Arch Linux

zdvdcprz

Member

From: Leeds, UK

Registered: 2017-03-31

Posts: 17

Firefox crashes

For the past week or so Firefox has been crashing unpredictably. It will start up and load pages in multiple OK tabs but after a while Firefox will crash. While attempting to post this question it crashed twice.

I normally do a full system upgrade every 2 or 3 weeks and did one this morning. There seems to be a problem with ffmpeg during upgrades.
Pacman reports, for example:

[root@...]# pacman -S gst-libav
warning: gst-libav-1.14.4-1 is up to date -- reinstalling
resolving dependencies...
error: could not open file /var/lib/pacman/local/ffmpeg-1:4.1-1/desc: No such file or directory
looking for conflicting packages...

Packages (1) gst-libav-1.14.4-1

Total Installed Size:  14.74 MiB
Net Upgrade Size:       0.00 MiB

:: Proceed with installation? [Y/n]

Is this likely to be the cause of the problem? Has anyone come across this and know how to fix it, please?

DC

mpan

Member

Registered: 2012-08-01

Posts: 1,644

Website

Re: Firefox crashes

Seems like your local database got corrupted. The Wiki contains information on restoring it.

The above may be the cause of your trouble with Firefox, both issues may be an effect of not yet revealed problem, or may bear no relation to each other. With no more information available now, we may only guess. An educated guess is: the RAM or the storage medium is failing. Test/check both; memtest86+ for RAM (except the bit fade test, which is known to be bugged) and the output of the following for each of your storage media (smartctl is in smartmontools):

sudo smartctl -a /dev/$YOUR_STORAGE_MEDIUM

Instead of using memtest86+ you may wish to use memtester, if you don’t have time to run all the memtest86+ tests now. However, it will cover less RAM, so it would be best if you would run memtest86+ instead, when possible.

You may be also interested in some stress testing with mprime (described in AUR). But be warned that this is stress testing: it may brick your hardware.

Last edited by mpan (2018-11-25 15:02:47)

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Paperclips in avatars?

zdvdcprz

Member

From: Leeds, UK

Registered: 2017-03-31

Posts: 17

Re: Firefox crashes

Thanks for your reply Mpan.

I thought I'd try copying the 'desc' and 'files' files from /var/lib/pacman/local/ffmpeg-1:4.1-1 on another machine before attempting your solutions. Their timestamps were only 3 days later than those on the failing machine. So, with fingers crossed, I did another system upgrade and rebooted.

Result: Firefox remained stable even in a site where I knew it would crash instantaneously.

I think there had been a failed pacman -Syu at some point a few weeks ago.

Thanks again.

zdvdcprz

Member

From: Leeds, UK

Registered: 2017-03-31

Posts: 17

Re: Firefox crashes

Fixed

headkase

Member

Registered: 2011-12-06

Posts: 1,988

Re: Firefox crashes

Fixed

Please see the code of conduct: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Co … way_street

"Life is a two-way street".  Please respond again with how your issue was "fixed" and also edit your first post in this thread and put "[Solved]" without the quotes before your original title.

mpan

Member

Registered: 2012-08-01

Posts: 1,644

Website

Re: Firefox crashes

I thought I'd try copying the 'desc' and 'files' files from /var/lib/pacman/local/ffmpeg-1:4.1-1 on another machine before attempting your solutions.

Before doing anything (as suggested be me or anyone else) you definitely should make backups! This is so obligatory and obvious, that I was not even mentioning it.

I think there had been a failed pacman -Syu at some point a few weeks ago.

Whatever was the reason, it is a good idea to test your machine. memtest86+ (note the “plus” sign) requires only leaving the computer running for some time; smartctl just reports what S.M.A.R.T. is collecting anyway and — provided with that information — people here may be able to give some opinion.

The last thing from the previous post, the stress-testing, may be considered — because of potential to reveal destructive defects in hardware — either optional and left to your decision, or not advised until there is a good reaon to use it (depends on who you ask).

Whatever your choice is, please prepend “[SOLVED]” to the title of this post, as headkase said. It doesn’t prevent further discussion, BTW.

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Paperclips in avatars?