4.0:
https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/comm-esr115/rev/e579b5ead616

Comment 15

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Emmanuelle,

Please try the candidate build of 115.4.0 available from https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/candidates/115.4.0-candidates/build1/linux-x86_64/en-US/thunderbird-115.4.0.tar.bz2 ASAP.

Is it better?

Comment 16

[emmanuelle.comets]

Thanks !
I installed manually as:
https://support.mozilla.org/fr/kb/installer-thunderbird-sous-linux#w_installation-manuelle-de-thunderbird-utilisation-avancee

1. Just launching asks me to set up a new account (without my accounts already present appearing), and creates a new folder (blabla.default-release)
2. Changing profiles.ini and installs.ini with the name of the account I had (ie the name of the folder) doesn't prompt the dialog for setup, but I still find a blank interface
3. safe-mode gets me back my account (I tried safe-mode after doing 2.) but still in troubleshooting mode

So no better for the interface and calendar issues, sorry !

Is there something else in the settings I could try fiddling with ?
Best,
Em

Comment 17

[emmanuelle.comets]

Console output this time:
eco@Ima:~$ /opt/thunderbird/thunderbird
ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.
ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.
ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.

Comment 18

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Just launching asks me to set up a new account (without my accounts already present appearing), and creates a new folder (blabla.default-release)
Changing profiles.ini and installs.ini with the name of the account I had (ie the name of the folder) doesn't prompt the dialog for setup, but I still find a blank interface

I should have mentioned, startup will default force you to a new data profile if you installed Thunderbird in a new directory. To use your current production directory, startup as
thunderbird -P

Comment 19

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Could you check again what the error console says?
Re comment 17, I see that at times as well. I don't think it causes any harm.

Comment 20

[emmanuelle.comets]

Oh thanks, learned something new :)
thunderbird -P opens a dialogue with 3 options (default, default-default and default-release). I tried all three and they all turn up blank as before.
I get the same console warning (which I've seen before and is probably some other package) with this (I don't get them in safe-mode).

eco@Ima:~$ /opt/thunderbird/thunderbird -P
ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.
ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.
ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.

Note (maybe important)
eco@Ima:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS
Release: 20.04
Codename: focal
Please tell me if you need other info on modules that may not be up to date !

Comment 21

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Emmanuelle, If you are still seeing a problem, please file a new bug report and reference this bug number. Thanks

Comment 22

[emmanuelle.comets]

No change on my side, so I'm still in -safe-mode. I'll file a new bug report.
Best,
Em