Firefox - System Hangs

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1

I am running Leap 15.2 Intel Core I3-2105 with Gigabyte H61M-S2P motherboard. I have two SSDs one for Windows 7 and another for Leap (Linux).

Since about 2 updates of Firefox I have run into a peculiar problem. While running Firefox and entering data say solving online crossword puzzles, commenting on media, the system hangs presenting a black screen at random. The keyboard appears to be working in that the Numlock, Capslock get switched on and off, and the mouse cursor is visible and can be moved about. That is all Ctrl+Alt+Del, Ctrl+Alt± seem to have no effect. I thought that some file may have got corrupted and so un-installed and installed Firefox afresh but to no avail.

The only option remains is to switch off the computer and restart. Here another issue comes up. on pressing the reboot button, when the BIOS screen comes up, pressing the F12 key shows a menu with the second i.e. Linux SSD missing! It is only when the power supply to the CPU is switched off and on again that the boot menu returns to normal showing the Linux SSD.

How can I proceed to find out what goes wrong and eventually correct it? Thanks.

PrakashC

2

Have you checked memory usage?

In my experience, if “firefox” has been running for a long time, its memory use grows. If that’s the problem, close “firefox” and then restart it. You can use KSysGuard to monitor this.

3

Does Ctl+Alt+F3 give a logon screen - if so you can issue a reboot or kill firefox.

4

I will check it but I doubt that is the problem. Most of the time it happens when I am solving crosswords and Firefox is on for about 15 minutes only. At the moment Ksysguard is showing 167670K Memory and 175140K Shared memory. Just restarted Firefox, logged on to the forum. Is that normal?

PrakashC

5

I’ll try that next time! Thanks.

PrakashC

6

Hi
Again !.
Please update to leap 15.3.
in this version most bugs is fixed !

7

A lot of bugs are supplied. And some of them are hidden right now.

To OP: possibly problems with SSD (or pair SSD + controller, or SATA cable).
During its work FF writes some data to a drive. Your chipset is old and provides only SATA II (SATA 300). Try to use newer controller with SATA 3.1+. It will work faster.
For instance, Asmedia ASM1061/1062/1064/1164/1166 https://www.asmedia.com.tw/products-list/8a2YQ99xzaUH2qg5/58dYQ8bxZ4UR9wG5.
Or other.

8

Yes leap 15.3 have some bugs like libreoffice-icon-theme is have conflict with libreoffice.
but is better in some points .

9

I use Libreoffice and LibreCad too. The problems being reported in respect of updates are a deterrent at the moment. I will wait till the experts sort out the hiccups. I am just a user with very limited ability to even understand the intricacies of OS distributions. And this problem has come up recently only so I suspect it is linked to some update in the course of last 3 months. Anyway Thanks for the suggestion.

PrakashC

10

Thanks for the tip. Yes, it is an old assembled system and I do have some trouble with two of the four SATA ports (not in use at present). Possibility of another giving way is certainly there. It is coming to the end of its life cycle. But then I tend to change or upgrade when absolutely necessary. For example my keyboard is Dell SK 8115 more than eight years old and working fine (cross my fingers :smile::smile:).

PrakashC

11

That is a problem that has nothing to do with Linux/LEAP/Firefox and points to a hardware/BIOS problem. Probably good to check your power supply, a HDD that spins up creates a current spike.

One way to test that (at your own risk) is to run stress-ng.

I see I can not get my machine hot running 4 cores at 100% CPU for 5 minutes:

$ stress-ng --matrix 0 --tz -t 5m
stress-ng: info:  [11502] dispatching hogs: 4 matrix
stress-ng: info:  [11502] successful run completed in 300.00s (5 mins, 0.00 secs)
stress-ng: info:  [11502] matrix:
stress-ng: info:  [11502]               acpitz0   27.80 C (300.95 K)
stress-ng: info:  [11502]               acpitz1   28.80 C (301.95 K)
stress-ng: info:  [11502]         x86_pkg_temp   36.78 C (309.93 K)

You can also stress the disk:

       -d N, --hdd N
              start N workers continually writing, reading  and  removing  temporary  files.  The
              default  mode  is to stress test sequential writes and reads.  With the --ggressive
              option enabled without any --hdd-opts options the hdd stressor  will  work  through
              all the --hdd-opt options one by one to cover a range of I/O options.

