65462 - Running helper apps prevent Mozilla from shutting down cleanly

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Core Graveyard :: Plug-ins, defect)

Description

[Stephen Moehle]

If a helper app (realplay, xmms, acroread, etc.) is running when Mozilla is
shutdown, Mozilla will not exit cleanly and will not restart.  mozilla-bin goes
away, but java_vm and psm (if SSL has been used) will remain running and will
not exit until the helper app has been terminated. As long as java_vm remains
running, Mozilla will not restart.  When I try to restart Mozilla, I can see
mozilla-bin running, but it will never display the browser window until I
terminate the helper app and java_vm goes away.

To reproduce:
1) Install the Java plugin.
2) Restart Mozilla.
3) Go to a site that will cause psm to launch.
4) Launch a helper app like xmms, realplay, or acroread.
5) Exit Mozilla.
6) Run ps.  You will see java_vm and psm running.  mozilla-bin, however, is gone.
7) Exit the helper app.  Both java_vm and psm go away.
Or alternatively:
7a) Start Mozilla again.  It will never display a browser window.
8a) Run ps.  You will see mozilla-bin running.
9a) Exit the helper app.  Suddenly, Mozilla will display the browser window.

Tested with Mozilla trunk build 2001011306 on Linux (RedHat 7).

Comment 1

[Rodd Clarkson]

I followed the steps to reproduce and I didn't.  Mozilla works fine for me.

however, I'm using MSS which is a little script that starts a new mozilla
session only if one doesn't exist, otherwise it open a new window.  Maybe this
is making things work?

actually, here's something.  I've closed all my mozilla windows, and when I look
at processes running, psm is still up (along with the helper app window.) if I
kill the helper app, then psm disappears.  However, regardless of how I started
Mozilla, it still runs.

I guess you could call that, kinda confirmed ;-]

Comment 2

[Stephen Moehle]

Do you have Java installed?  I am wondering why you do not see java_vm still
running.

Comment 3

[Fabian Guisset]

-> mscott

Comment 4

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

setting bug status to New

Comment 5

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Andrew, still true for linux?

Comment 6

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Tony do you see this problem?

Comment 7

[Misak Khachatryan]

I can't reproduce it on Fedora 9 RC and Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; rv:1.9pre) Gecko/2008050501 SeaMonkey/2.0a1pre ID:2008050501

This bug is very old and too much water gone in Mozilla and Java world.

Comment 8

[Tony Mechelynck [:tonymec]]

(In reply to comment #6)
> Tony do you see this problem?
> 

Not sure. I have Java installed but AFAIK I don't use it (as opposed to Javascript which has nothing to do with it). Sometimes I see SeaMonkey hanging at closedown but in that case seamonkey-bin doesn't go away and must be killed (e.g. by using kill -15 seamonkey-bin); I haven't (yet?) pinned down in which circumstances I see this hang but they are not the same as those in this bug.

If the test procedure were rewritten with explicit URLs (rather than "any page with...") I could test it with more certainty.
-- At step 4, does it mean "the Acrobat plugin" or "acroread as started from the shell"?

Comment 9

[Josh Aas]

I'm pretty sure this doesn't happen any more.