538742 - Preferences window blank

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Thunderbird :: Preferences, defect)

Description

[Matthew Smith]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux x86_64; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.6) Gecko/20091201 SUSE/3.5.6-1.1.1 Firefox/3.5.6
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux x86_64; en-US; rv:1.9.1.5) Gecko/20100109 Shredder/3.0

If I attempt to open the Preferences window in Thunderbird 3.0, all that appears is a blank window.  This is the same whether I use the version packaged with OpenSUSE 11.2 or a version I compiled myself.  (It did not happen with a beta version I used under Fedora 11.)

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open preferences dialog from the Edit menu
2.
3.

Comment 1

[cantalou]

Matthew,

I do not have OpenSUSE to test your bug.
Nevertheless, could you please update your Shredder beta version to the latest stable version of Thunderbird 3.0 You should find it here: http://www.mozillamessaging.com

If update doesn't solve your problem, could you please try to start ThunderBird in safe mode http://kb.mozillazine.org/Safe_mode
Maybe your problem is coming from an extension.

If problem is not coming back in safe mode, could you please give us list of
your extensions. Nightly Tester Tools extension may help you https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/6543
Tools => Nightly Tester Tools => Copy List of Extensions to Clipboard

If problem is coming back in safe mode, could you please check your error
console (Tools => Error Console) and copy & paste any message in this bug.

In both case, do not forget to copy and paste your new version of ThunderBird v3

Cantalou

Comment 2

[cantalou]

Matthew,

Based on your Shredder version, I realized that you're maybe a Beta tester.
In this case, this bug is to improve Lanikai http://ascher.ca/blog/2009/12/15/a-public-internet-deserves-great-beaches/
So forget my useless comment about upgrading.

If you want a stable version for productive environment please downgrade to Thunderbird v.3 http://www.mozillamessaging.com

Depending on your answer, "Version" should be updated

Comment 3

[Matthew Smith]

The OpenSUSE packaged version is: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux x86_64; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.5) Gecko/20091130 SUSE/3.0.0-1.1.1 Thunderbird/3.0

I am using Thunderbird 3.0, the stable version.  I got the release sources for my compiled version from the Mozilla FTP site (thunderbird-3.0.source.tar.bz2), and the SUSE version says version 3.0 within the app and 3.0.0 in the packaging system.  So it's not a beta.

I'm not a beta tester as such, but the standard version of Tbird supplied with Fedora 11 was a beta of v3.

Comment 4

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

Can you try starting it in -safe-mode, ./thunderbird -safe-mode and see if your issue is still present ?

Comment 5

[Matthew Smith]

I have, and the same thing happens (both the SUSE version and the home-made version).

Comment 6

[rsx11m]

Do you get any message in the Error Console?

See the Tools menu to open it, clear any messages already there, then open
Edit > Preferences and watch for any messages showing up. You can copy-paste whatever it shows into a comment here, maybe this helps to get some clues.

Comment 7

[Matthew Smith]

I did that and nothing appeared on the console.

Comment 8

[rsx11m]

So this is neither an extension issue nor a reported error. Since it happens with both the distributed and your own compiled version, maybe somehow related to your profile (though I wouldn't know what in a profile might trigger that).

  1. mv ~/.thunderbird ~/.thunderbird-backup
  2. (start Thunderbird, see if problem persists)
  3. (exit Thunderbird)
  4. rm -rf ~/.thunderbird
  5. mv ~/.thunderbird-backup ~/.thunderbird

This tests your installation with a fresh profile and restores your old one after the testing.

Comment 9

[Matthew Smith]

Bingo.  The prefs window appeared as normal with a fresh profile and no accounts set up.

Comment 10

[rsx11m]

Ok, thanks for testing. Anybody else here having any suggestion what in the profile might cause the pref window to blank?  :-)

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Thunderbird contains instructions on how to move data from your old profile into the new one, but it would be good to figure out what's wrong with your current setup.

Comment 11

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

(In reply to comment #10)
> Ok, thanks for testing. Anybody else here having any suggestion what in the
> profile might cause the pref window to blank?  :-)

Well it could be a pref that is set in your current profile and that messes things up for that you would need to diff both prefs.js file and see what values are different between the two (not counting the acount setting values of course.).

Your chrome cache could be corrupted , removing localstore.rdf would clean up. I'm more thinking about some pref that you or an extension setted and that causes the issue in TB3.

Comment 13

[Thomas Winteler]

I get this problem too.. now i have 3.0.3:
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686 (x86_64); en-US; rv:1.9.1.8) Gecko/20100227 Thunderbird/3.0.3

Have tested to rename localstore.rdf, but without success. Also the Error Console is shows nothing if i open preferences.

thomi

Comment 14

[Thomas Winteler]

still have this problem, also after updating to 3.0.4:
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686 (x86_64); en-US; rv:1.9.1.9) Gecko/20100317 Thunderbird/3.0.4

Why is here now response on that?

Thanks for help
tomi

Comment 15

[Thomas Winteler]

Have checked prefs.js and found some lines from not installed Addons:

user_pref("extensions.allowhtmltemp.version", "2.0.1");
user_pref("extensions.threadvis.about", 1);
....
user_pref("extensions.update.notifyUser", false);
user_pref("extensions.configdate.version", "0.6");

Have tried to remove them.. but without success

Comment 16

[Thomas Winteler]

ha.. found that...

If i remove userChrome.css in the chrome folder of tb's profile, i get preferences back...

