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System hangs while visiting YouTube in Firefox.

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  • 2 have this problem
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  • Last reply by thran

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Dear all,

I am having a severe issue using Firefox on Linux. That is when I use the browser to watch YouTube it is almost guaranteed that the entire system will hang, become unresponsive and then require a hard reset.

I'm using Xubuntu 19.04.

The laptop is a ThinkPad T450. It has a standard configuration except that I installed a SSD. I ran a comprehensive self-test using the Lenovo BIOS' testing feature and everything was given the all-clear. I note that the same problem doesn't occur on my preferred WebKit-derived browser which is Vivaldi.

I'm not the only owner of a T450 in my household. Curiously, this other T450 which runs Xubuntu 18.04 (LTS) does not manifest the same issue. This system also uses Firefox as its browser.

I was advised to check the system logfiles. The only mention of anything likely in the logfiles is the xsession-errors file:

(xfce4-panel:1291): xfce4-panel-CRITICAL **: 21:01:45.450: panel-window.c:2245 (panel_window_active_window_geometry_changed): expression 'WNCK_IS_WINDOW (active_window)' failed.

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:1631): dconf-WARNING **: 21:01:47.129: Unable to open /var/lib/snapd/desktop/dconf/profile/user: Permission denied [Child 1577, MediaDecoderStateMachine #1] WARNING: Decoder=7f15d3e94c00 Decode error: NS_ERROR_DOM_MEDIA_FATAL_ERR (0x806e0005) - RefPtr<mozilla::MozPromise<RefPtr<mozilla::MediaTrackDemuxer::SamplesHolder>, mozilla::MediaResult, true> > mozilla::MediaSourceTrackDemuxer::DoGetSamples(int32_t): manager is detached.: file /build/firefox-9JL5Vx/firefox-69.0+build2/dom/media/MediaDecoderStateMachine.cpp, line 3309 [Child 1577, MediaDecoderStateMachine #1] WARNING: Decoder=7f15d3e94c00 Decode error: NS_ERROR_DOM_MEDIA_FATAL_ERR (0x806e0005) - RefPtr<mozilla::MozPromise<RefPtr<mozilla::MediaTrackDemuxer::SamplesHolder>, mozilla::MediaResult, true> > mozilla::MediaSourceTrackDemuxer::DoGetSamples(int32_t): manager is detached.: file /build/firefox-9JL5Vx/firefox-69.0+build2/dom/media/MediaDecoderStateMachine.cpp, line 3309 </p>

Reference to my post on the Ubuntu forums: https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2426276

I'd greatly value any help to solve this issue. I'm willing to look at other logfiles or send over any additional information that might help diagnose this problem. Anything to help me get back to using my browser of choice!

Kind regards. Thran

Dear all, I am having a severe issue using Firefox on Linux. That is when I use the browser to watch YouTube it is almost guaranteed that the entire system will hang, become unresponsive and then require a hard reset. I'm using Xubuntu 19.04. The laptop is a ThinkPad T450. It has a standard configuration except that I installed a SSD. I ran a comprehensive self-test using the Lenovo BIOS' testing feature and everything was given the all-clear. I note that the same problem doesn't occur on my preferred WebKit-derived browser which is Vivaldi. I'm not the only owner of a T450 in my household. Curiously, this other T450 which runs Xubuntu 18.04 (LTS) does not manifest the same issue. This system also uses Firefox as its browser. I was advised to check the system logfiles. The only mention of anything likely in the logfiles is the xsession-errors file: (xfce4-panel:1291): xfce4-panel-CRITICAL **: 21:01:45.450: panel-window.c:2245 (panel_window_active_window_geometry_changed): expression 'WNCK_IS_WINDOW (active_window)' failed. (/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:1631): dconf-WARNING **: 21:01:47.129: Unable to open /var/lib/snapd/desktop/dconf/profile/user: Permission denied [Child 1577, MediaDecoderStateMachine #1] WARNING: Decoder=7f15d3e94c00 Decode error: NS_ERROR_DOM_MEDIA_FATAL_ERR (0x806e0005) - RefPtr<mozilla::MozPromise<RefPtr<mozilla::MediaTrackDemuxer::SamplesHolder>, mozilla::MediaResult, true> > mozilla::MediaSourceTrackDemuxer::DoGetSamples(int32_t): manager is detached.: file /build/firefox-9JL5Vx/firefox-69.0+build2/dom/media/MediaDecoderStateMachine.cpp, line 3309 [Child 1577, MediaDecoderStateMachine #1] WARNING: Decoder=7f15d3e94c00 Decode error: NS_ERROR_DOM_MEDIA_FATAL_ERR (0x806e0005) - RefPtr<mozilla::MozPromise<RefPtr<mozilla::MediaTrackDemuxer::SamplesHolder>, mozilla::MediaResult, true> > mozilla::MediaSourceTrackDemuxer::DoGetSamples(int32_t): manager is detached.: file /build/firefox-9JL5Vx/firefox-69.0+build2/dom/media/MediaDecoderStateMachine.cpp, line 3309 Reference to my post on the Ubuntu forums: https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2426276 I'd greatly value any help to solve this issue. I'm willing to look at other logfiles or send over any additional information that might help diagnose this problem. Anything to help me get back to using my browser of choice! Kind regards. Thran

