616934 - Multiple monitors configuration: Hardware acceleration causes Firefox to hang when one monitor is disconnected

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Core :: Graphics, defect)

Description

[Sébastien GRIPON]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:2.0b7) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/4.0b7
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:2.0b7) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/4.0b7

I have a laptop connected on a desktop base with LAN, USB, screen etc.

When I disconnect my laptop from the base (without turning off), the network is lost (this is normal because I don't have other network access). If Firefox is opened during this operation, it hangs after disconnection. More precisely, it seems that tabs are not able to render sites any more. The window full is not really freezed but I can't click on anything.

Maybe it is important to notice that when the laptop is plugged on the base, it is connected with 2 screens (extended desktop) while there is only the laptop screen when not plugged.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Connect a laptop on a base, network activated and running
2. Open firefox and open some sites in different tabs
3. Disconnect laptop form the base (unplug it)
4. Try to see sites in tabs on the laptop.

Actual Results:  
Firefox is freezed.

Expected Results:  
It should be possible to continue navigation and use Firefox.

When Firefox is freezed, I simply close the window and restart Firefox. It seems that firefox stops properly so it is not really freezed, maybe only the window is not usable any more.

Comment 1

[Ed Morley [:emorley]]

Does this occur using a clean profile ( http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Managing%20profiles ) and also when using safe mode ( http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Safe%20Mode )?

Does this occur using 3.6.12?

Also, is it possible to disconnect the network connection and screens separately to see which of them might be causing the problem?

Comment 2

[Sébastien GRIPON]

Doesn't occur on 3.6.12.

In fact, occurs when I disconnect one screen when the laptop is on the base so it is not a network issue but a screen issue.

Comment 3

[Ed Morley [:emorley]]

Thanks for the extra info.

Does it occur if you disable hardware acceleration in Firefox prefs on the Advanced -> General tab? (And then restart Firefox for changes to take effect)

Does it occur using the latest nightly?
http://nightly.mozilla.org/

The only thing similar I have found by searching is bug 583316, which has different symptoms, but perhaps the underlying cause of that bug may be causing this too.

Comment 4

[Ed Morley [:emorley]]

(In reply to comment #3)
> The only thing similar I have found by searching is bug 583316, which has
> different symptoms, but perhaps the underlying cause of that bug may be causing
> this too.
In fact, ignore this, the linked bug was for OS X, so even less relevant.

Comment 5

[Sébastien GRIPON]

The problem does not occur when I disable hardware acceleration.

Comment 6

[Ed Morley [:emorley]]

Ah right.

This bug is therefore best put in another section.
If you could edit the info at the top of this page and change...
- Product to: Core
- Component: Graphics
...it will make it more likely that the correct people see this bug.

It may also be worth changing the title to something like:

"Hardware acceleration causes Firefox to hang when secondary monitor disconnected" - so that the hardware accel cause is noted.

(I'd make these changes myself but don't have the necessary permission on Bugzilla).

Finally, if you could try using the latest nightly (link in comment 3), it will help make sure that the issue hasn't already been fixed.

Thanks!

Comment 7

[Sébastien GRIPON]

Problem is still here with nightly build "Built on 08-Dec-2010".

Comment 8

[Sébastien GRIPON]

Precision: I have 2 monitors. The problem occurs if I disconnect the primary monitor and also if I disconnect the secondary monitor. Same behavior in both cases.

Comment 9

[Bas Schouten (:bas.schouten)]

I will try and get my hands on a Windows XP machine during the All-Hands and repro/fix this.

Comment 10

[Sébastien GRIPON]

Good news!
It seems that this issue is fixed in FF4b11! It didn't work with previous beta.

Comment 11

[Ed Morley [:emorley]]

Marking as works for me, given comment 10.

Thanks for the update :-)