       --hdd-bytes N
              write  N  bytes for each hdd process, the default is 1 GB. One can specify the size
              as % of free space on the file system or in units  of  Bytes,  KBytes,  MBytes  and
              GBytes using the suffix b, k, m or g.

The current directory is used as far as I know so cd to a directory on the disk that you want to test first.

12

Since I have SSDs not HDD I suppose I can skip stress testing. I do have suspicion in re of the SATA port, but then why should the problem come up only while running Firefox? Again as it appears that no one else is having this problem so back to suspecting BIOS or hardware! I think I should examine the suggestion by Svyatko re SATA controller.

PrakashC

13

Show journal:

journalctl -b 0 _KERNEL_SUBSYSTEM=scsi -o short-monotonic
14

Well this is what I get :

-- Logs begin at Sun 2021-06-13 18:25:14 IST, end at Sun 2021-06-13 23:55:13 IST. --
    2.426262] localhost kernel: scsi host0: ata_piix
    2.426380] localhost kernel: scsi host1: ata_piix
    2.426968] localhost kernel: scsi host2: ata_piix
    2.427048] localhost kernel: scsi host3: ata_piix
    3.450408] localhost kernel: scsi host4: usb-storage 4-1.4:1.0
    3.953205] localhost kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access     ATA      Samsung SSD 8>
    3.953357] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg0 type 0
    3.953404] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 488397168 512-byte logical blocks: (>
    3.953417] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
    3.953419] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
    3.953440] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: en>
    3.953496] localhost kernel: scsi 1:0:0:0: Direct-Access     ATA      Samsung SSD 8>
    3.953640] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 0
    3.953656] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] 488397168 512-byte logical blocks: (>
    3.953666] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
    3.953667] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
    3.953696] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Write cache: enabled, read cache: en>
    3.970334] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] supports TCG Opal
    3.970339] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI disk
    3.971810] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] supports TCG Opal
    3.971813] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Attached SCSI disk
    4.492136] localhost kernel: scsi 4:0:0:0: Direct-Access     TEAC     USB   HS-CF C>
    4.495770] localhost kernel: scsi 4:0:0:1: Direct-Access     TEAC     USB   HS-xD/S>
    4.499273] localhost kernel: scsi 4:0:0:2: Direct-Access     TEAC     USB   HS-MS C>
    4.502659] localhost kernel: scsi 4:0:0:3: Direct-Access     TEAC     USB   HS-SD C>
    4.502976] localhost kernel: sd 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
    4.503264] localhost kernel: sd 4:0:0:1: Attached scsi generic sg3 type 0
    4.503421] localhost kernel: sd 4:0:0:2: Attached scsi generic sg4 type 0
    4.503560] localhost kernel: scsi 4:0:0:3: Attached scsi generic sg5 type 0
    4.538524] localhost kernel: sd 4:0:0:1: [sdd] Attached SCSI removable disk
lines 1-31