Now i have just commented out this line in userChrome.css:
@import url("file:///usr/share/themes/QtCurve/mozilla/QtCurve-KDEButtonOrder.css"); /* Added by QtCurve -- do not remove */

Seams it's a KDE/QtCure specific problem.

Here are all information about the imported files:

userChrome.css
/* @import url("file:///usr/share/themes/QtCurve/mozilla/QtCurve-KDEButtonOrder.css"); /* Added by QtCurve -- do not remove */
@import url("file:///usr/share/themes/QtCurve/mozilla/QtCurve.css"); /* Added by QtCurve -- do not remove */
#header,
#data-column {
  max-width: none !important;
}

QtCurve-KDEButtonOrder.css
@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul");

/* Swap Cancel/OK -> OK/Cancel */
.dialog-button-box { -moz-box-direction: reverse; -moz-box-pack: right; }
.dialog-button-box spacer { display: none !important; }
prefwindow { -moz-binding: url("file:///usr/share/themes/QtCurve/mozilla/preferences-rev.xml#prefwindow") !important; }


QtCurve.css
@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul");

/* Dont embolden the text on the selected tab */
tab[selected="true"] { font-weight: normal !important; }

/* Shrink toolbars -> by about 2 pixels :-( ... */
/* Setting explicit heights, messes things up when text+icons is shown :-( */
#nav-bar
{
  margin:0px !important;
  padding:1px !important;
  border:0px !important;
}

.textbox-input-box,#identity-box,#urlbar-icons,.autocomplete-history-dropmarker,.searchbar-engine-button,.search-go-container,.box-inherit.button-box
{
  margin:0px !important;
  padding:0px !important;
}

.searchbar-engine-button
{
  margin:0px !important;
  padding:2px !important;
}



preferences-rev.xml
<?xml version="1.0"?>

<!DOCTYPE bindings SYSTEM "chrome://global/locale/preferences.dtd">

<bindings id="mozilluxPreferencesBindings"
   xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/xbl"
   xmlns:xul="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"
   xmlns:xbl="http://www.mozilla.org/xbl">

  <binding id="prefwindow"
           extends="chrome://global/content/bindings/preferences.xml#prefwindow">
    <content xul:dlgbuttons="accept,cancel" xul:persist="lastSelected screenX screenY"
             xul:closebuttonlabel="&preferencesCloseButton.label;"
             xul:closebuttonaccesskey="&preferencesCloseButton.accesskey;"
             xmlns:xhtml2="http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml2"
             xmlns:wairole="http://www.w3.org/2005/01/wai-rdf/GUIRoleTaxonomy#"
             xhtml2:role="wairole:dialog"
             xul:title="&preferencesDefaultTitleMac.title;">
      <xul:radiogroup anonid="selector" orient="horizontal" class="paneSelector chromeclass-toolbar"
                      xhtml2:role="wairole:list"/> <!-- Expose to accessibility APIs as a list -->
      <xul:hbox flex="1" class="paneDeckContainer">
        <xul:deck anonid="paneDeck" flex="1">
          <children includes="prefpane"/>
        </xul:deck>
      </xul:hbox>
      <xul:hbox anonid="dlg-buttons" class="prefWindow-dlgbuttons"
                >
        <xul:button dlgtype="disclosure" class="dialog-button" hidden="true"/>
        <xul:button dlgtype="help" class="dialog-button" hidden="true" icon="help"/>
        <xul:button dlgtype="extra2" class="dialog-button" hidden="true"/>
        <xul:button dlgtype="extra1" class="dialog-button" hidden="true"/>
        <xul:spacer anonid="spacer" flex="1"/>
        <xul:button dlgtype="accept" class="dialog-button" icon="accept"/>
        <xul:button dlgtype="cancel" class="dialog-button" icon="cancel"/>
      </xul:hbox>
      <xul:hbox>
        <children/>
      </xul:hbox>
      <xul:keyset>
        <xul:key anonid="keyClose" key="&windowClose.key;" modifiers="accel" oncommand="window.close();"/>
      </xul:keyset>
    </content>
  </binding>
</bindings>


if someone can find the bug... even if it's a KDe/QtCurve css bug.... some people will be happy ;)

thomi

Comment 17

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

Jacopoo did you also had a userChrome.css in your profile ?

Mark how easy would it be to block those userChrome.css file that seem to make the pref window blank out after upgrade ?

Comment 18

[Iacopo Benesperi [:iacchi]]

Yes, I had it. But it seems to me that what was written in it shouldn't lead to this kind of problems:

@import url("file:///usr/share/themes/QtCurve/mozilla/QtCurve-KDEButtonOrder.css"); /* Added by QtCurve -- do not remove */
@import url("file:///usr/share/themes/QtCurve/mozilla/QtCurve.css"); /* Added by QtCurve -- do not remove */
/* The following four lines were added by KDE */
scrollbarbutton[sbattr="scrollbar-up-top"] { display: -moz-box !important; }
scrollbarbutton[sbattr="scrollbar-down-top"] { display: none !important; }
scrollbarbutton[sbattr="scrollbar-up-bottom"] { display: -moz-box !important; }
scrollbarbutton[sbattr="scrollbar-down-bottom"] { display: -moz-box !important; }

Comment 19

[Thommie Rother]

no activity for a long time, should be closed

Comment 20

[rsx11m]

Well, if either KDE or Qt is screwing up userChrome.css, it's per definition not a Thunderbird issue, thus I'd vote to close as "invalid" (3rd-party issue). Bug reports should be filed with whatever application is creating that code.

Let's keep this bug open for two more weeks, in case the reporters want to provide an update with a more recent release or test build.

Comment 21

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

invalid per comment 20