Modified by thran

Chosen solution

Dear WMagicmodel and other users,

I fixed this issue by going into the ThinkPad BIOS and disabling some of the hardware that I wasn't using. This included the security chip and fingerprint reader. And lo, I could open up YouTube and stream five videos at once in highest of definitions using Firefox. This proved to me that the issue was fixed.

I reckon that it was the security chip. Overall, my system seems much stabler since disabling it. Now I'm a happy man!

So in short, if anyone else is having this same issue using Linux on a ThinkPad T450, try disabling the security chip. It may well be that it is meant for only Windows and its presence conflicts with a Linux system.

Happy computing, Thran

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All Replies (5)

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Hi Thran,

Sorry to hear you're having issues with your system being unresponsive while using Linux/Youtube.

If you haven't already, try following these steps in the Knowledge Based article to see if it resolves the issue : Firefox crashes - Troubleshoot, prevent and get help fixing crashes {link}

It is recommended you try and check to see if the crash happens in Safe Mode before moving forward. Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode {link}

Have you tried disabling hardware acceleration? Hardware acceleration and WindowBlinds causes Firefox to crash {link}

Get the Report ID of your latest crash report by opening about:crashes in the address bar and copy and paste the Report ID for the latest crash beginning with bp-

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WMagicModel,

I tried to restart Firefox into safe mode. Unfortunately, it also crashed whilst trying to perform this. The crash report of that incident was: bp-61e8eb09-4b4b-4817-bc7b-d160a0190919. I also have some more details from the xsession-errors which I shall append at the end of this reply.

The latest crash report before this has ID: bp-c3441f06-f87f-4f0c-a7bb-e43620190917. It is possibly corresponding with the hang mentioned first, though when these happen the system itself hangs (mouse and keyboard unresponsive, any audio will become "stuck" on the last second ad infinitum) and I must do a hard reset. I presume that the Firefox crash reporter would not have had the chance to gather anything on the hang.

Edit: Running Firefox with hardware acceleration disabled still causes this super-hang.

Xsession errors from safe mode restart: (nm-applet:1225): Gtk-WARNING **: 15:41:43.797: Can't set a parent on widget which has a parent [6199:6199:0919/154209.310240:ERROR:chrome_content_client.cc(342)] Failed to locate and load the component updated flash plugin. [6236:6236:0919/154209.399339:ERROR:sandbox_linux.cc(369)] InitializeSandbox() called with multiple threads in process gpu-process. [6236:6236:0919/154209.479040:ERROR:buffer_manager.cc(488)] [.DisplayCompositor]GL ERROR :GL_INVALID_OPERATION : glBufferData: <- error from previous GL command [6199:6199:0919/154211.507483:ERROR:CONSOLE(0)] "Unchecked runtime.lastError: The message port closed before a response was received.", source: chrome-extension://mpognobbkildjkofajifpdfhcoklimli/browser.html (0) xfce4-panel-Message: 15:43:44.554: Plugin whiskermenu-1 has been automatically restarted after crash.

(wrapper-2.0:6450): Gtk-WARNING **: 15:43:44.762: Negative content width -3 (allocation 1, extents 2x2) while allocating gadget (node button, owner GtkToggleButton)

(xfce4-panel:1188): xfce4-panel-CRITICAL **: 15:43:52.852: panel-window.c:2245 (panel_window_active_window_geometry_changed): expression 'WNCK_IS_WINDOW (active_window)' failed.

