FS#21024 - [xorg] Buggy 'Tabs' Behavior in Firefox & Pidgin

Attached to Project: Arch Linux
Opened by Eugene Markow (ejmarkow) - Friday, 01 October 2010, 21:50 GMT
Last edited by Andrea Scarpino (BaSh) - Tuesday, 07 June 2011, 08:30 GMT
Task Type Bug Report
Category Packages: Extra
Status Closed
Assigned To Jan de Groot (JGC)
Architecture x86_64
Severity Medium
Priority Normal
Reported Version
Due in Version Undecided
Due Date Undecided
Percent Complete 100%
Votes 1
Private No

Details

Description: Ever since upgrading and installing xorg-server 1.9 and related xf8~ packages, there has been unusual and buggy behavior when using 'tabs' in Firefox & Pidgin.

Issue:

1) In Firefox, if there are several tabs with websites opened, clicking on one of them will sometimes close it (the "tab", not the program) completely.

2) In Firefox, when clicking on the 'Go Back One Page' arrow (<=) OR 'Reload Current Page', another tab will randomly pop up, containing the same web site as the current tab while performing this operation.

3) In Firefox, simply going to certain websites invokes a pop up tab containing the same web site info.

4) In Pidgin, similar issue as in (1). If there are several tabs opened with different channels, clicking on one of them will sometimes close it (the "tab") completely.

All of the above are random occurrences, happening very often.

These issues were all "resolved" by uninstalling the new xorg-server 1.9 & related packages and reverting back to the previous versions.

Additional info:
* package version(s)

Reinstalled the following old, and removed the new (They all must be done together for dependency reasons):

xf86-video-intel (2.12.0-1 / 2.12.0-3)
xf86-video-vesa (2.3.0-2 / 2.3.0-3)
xf86-video-fbdev (0.4.2-1 / 0.4.2-2)
xf86-input-evdev (2.4.0-2 / 2.5.0-1)
xf86-input-joystick (1.5.0-2 / 1.5.0-3)
xf86-input-keyboard (1.4.0-2 / 1.4.0-3)
xf86-input-synaptics (1.2.2-2 / 1.3.0-1)
xorg-server (1.8.1.902-1 / 1.9.0-1)
xorg-server-common (1.9.0-1) [*Only Removed, not reinstalled]


* config and/or log files etc.

See my forum post for more info at: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=105821


Steps to reproduce:

Install xorg-server 1.9 and related xf86~ packages.
This task depends upon

Closed by  Andrea Scarpino (BaSh)
Tuesday, 07 June 2011, 08:30 GMT
Reason for closing:  Not a bug
Additional comments about closing:  was a wrong synaptics config
Comment by Eugene Markow (ejmarkow) - Thursday, 04 November 2010, 09:46 GMT
Performed the following upgrade today:

xf86-input-evdev: (2.4.0-2 => 2.5.0-1)
xf86-input-joystick: (1.5.0-2 => 1.5.0-3)
xf86-input-keyboard: (1.4.0-2 => 1.4.0-3)
xf86-input-synaptics: (1.2.2-2 => 1.3.0-1)
xf86-video-fbdev: (0.4.2-1 => 0.4.2-2)
xf86-video-intel: (2.12.0-1 => 2.12.0-3)
xf86-video-vesa: (2.3.0-2 => 2.3.0-3)
xorg-server: (1.8.1.902-1 => 1.9.2-1)
xorg-server-common: 1.9.2-1


The mentioned issue still persists. I want to add, cursor movement is choppy and lagging as well, this holds true for original bug. Downgraded once again (same downgrade) and problem goes away.
Comment by Börje Holmberg (linfan) - Saturday, 06 November 2010, 16:15 GMT
So, this is what is plaguing firefox. It has become a very frustrating application, with lags and odd behaviour.Thumbs down for firefox.
Comment by Eugene Markow (ejmarkow) - Sunday, 07 November 2010, 09:51 GMT
@Börje Holmberg (linfan): As I experience it, it's not Firefox which is the problem. The culprit appears to be Xorg-server and/or related packages. Keep in mind, Pidgin also exhibits abnormal behavior with the Xorg upgrade. When downgrading (as shown above), Firefox and Pidgin function properly, and there is no lagging or choppiness with the cursor movement.
Comment by Börje Holmberg (linfan) - Sunday, 07 November 2010, 18:49 GMT
You are right what concerns xorg, I presume. However, I have noticed strange behaviour in firefox even on other OS's that don't use xorg, so I am not that convinced. But, who knows, might be paranoia, I just distrust and dislike firefox more and more...
Comment by Eugene Markow (ejmarkow) - Friday, 26 November 2010, 16:47 GMT
Performed the following upgrade today:

