Libreoffice crashes when clicking on insert citation

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  • tombola
    I have logged a bug with LibreOffice/Document Foundation - see https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=109327
  • adomasven
    Thanks @tombola .

    @Abdessamadd are you running a 32-bit version of Linux?
  • Guillem Farres
    I don't know if it is useful or not, but I am running a 32-bit version of the Ubuntu 16.04.
  • adomasven
    edited August 21, 2017
    @Guillem%20Farres are you also experiencing crashing even with Zotero closed?
  • Guillem Farres
    Yes, i am. I think that it is the same than for the others. Some times (exceptionally) it is not an immediate crash: it lags for a bit, and then crashes with an Ubuntu error report. I have tried to copy one I got today and I can send it to you if it may be useful.
    Thank you.
  • adomasven
    The main question here is whether it crashes with Zotero closed. If it does not and with Zotero open you see a crash after citation dialog, then it's a separate issue. If it is, you should start a new thread on the forums describing the problem in full.
  • Guillem Farres
    Sorry if i was not clear enough: yes, it does crash with the Zotero closed.
    Thanks
  • zrlarsen
    Exact same issue with me. Libreoffice 5.1.6.2 on Ubuntu Mate 16.04 32 bit. I first experienced the issue a few weeks ago on an installation of Ubuntu Mate 17.04 (don't remember LO version) and downgraded to 16.04 to see if that helped. This was after clearing LibreOffice and Zotero profiles, purging and reinstalling both software programs, removing plugins, rebooting, and trying again, all to no avail.
    It worked fine for a while, and then yesterday, I clicked the Edit Citation button in the Zotero toolbar. It froze for a sec and then crashed. Since then, any button press in the Zotero toolbar crashes Libreoffice, regardless of if Zotero Standalone is open or not. Issue persists after upgrading to Zotero 5.04 (from 4.x) and after updating to the newest Libreoffice plugin.

    Also, for what it's worth, I use the following PPA to install Zotero:
    http://ppa.launchpad.net/smathot/cogscinl/ubuntu

    It is my understanding that this PPA just automates the downloading, extracting, and installing of the Zotero software.

    Started trying to migrate to Mendeley, but I much prefer Zotero. I'd love to help track this bug down however I can.
  • zrlarsen
    edited July 26, 2017
    ** I erased this comment because it was not correct
  • zrlarsen
    edited July 26, 2017
    OK. Sorry for the string of updates. Tried it with Zotero 4.x and 5.x on my desktop running Ubuntu Mate 17.04 64 bit, and it worked flawlessly. Besides 32 vs 64 bit, the only real difference between my two computers is that the 64 bit desktop has an Intel video card and the Laptop has an nVidia card that I recently started using the binary drivers for. I'm no programmer, but it seems that this only afflicts 32bit users.

    Perhaps tomorrow, I will reinstall the OS and Zotero and see if I can pinpoint what makes Zotero stop working.
  • adomasven
    Okay, so this is certainly a bug with 32-bit systems and somewhere in LibreOffice or its dependencies that got updated recently. The obvious immediate fix here is to reinstall to a 64-bit version of OS if possible. We'll look into this at some point.
  • zrlarsen
    edited July 26, 2017
    I created a 32 bit virtual machine on the same hardware that gives me problems, and tried provoking a crash, but the software in the VM worked flawlessly (except that a VM on a Core Duo machine is veeeeeerrrrrrryyyy slow), even after updating everything. Currently, the Zotero PPA installs version 5.0.4 and its associated plugin, but originally, it installed from the 4.x branch, which was the version that the problems started with. (They persist after the upgrade to 5.0.4) I wonder if there is something from the initial install that stays behind after an upgrade that causes the crash that is not present on a fresh install? I even copied the config directories from the install that crashes to the VM and it works still. Very strange....
  • adomasven
    edited August 21, 2017
    We're not maintaining the Zotero PPA, so I cannot comment on that. However, I would assume that the problem is primarily in LibreOffice and/or maybe Java. So you'd want to make sure you have the versions of those right and that your VM is upgraded fully as it is not out of the question that a LO dependant C library is causing the crash too.
  • zrlarsen
    Did a reinstall of my operating system, and since my /home is on a separate partition, I deleted the following directories in the home folder
    .config/libreoffice
    zotero
    .zotero

    After a fresh install of the newest Zotero from the PPA and installed the plugin from the wizard, and all seems to be working correctly for now.
  • Abdessamadd
    Hello again, sorry ! I had to travel for a the 4 past days.

