Upgrade StorageGoogle Docs citation window never appears in Chrome on Linux (Firefox works fine)
Environment:
Zotero: 9.0.6 (x64), official Linux build (also tested with retorque.re .deb package — same issue)
OS: Ubuntu 24.04, kernel 6.17.0-40-generic
Connector: 5.0.210
Chrome: 150.0.7871.114 (also fails with --no-sandbox, with a fresh Chrome profile, and with the extension freshly reinstalled)
Firefox: works perfectly with the same Zotero installation and the same Google Doc
Symptom:
Clicking "Add/Edit Citation" (or Refresh) in Google Docs via Chrome triggers "Zotero is updating your document. Please wait…" indefinitely. The citation selection window never appears — not behind other windows, not off-screen (confirmed with wmctrl -l and xdotool search --name "Zotero", both return nothing while stuck).
Debug log (Zotero side) shows the request being received and processed, then nothing:
Integration: http-addEditCitation invoked
POST /connector/document/respond → 200 OK {"command":"Application.getActiveDocument"...}
POST /connector/document/respond → 200 OK {"command":"Document.getDocumentData"...}
POST /connector/sendToBack → 200 OK
[no further requests — window creation appears to silently fail here]
Relevant JS error seen in Connector's Advanced settings (Firefox equivalent, same error class reproduced):
TypeError: this.ownerGlobal.gBrowser.getTabForBrowser is not a function
Troubleshooting already completed (all ruled out):
✅ Reinstalled Zotero (official tar.xz build, purged .deb package first)
✅ Tested fresh Zotero profile
✅ Tested with -jsconsole — console window itself doesn't reveal errors at the failure point
✅ Confirmed ldd shows no missing libraries on Zotero binary
✅ Confirmed no other browser extensions active
✅ Reinstalled Zotero Connector extension in Chrome
✅ Tested in a completely fresh Chrome profile — same failure
✅ Tested with google-chrome --no-sandbox — same failure
✅ Tested with popups explicitly allowed for docs.google.com — same failure
✅ Forced GDK_BACKEND=x11 — same failure (not a Wayland issue)
✅ Firefox + Zotero Connector on the same machine, same document: works perfectly
✅ OnlyOffice + Zotero on the same machine: works perfectly (rules out a general Zotero/library issue)
Conclusion: the issue appears isolated to the Chrome/Chromium browser-extension integration path specifically on Linux, since the native-app integration (OnlyOffice) and the Firefox browser integration both work fine with the identical Zotero installation.
Debug ID: D550410217
Zotero: 9.0.6 (x64), official Linux build (also tested with retorque.re .deb package — same issue)
OS: Ubuntu 24.04, kernel 6.17.0-40-generic
Connector: 5.0.210
Chrome: 150.0.7871.114 (also fails with --no-sandbox, with a fresh Chrome profile, and with the extension freshly reinstalled)
Firefox: works perfectly with the same Zotero installation and the same Google Doc
Symptom:
Clicking "Add/Edit Citation" (or Refresh) in Google Docs via Chrome triggers "Zotero is updating your document. Please wait…" indefinitely. The citation selection window never appears — not behind other windows, not off-screen (confirmed with wmctrl -l and xdotool search --name "Zotero", both return nothing while stuck).
Debug log (Zotero side) shows the request being received and processed, then nothing:
Integration: http-addEditCitation invoked
POST /connector/document/respond → 200 OK {"command":"Application.getActiveDocument"...}
POST /connector/document/respond → 200 OK {"command":"Document.getDocumentData"...}
POST /connector/sendToBack → 200 OK
[no further requests — window creation appears to silently fail here]
Relevant JS error seen in Connector's Advanced settings (Firefox equivalent, same error class reproduced):
TypeError: this.ownerGlobal.gBrowser.getTabForBrowser is not a function
Troubleshooting already completed (all ruled out):
✅ Reinstalled Zotero (official tar.xz build, purged .deb package first)
✅ Tested fresh Zotero profile
✅ Tested with -jsconsole — console window itself doesn't reveal errors at the failure point
✅ Confirmed ldd shows no missing libraries on Zotero binary
✅ Confirmed no other browser extensions active
✅ Reinstalled Zotero Connector extension in Chrome
✅ Tested in a completely fresh Chrome profile — same failure
✅ Tested with google-chrome --no-sandbox — same failure
✅ Tested with popups explicitly allowed for docs.google.com — same failure
✅ Forced GDK_BACKEND=x11 — same failure (not a Wayland issue)
✅ Firefox + Zotero Connector on the same machine, same document: works perfectly
✅ OnlyOffice + Zotero on the same machine: works perfectly (rules out a general Zotero/library issue)
Conclusion: the issue appears isolated to the Chrome/Chromium browser-extension integration path specifically on Linux, since the native-app integration (OnlyOffice) and the Firefox browser integration both work fine with the identical Zotero installation.
Debug ID: D550410217
You should check for a Google authentication window. That's what may be appearing behind other windows. If you're not seeing it, restart Chrome and Zotero and try again, and provide a Debug ID from the Zotero Connector for the first attempt.