1923526 - Creates multiple Inboxes upon restart (Inbox-1, Inbox-2, Inbox-3, Inbox-4 ...)

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Thunderbird :: Folder and Message Lists, defect)

Description

[elahi786]

Attachment: Screenshot 2024-10-08 154628.png

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:131.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/131.0

Steps to reproduce:

We did not do anything. Thunderbird updated automatically

Actual results:

Since above mentioned auto update to 128.3.0esr (64-bit) it has been creating inbox folders under one of our accounts and moving emails into those folder and naming them inbox 1 and not we are up to inbox 9.

Comment 1

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

See https://mzl.la/4exuhjK for other examples. Sometimes caused by antivirus.

Comment 2

[Istvan]

In our case it was caused by the "email protection" function of ESET antivirus. After turning off the option, everything went back to normal. Tb version: 128.3.0esr

Comment 3

[elahi786]

No antivirus installed. I did however get this new computer and installed the newest version of TB and copied the profile from old computer to this computer. Everything worked great until a new update came from TB and now the it is creating more inboxes each time and placing emails in them.

How do I roll back to the previous version of TB?

We only have windows antivirus no other antivirus installed.

Thank you in advance.

Comment 4

[SUPERJET]

I have confirmed the same issue in my environment as the one reported here.
In my environment, using version 128.3.1(32bit), an 'Inbox-1' was generated the next time Thunderbird was launched when the optimization process was interrupted by either shutting down Thunderbird or restarting the computer while the 'Optimization Process' was running.

I am using Windows Defender as my security software.

Comment 5

[EarlgreyTea]

The case reported by SUPERJET have clear causes and are reproducible over and over again.
In the process of compacting the Inbox, Inbox-1 is written out and replaced with Inbox when the process is complete, but if Thunderbird is closed during the process, Inbox-1 will remain.
If the Inbox is large enough, this is easily reproducible.

Comment 6

[EarlgreyTea]

Does the fix for bug 1924918 clean up temporary files such as Inbox-1 when compacting folders is aborted?

Comment 7

[Geoff Lankow (:darktrojan)]

That bug isn't even finished yet, so it is not the cause.

Comment 8

[EarlgreyTea]

If bug 1924918 is finised, will Thunderbird clean up temporary files when compacting is aborted?

Comment 9

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

(In reply to EarlgreyTea from comment #8)

If bug 1924918 is finised, will Thunderbird clean up temporary files when compacting is aborted?

No, the cleanup is bug 1878541.

Comment 11

[EarlgreyTea]

Let me explain why SUPERJET filed bug 1927394 as a new issue.
elahi786 says "We did not do anything." and in Istvan's case it seems to have been interference from "ESET antivirus."
In neither case is there evidence that folder compacting was involved.
SUPERJET noticed that when folder compacting was interrupted, a file "Inbox-1" was left undeleted and displayed as a folder in Thunderbird.
Therefore, SUPERJET decided to report this as a new issue, judging that even though the appearance is the same, the cause is likely to be different.

Now let's get to the main topic.

Steps to reproduce:
See https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1927394#c0

Expected results:
The fix for bug 1878541 seems to delete the nstmp file left by the old compacting, but if the current compacting is interrupted, please also delete the "folder name-x" (x: 1, 2, 3...).

Comment 13

[elahi786]

(In reply to EarlgreyTea from comment #11)

Let me explain why SUPERJET filed bug 1927394 as a new issue.
elahi786 says "We did not do anything." and in Istvan's case it seems to have been interference from "ESET antivirus."
In neither case is there evidence that folder compacting was involved.
SUPERJET noticed that when folder compacting was interrupted, a file "Inbox-1" was left undeleted and displayed as a folder in Thunderbird.
Therefore, SUPERJET decided to report this as a new issue, judging that even though the appearance is the same, the cause is likely to be different.

Now let's get to the main topic.