    @adomasven yes I am running 32-bit linux on my old compaq 610 core 2 duo !

    running libreoffice writer from terminal gives nothing after the crash, a new line that's all it gives.

    After doing some catching up, the last comment on https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=109327 marked the bug as resolved saying that there were two options that both don't work for me.

    Well, until this is fixed or I have the time to a "clean re installation of linux" I guess it's "back to mendeley" for me which I have quited a year ago for the same reason (not even launching).

    Until then, thanks guys for trying to help with the issue, especially @adomasven !

    See ya later ;-)
  • adomasven
    edited July 28, 2017
    @Abdessamadd did downgrading the kernel not help? It's not out of the question that the Mendeley plugin will have an identical problem. Also likely, that this will be fixed in later version of the kernel or JVM.
  • Abdessamadd
    I'm not an advanced linux user, I tried to play with the kernel once and I regretted it. I'm most likely to wait until this is fixed from either sides, lo, kernel or jvm. Mendeley is working fine for now, I just prefer zotero (open source) over mendeley (proprietary), life taught me to always have a plan b, that's why I'm having both installed on my system, using zotero, mendeley is keeping up with the zotero sync option, which is a nefty option that btw I suggest implementing to zotero in case such issues like the present one occurred.
    Thanks again
    Peace !
  • Guillem Farres
    Thank you @zrlarsen for your suggestions and your time, but I tried to do the same and it didn't work, I still have the same problem.
    @Abdessamadd for me I do not think than even Mendeley will be useful because I am in the middle of the writing of my PhD thesis. I don't think that Mendeley is able to interpret the Zotero references in the text. And only trying it is a bit annoying because I have an account for more than 2GB. Even, thank you for your comments!
  • Abdessamadd
    Weird fact, both can recognize each references and citations, not sure if it is intented from both sides, but worked for me twice, when I swiched to zotero a year ago, and when i swiched back to mendeley a month ago. Worked on 3 documents, 15 pages, 18pages and froze for a bit but worked for 30 pages or so. Cut down your document, check the zotero import option from mendeley and give it a try.
  • bwiernik
    They use the same Word system to insert citations, but I don’t believe, for example, that Mendeley would properly update Zotero citation formatting or include Zotero references in its bibliography. Is that not the case?
  • Guillem Farres
    Thank you very much for your useful comments. I think I will try that if the problem is not resolved soon.
  • tombola
    Thanks everyone, especially @adomasven , for diagnosing the problem and workarounds. It seems pretty clear now from the entries in the related LibreOffice bug report (https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=109327) that this problem relates to a Linux kernel update to fix the "Stack Clash" security issue. Unfortunately that update stopped 32-bit x86 JVM (Java Virtual Machine) from working properly. It seems that Zotero-LibreOffice integration requires JVM. I've no idea when the fix for this fix might come along.

    The workarounds for now seem to be:
    - use 64-bit LO & JVM
    - OR downgrade Linux kernel
    - OR Add kernel parameter stack_guard_gap=1 (as per Comment 16 at https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=108619#c16)
  • Abdessamadd
    @tombola I finally surpassed my fear of the kernel realm and tried the 3rd workaround.

    It worked ! (for now)

    Here is a simpler way to do it (follow the second and permanent way) :

    https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBootParameters


    Thanks ya'll !
  • zrlarsen
    Worked for me as well. Will report if situation changes, but I just went to go edit something and it crashed. Reviewed the forum and made the change to the boot parameter, rebooted, and it works again! Thanks all!
  • pod-o-mart
    Worked for me aswell. I've permanently added the kernel parameter stack_guard_gap=1 to /etc/default/grub and now it works without any problems.
  • mbruffey
    Do we still need stack_guard_gap=1 ? m
  • Gerbert
    The addition of the kernel parameter stack_guard_gap=1 did the trick on my ubuntu 16.04 (32-bit) system too, thanks everyone!

    A minor issue appears after this adjustment, though: I have LO Writer (version 6.0.2.1) set to show the right sidebar, and after starting Writer the sidebar is now empty (no icons shown). This issue disappears after inactivating and reactivating the sidebar (un-tic and re-tic View>Sidebar), the icons reappear. I have to repeat this every time after starting up Writer.
    Has anyone else seen this issue? Any ideas on how to solve this?

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