(/usr/lib/firefox/firefox:6562): dconf-WARNING **: 15:43:55.302: Unable to open /var/lib/snapd/desktop/dconf/profile/user: Permission denied [6199:6199:0919/154403.378596:ERROR:vivaldi_browser_window.cc(403)] 1 tabs are still alive after Vivaldi UI shuts down with status 4

(nm-applet:1225): Gtk-CRITICAL **: 15:46:01.088: gtk_widget_destroy: assertion 'GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed

(nm-applet:1225): Gtk-CRITICAL **: 15:46:01.088: gtk_widget_destroy: assertion 'GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed

(nm-applet:1225): Gtk-WARNING **: 15:46:01.096: Can't set a parent on widget which has a parent

(nm-applet:1225): Gtk-CRITICAL **: 15:46:01.103: gtk_widget_destroy: assertion 'GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed

(nm-applet:1225): Gtk-CRITICAL **: 15:46:01.103: gtk_widget_destroy: assertion 'GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed

(nm-applet:1225): Gtk-WARNING **: 15:46:01.105: Can't set a parent on widget which has a parent [7289:7289:0919/154735.442773:ERROR:chrome_content_client.cc(342)] Failed to locate and load the component updated flash plugin. [7326:7326:0919/154735.532519:ERROR:sandbox_linux.cc(369)] InitializeSandbox() called with multiple threads in process gpu-process. [7326:7326:0919/154735.649519:ERROR:buffer_manager.cc(488)] [.DisplayCompositor]GL ERROR :GL_INVALID_OPERATION : glBufferData: <- error from previous GL command [7289:7289:0919/154737.766205:ERROR:CONSOLE(0)] "Unchecked runtime.lastError: The message port closed before a response was received.", source: chrome-extension://mpognobbkildjkofajifpdfhcoklimli/browser.html (0) [7326:7326:0919/155051.822224:ERROR:buffer_manager.cc(488)] [.DisplayCompositor]GL ERROR :GL_INVALID_OPERATION : glBufferData: <- error from previous GL command [7326:7326:0919/155107.441172:ERROR:buffer_manager.cc(488)] [.DisplayCompositor]GL ERROR :GL_INVALID_OPERATION : glBufferData: <- error from previous GL command WebGL(0x7f41cb28a000)::ForceLoseContext WebGL(0x7f41cb298000)::ForceLoseContext [Parent 6454, Gecko_IOThread] WARNING: pipe error (108): Connection reset by peer: file /build/firefox-9JL5Vx/firefox-69.0+build2/ipc/chromium/src/chrome/common/ipc_channel_posix.cc, line 358 ExceptionHandler::GenerateDump cloned child 7649 ExceptionHandler::SendContinueSignalToChild sent continue signal to child ExceptionHandler::WaitForContinueSignal waiting for continue signal... Exiting due to channel error. Failed to open curl lib from binary, use libcurl.so instead (END)


Regards, Thran

Modified by thran

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Hi Thran,

Was this something that has always been occurring since you've had it, or an update/upgrade to Firefox?

I noticed allot of crashes in version 69.0 with that report. You could try installing Firefox Nightly which gives you the opportunity to test out the latest features while being a possible remedy to your problem.

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WMagicModel,

As far as I remember this hang has been happening. I have been using this laptop since early July. I think more than one major release of FF made its way downstream to Ubuntu in that time.

I have installed Firefox Nightly (v71) by way of a PPA repository. Thus far, it hasn't crashed in the same manner. I'll continue trying it for a week and get back to you if this happens again.

As far as new features go, I can only give hearty approval to the new anti-tracking tools.

Best wishes, Thran

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Chosen Solution

Dear WMagicmodel and other users,

I fixed this issue by going into the ThinkPad BIOS and disabling some of the hardware that I wasn't using. This included the security chip and fingerprint reader. And lo, I could open up YouTube and stream five videos at once in highest of definitions using Firefox. This proved to me that the issue was fixed.

I reckon that it was the security chip. Overall, my system seems much stabler since disabling it. Now I'm a happy man!

So in short, if anyone else is having this same issue using Linux on a ThinkPad T450, try disabling the security chip. It may well be that it is meant for only Windows and its presence conflicts with a Linux system.

Happy computing, Thran