Steps to reproduce:
See https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1927394#c0

Expected results:
The fix for bug 1878541 seems to delete the nstmp file left by the old compacting, but if the current compacting is interrupted, please also delete the "folder name-x" (x: 1, 2, 3...).

I am at 15 inbox folders now and 3 inbox.msf.compact-backup folders for one particular email address. As mentioned I only started getting this issues once I copied my profile to a new computer and installed TB and imported the profile. I have the same email addresses etc on my home computers without this issue. I believe this is because I imported a profile and the compacting is being interrupted and creating back inbox folders.

Comment 14

[Geoff Lankow (:darktrojan)]

Looks like EarlgreyTea is right about this bug being caused by a failed compact. From a discussion I've just had, I think a number of us have been coming to this same conclusion in the last 24 hours. I have at least a partial fix.

Comment 15

[Geoff Lankow (:darktrojan)]

Attachment: Bug 1923526 - Close and clean up temporary output stream on compact failure. r=BenC,kaie

Comment 16

[Kai Engert [:KaiE:]]

Geoff's patch helps in my testing.

Comment 17

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central/rev/3f35033b5cf7
Close and clean up temporary output stream on compact failure. r=BenC,kaie

Comment 18

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

So this is a regression of Bug 1890448 - Rewrite folder compaction ?

Comment 19

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #18)

So this is a regression of Bug 1890448 - Rewrite folder compaction ?

Good to take on beta?

Comment 20

[Geoff Lankow (:darktrojan)]

Yes.

Comment 21

[Geoff Lankow (:darktrojan)]

Comment on attachment 9434656 [details]
Bug 1923526 - Close and clean up temporary output stream on compact failure. r=BenC,kaie

[Approval Request Comment]
Regression caused by (bug #): bug 1890448
User impact if declined: compact doesn't clean up on failure, for some account types the temp files are interpreted as folders
Testing completed (on c-c, etc.): on comm-central since late last week
Risk to taking this patch (and alternatives if risky): low

Comment 22

[Geoff Lankow (:darktrojan)]

I also requested for ESR because we're going to want it even more with bug 1924918.

Comment 23

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

(In reply to Geoff Lankow (:darktrojan) from comment #22)

I also requested for ESR because we're going to want it even more with bug 1924918.

How will expunge on shutdown factor in? Is it likely to trigger compact?

Comment 24

[Geoff Lankow (:darktrojan)]

Let's talk about that in that bug, because expunge on shutdown explicitly triggers compact.

Comment 25

[Corey Bryant]

Comment on attachment 9434656 [details]
Bug 1923526 - Close and clean up temporary output stream on compact failure. r=BenC,kaie

[Triage Comment]
Approved for beta

Comment 27

[Corey Bryant]

Thunderbird 133.0b3:
https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/comm-beta/rev/7c2a8cab3a69

Comment 28

[Corey Bryant]

Comment on attachment 9434656 [details]
Bug 1923526 - Close and clean up temporary output stream on compact failure. r=BenC,kaie

[Triage Comment]
Approved for esr128

Comment 29

[Corey Bryant]

Comment on attachment 9434656 [details]
Bug 1923526 - Close and clean up temporary output stream on compact failure. r=BenC,kaie

[Triage Comment]
Approved for release

Comment 30

[Daniel Darnell [:dandarnell]]

Thunderbird 128.4.3esr:
https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/comm-esr128/rev/b99ebbeb1e20

Comment 31

[Daniel Darnell [:dandarnell]]

Thunderbird 132.0.1:
https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/comm-release/rev/eabd043a9cdd

Comment 32

[Vlad Lucaci, Thunderbird QA (:vlucaci)]

Confirming this issue as verified fixed with 128.4.3(20241108210256) on macOS 14, Windows 11 and Ubuntu 24.

Comment 33

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

User reports an issue with 128.4.3 https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1474555 (posting it here so we don't lose track)

Comment 34

[Geoff Lankow (:darktrojan)]

Many things could cause a file like that, including forcing Thunderbird to quit in the middle of a compact, which it looks like the user did.