Score:7

Ubuntu Gnome 21.04 Software Update breaks Thunderbird window management

cn flag

A clean install of 21.04 (erase disc) & then running software update causes some terrible window management problems.

When attempting to send an Email with thunderbird (clicking send button), the "Write" window becomes a ghost object, (unmanaged window) - so thunderbird thinks its still there in the windows list & in the dock, but it doesn't exist. If you quit thunderbird, the ghost window remains as 1 dot in the dock & thunderbird cant be relaunched. If you quit thunderbird by the app menu instead, the session will crash & you are logged out. This also start to happen with nautilus windows & then you cant open or use nautilus at all.

Ive run this clean install 3 times now & every time its the same, as soon as i run the OS update, window management flips out. As I say, its just install os, don't change anything, run the update - boom!

journal shows the following errors when trying to click on thunderbird in the dock or in the apps manager

gnome-shell[1000]: Trying to activate unmanaged window 'W5'
gnome-shell[1000]: Couldn't find child [0x559e8aecad50 Gjs_ui_windowPreview:first-child last-child ("rico@Sulaco: ~")] in window slots

The OS update in question, many suspects

RiquezJP avatar
cn flag
On a vanilla install of 21.04, Thunderbird shows 2 dots when writing email, when the "sending" progress window opens, the dots stay as 2. Then write & progress both close & dots return to 1 (main window) When BUG is in effect, sending progress window makes 3rd dot. But when write/sending close, 2 dots remain. After installing top part of update only, 4 Security items, Thunderbird does not lock up & no ghost window appears. So it seems ok. BUT 3rd dot does appear when sending, however it goes away correctly. Perhaps the issue lies with the File or Ubuntu base updates in the 2nd set
RiquezJP avatar
cn flag
ahh, it did break it. after reboot the problem occurs again. so its something in the top group of updates. Even without the Tbird update ticked, it gets updated from 78.8.1 to 78.11 & then the problem occurs. So it looks like the ubuntu base security update doing this.
br flag
Switching to X.org (instead of Wayland) makes the problem go away. Just select the X.org session when entering password.
RiquezJP avatar
cn flag
This does appear to fix the issue thanks! Would you like to expand into an answer.
br flag
I've been having the same problem over the past few weeks (and a few others with Thunderbird). Rebooting into X.org instead of Wayland solved them for me. I believe the problem is with Gnome updates not working well on Wayland.
RiquezJP avatar
cn flag
@LubosD Would you like to Answer so I can accept, you were right!
br flag
@RiquezJP Done, I've added this as an answer.
amenthes avatar
br flag
Not really a solution for 21.04, but apparently this bug is gone with 22.04 - at least for me.
Score:2
br flag

It appears to be a bug in the GNOME Shell.

Switching to X.org (instead of Wayland) makes the problem go away. Simply select the X.org session when entering password on the login screen.

Score:1
cn flag

You can still use Wayland with its advantages for the Gnome session but start Thunderbird in X11 mode. See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/thunderbird/+bug/1932328 and https://askubuntu.com/a/1355533/447487

Score:0
in flag

I experience this bug in Thunderbird under Pop!_OS 21.04, and I'm chiming in to mention a clunky workaround:

  • Select File -> Send Later (ctl-shift-enter): message is saved to Outbox.
  • Select File -> Send Unsent Messages.

Sending messages this way does not generate a ghost window. But using it is very annoying (I had to remove the "Send" button from the Composition toolbar to keep me from reflexively clicking it). Objectively, I should just switch TB to use XWayland, but I'm pigheaded.

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