Firefox freezes

Since a new Zotero-update this morning, Firefox does freeze when I use Zotero. Sometimes this happens immediately after I start it, sometimes I'm able to work for 30 seconds. Even if I disable all the adddons around Zotero, it continues to happen. So I suppose that the problem is Zotero.
Zotero 4.0.15
Firefox 25.0
Ubuntu 13.10
  • On another computer (Zotero 4.0.12, Firefox 24.0, Ubuntu 13.10), everything does function normally.
  • Is this still happening?
  • yes, here is the debug report i get

    [JavaScript Error: "this._windows.get(...) is undefined" {file: "resource://unity/observer.js" line: 217}]

    1384527318904 Sync.Engine.Tabs WARN DATA LOSS: Both local and remote changes to record: Qh1_PNFEsGhF


    version => 4.0.15, platform => Linux x86_64, oscpu => Linux x86_64, locale => en-US, appName => Firefox, appVersion => 25.0
  • I'll need the actual Debug ID.
  • ID is D1516294909
  • Is that meant to cover a freeze? To be clear, the debug output has to actually be enabled before you experience the freeze and submitted immediately after. If it's happening right after a restart you'll need to use the "Enable after restart" option.
  • Hi, I am seeing the same problem, but since update to 4.0.14. Update to the 4.0.15 does not solve the problem. I am using two systems with the same setup as a topikstarter - Ubuntu 13.10/FF 25/Zotero 4.0.15. One works flawlessly, on another FF freezes reproducibly in 2-5 minutes. I'll try to get a debug log.
  • Yes, we'll need a Debug ID for this.
  • Debug ID is D1123881516

    This time it took more time to freeze but it happened again. At the moment the debug output was enabled and "Enable after restart" was used too. Log was sent to Zotero server after terminating freezed FF and starting a new browser session.

    Hope it helps.
  • No, the debug log needs to be sent in before restarting Firefox, which clears the log. It will almost certainly come back from being frozen if you give it time.
  • After a couple of hours FF indeed came back.

    Here is a new id: D1017491385, reported immediately after that.
  • You're saying there's supposed to be a multi-hour freeze in there? The beginning is cut off (since debug output logging only stores a fixed amount), but at least from what's there, all I see are two fairly normal-looking (and I think manual) syncs, with one 30-second pause between them...
  • edited November 17, 2013
    If you think the relevant part is being cut off, you could try generating real-time debug output instead and sending a zipped text file to support@zotero.org with a link to this thread. If you do that, be sure to set the terminal's scrollback buffer to unlimited (or something very high). That way, you can even force-quit it after logging a portion of the frozen part (assuming it's actually doing something) without waiting for it to return control.

    If you do that, be sure to enable extensions.zotero.debug.time as well so that we can see time markings.
  • Because now FF does not freeze I am not able to reproduce the problem, sorry. It seems to be one time problem, one have just to wait.

    If I correctly understand that the number in parentheses is the time in seconds since the last log line, then in reported debug log I have seen two database queries with timings in thousands. Freeze was for about 2-3 hours, I did not start a manual sync, just started FF, turned debuuging on and waited.
  • edited November 17, 2013
    No, it's the timing in milliseconds. 1000 is one second.

    Just out of curiosity, if you type about:config into the address bar (or open it from the Advanced pane of the Zotero preferences) and double-click extensions.zotero.purge.fulltext to set it to true and then restart Firefox, does that cause a freeze?
  • Strange, extensions.zotero.purge.fulltext was already set to true. But I did not change this setting, at least not recently.

    I have tried enable/disable/restart - no adverse effects. I have tried to clean and rebuild index - FF kind of freezed, but differently - indexing activity was otherwise visible and it took much less time. The original problem did not occur.
  • OK, let us know if it happens again. I think there's a good chance this will be fixed in 4.0.16, which will be out tonight, anyway.
  • Zotero 4.0.16, available now, fixes a number of potential freezes. Let me know if you're still having trouble after upgrading to that.
  • Very stupid question: how do you "provoke" the automatic upgrade without de- and reinstalling zotero?
  • edited November 19, 2013
    In Firefox you can update through the gear menu of the Add-ons window. In Standalone the exact location depends on your OS, but there should be a Check for Updates option in one of the menus. Or you can just reinstall from zotero.org. No need to uninstall, regardless.
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