xf86-input-evdev: (2.4.0-2 => 2.5.0-1)
xf86-input-joystick: (1.5.0-2 => 1.5.0-3)
xf86-input-keyboard: (1.4.0-2 => 1.4.0-3)
xf86-input-synaptics: (1.2.2-2 => 1.3.0-2)
xf86-video-fbdev: (0.4.2-1 => 0.4.2-2)
xf86-video-intel: (2.12.0-1 => 2.13.0-4)
xf86-video-vesa: (2.3.0-2 => 2.3.0-3)
xorg-server: (1.8.1.902-1 => 1.9.2-2)
xorg-server-common 1.9.2-2

And once again, the mentioned issue still persists. As before, cursor movement is slightly choppy and lagging, this holds true for original issue reported as well. Downgraded once again (same downgrade) and problem goes away. Bug report remains with this additional info. The only difference with this upgrade is that the latest xf86-video-intel 2.13.0-4 fixes many graphics issues for my Intel GPU, but that's a separate item from this dilemma.
Comment by Greg (dolby) - Friday, 04 March 2011, 02:35 GMT
Are you still having problems?
Comment by Eugene Markow (ejmarkow) - Friday, 04 March 2011, 12:49 GMT
@Greg: I tested about one month ago and yes, the issues still remained. I'll perform another current test with the latest packages and post everything in detail asap.
Comment by Börje Holmberg (linfan) - Friday, 04 March 2011, 16:14 GMT
Problems resolved here - might have been something temporary or net related. BTW, I switched to firefox4 and flashplugin-prerelease on all puters. So I really cannot say anything about firefox series 3.
Comment by Eugene Markow (ejmarkow) - Friday, 11 March 2011, 19:41 GMT
Still has the same bugs: choppy, slow, and unstable synaptics based touchpad, closing tabs in Firefox and Pidgin. Reverting back to my previous package versions resolved everything.

Performed the following upgrade today to test out:

xf86-input-evdev: package upgrade (2.4.0-2 => 2.6.0-1)
xf86-input-joystick: package upgrade (1.5.0-2 => 1.5.0-3)
xf86-input-keyboard: package upgrade (1.4.0-2 => 1.4.0-3)
xf86-input-synaptics: package upgrade (1.2.2-2 => 1.3.0-2)
xf86-video-fbdev: package upgrade (0.4.2-1 => 0.4.2-2)
xf86-video-intel: package upgrade (2.12.0-1 => 2.14.0-2)
xf86-video-vesa: package upgrade (2.3.0-2 => 2.3.0-3)
xorg-server: package upgrade (1.8.1.902-1 => 1.9.4-1)
xorg-server-common: package upgrade (1.9.4-1)

Comment by Eugene Markow (ejmarkow) - Wednesday, 11 May 2011, 02:46 GMT
Some old news and very GOOD news.

After upgrading today with the following packages(below), the issues still remain:

xf86-input-evdev: upgrade (2.4.0-2 => 2.6.0-3)
xf86-input-joystick: upgrade (1.5.0-2 => 1.6.0-1)
xf86-input-keyboard: upgrade (1.4.0-2 => 1.6.0-2)
xf86-input-synaptics: upgrade (1.2.2-2 => 1.4.0-2)
xf86-video-fbdev: upgrade (0.4.2-1 => 0.4.2-4)
xf86-video-intel: upgrade (2.12.0-1 => 2.15.0-1)
xf86-video-vesa: upgrade (2.3.0-2 => 2.3.0-5)
xorg-server-common: upgrade (1.10.1-1)
xorg-server: upgrade (1.8.1.902-1 => 1.10.1-1)

[ Please see my post #31 in the thread https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=105821&p=2 ]
However, after long suspecting the synaptics driver was the culprit, I began a task of comparing the default properties / parameter values of both drivers using the 'synclient -l' command (shown in attached image in the Arch BBS thread, using the "diff' command). Then, going by trial and error, using all and gradually eliminating, one by one, each of the original driver property parameters in the "/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-synaptics.conf" file, I finally found the problem item in the DEFAULT "EmulateTwoFingerMinZ" property parameter value. My working synaptics driver (1.2.2-2) had a default value of "280", while the newer driver (1.4.0-2) uses "29". So, running the system with "10-synaptics.conf" containing the line, (Option "EmulateTwoFingerMinZ" "280") Resolved my issue. The default value of '29' in the newer driver seems to be the cause of all the issues. Everything runs well now.

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