410407 - Firefox 3.0b2 incompatible with Cisco VPN extension

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Core :: Networking, defect)

Description

[Gershom Martin]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9b2) Gecko/2007121014 Firefox/3.0b2
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9b2) Gecko/2007121014 Firefox/3.0b2

Am running Macbook Pro, Mac OS X 10.4.9, usual complement of applications, plus Cisco VPN client (to remotely access Northwestern U.'s network)

Upon starting up Firefox 3.0beta2 (or beta1: has same problem), application just sits there offering to disable incompatible add-ons, but WILL NOT RESPOND to clicks. Eventually I can open a new browser window from the keyboard, but clicking on links doesn't result in anything happening.

Eventually have to force-quite Firefox 3. The old 2.0.0.11 works fine.

In desperation I played a hunch and rebooted in "safe mode" (SHIFT key down, all nonessential extensions disabled). Whoops, works fine now. Also works fine on my wife's Macbook. Then started poking around in /System/Library/Extensions on both machines and comparing. The only two kext on my machine and not on hers were Coolbook and Cisco VPN. I removed both and rebooted --- Firefox 3.0b2 worked fine. Reinstalled Coolbook --- Firefox 3.0b2 still works fine. By elimination, Cisco VPN is the culprit. 

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Install Cisco VPN 
2. Start Firefox --- problem occurs
3. Remove Cisco VPN kext from /System/Library/Extensions/
4. Reboot
5. Start Firefox --- problem gone
Actual Results:  
See above --- no response to mouse or trackpad input if Cisco VPN kernel extension installed

Expected Results:  
Normal operation

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X 10.4.9, usual complement of applications.

Comment 1

[Mark Finkle (:mfinkle) (use needinfo?)]

Moved out of Extension Compatibility and into Networking. Cisco VPN is a kernel extension, not a Firefox extension

Comment 2

[Jo Hermans]

Gersom, do you know if any other communication is possible, for instance with Safari or Mail ? Can you ping address 127.0.0.1 ?

It looks related to the "loopback" network connection (looping pipe on 127.0.0.1) that is used for the events. Some older firewalls block every communication (even on 127.0.0.1) which causes similar problems with events. Maybe the Cisco VPN kext is causing the same problem. Do you need to type in a password before it becomes active ?  And if it does, have you done that before you started Firefox ?

Comment 3

[Gershom Martin]

It happens whether or not I have even opened the Cisco VPN or entered its password. Simply having the kext in place does it.

Comment 4

[Gershom Martin]

Update: machine in question turned out to have many other problems resulting from a faulty motherboard. The peculiar 'incompatibility' may just have been a symptom of this.

Comment 5

[Luke Hovington]

I'm having a similar problem,
When using a VPN client firefox will stop loading any web page.

Safari works fine when the VPN connection is established.
Once disconnected firefox works again.

Comment 6

[jutamind]

i'm using RC1 and i have frequently FF RC1 crashes whenever i use FF when i'm connected to my company's VPN using Cisco VPN client v4.6.01.0019. The crashes has been inconsistent and hard to reproduce. Sometimes i do get Mozilla Crash Recovery dialog box and i've sent the info over to Mozilla.

I hardly have any crashes if i browse without connected to VPN.

The extensions installed so far:
1. Flashgot
2. Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer
3. Gmail Manager
4. Groowe Search Toolbar
5. IE Tab
6. RAMBack
7. ReminderFox
8. Session Manager
9. Yahoo! Mail Notifier

Comment 7

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

no report in recent years and not enough technical information to fix something here