-- Logs begin at Sun 2021-06-13 18:25:14 IST, end at Sun 2021-06-13 23:55:13 IST. --
    2.426262] localhost kernel: scsi host0: ata_piix
    2.426380] localhost kernel: scsi host1: ata_piix
    2.426968] localhost kernel: scsi host2: ata_piix
    2.427048] localhost kernel: scsi host3: ata_piix
    3.450408] localhost kernel: scsi host4: usb-storage 4-1.4:1.0
    3.953205] localhost kernel: scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access     ATA      Samsung SSD 8>
    3.953357] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg0 type 0
    3.953404] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 488397168 512-byte logical blocks: (>
    3.953417] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
    3.953419] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
    3.953440] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: en>
    3.953496] localhost kernel: scsi 1:0:0:0: Direct-Access     ATA      Samsung SSD 8>
    3.953640] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 0
    3.953656] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] 488397168 512-byte logical blocks: (>
    3.953666] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
    3.953667] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
    3.953696] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Write cache: enabled, read cache: en>
    3.970334] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] supports TCG Opal
    3.970339] localhost kernel: sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI disk
    3.971810] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] supports TCG Opal
    3.971813] localhost kernel: sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Attached SCSI disk
    4.492136] localhost kernel: scsi 4:0:0:0: Direct-Access     TEAC     USB   HS-CF C>
    4.495770] localhost kernel: scsi 4:0:0:1: Direct-Access     TEAC     USB   HS-xD/S>
    4.499273] localhost kernel: scsi 4:0:0:2: Direct-Access     TEAC     USB   HS-MS C>
    4.502659] localhost kernel: scsi 4:0:0:3: Direct-Access     TEAC     USB   HS-SD C>
    4.502976] localhost kernel: sd 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
    4.503264] localhost kernel: sd 4:0:0:1: Attached scsi generic sg3 type 0
    4.503421] localhost kernel: sd 4:0:0:2: Attached scsi generic sg4 type 0
    4.503560] localhost kernel: scsi 4:0:0:3: Attached scsi generic sg5 type 0
    4.538524] localhost kernel: sd 4:0:0:1: [sdd] Attached SCSI removable disk
    4.546266] localhost kernel: sd 4:0:0:0: [sdc] Attached SCSI removable disk
    4.589911] localhost kernel: sd 4:0:0:3: [sdf] Attached SCSI removable disk
    4.622004] localhost kernel: sd 4:0:0:2: [sde] Attached SCSI removable disk
~
~

Hope that is of some help. Thanks

PrakashC

15

Yes, I am also suspecting hardware and if you use stress-ng with --hdd you can test stress disk access.

16

This is a failed disk. Read from disk:


**3400G:~ #** fdisk -l /dev/sdd 
**Disk /dev/sdd: 3.64 TiB, 4000787030016 bytes, 7814037168 sectors**
Disk model: WDC WD40EZRX-00S 
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes 
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes 
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes 
Disklabel type: gpt 
Disk identifier: 0D2D66A3-09F6-44AE-8EEA-3043CEF2819B 

**Device****Start****       End****   Sectors**** Size****Type**
/dev/sdd1   2048 7814035455 7814033408  3.6T Linux filesystem 
**3400G:~ #** **dd if=/dev/sdd of=/dev/null bs=4M conv=noerror status=progress** 
22592348160 bytes (23 GB, 21 GiB) copied, 199 s, 114 MB/s 
dd: error reading '/dev/sdd': Input/output error 
5386+1 records in 
5386+1 records out 
22592348160 bytes (23 GB, 21 GiB) copied, 202.104 s, 112 MB/s 
24341372928 bytes (24 GB, 23 GiB) copied, 436 s, 55.8 MB/s^C 

5804+1 records in 
5803+1 records out 
24341372928 bytes (24 GB, 23 GiB) copied, 515.089 s, 47.3 MB/s 

**3400G:~ #**

Journal -f while reading:

**3400G:~ #** **journalctl -f _KERNEL_SUBSYSTEM=scsi** 
-- Logs begin at Tue 2021-06-08 18:02:29 CEST. -- 
Jun 14 09:56:53 3400G kernel: **sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] 7814037168 512-byte logical blocks: (4.00 TB/3.64 TiB)**
Jun 14 09:56:53 3400G kernel: **sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] 4096-byte physical blocks**
Jun 14 09:56:53 3400G kernel: **sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] Write Protect is off**
Jun 14 09:56:53 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
Jun 14 09:56:53 3400G kernel: **sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FU**
A
Jun 14 09:56:53 3400G kernel: **sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] Attached SCSI disk**
Jun 14 09:56:53 3400G kernel: **sd 0:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg0 type 0**
Jun 14 09:56:53 3400G kernel: **sd 1:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 0**
Jun 14 09:56:53 3400G kernel: **sd 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0**
Jun 14 09:56:53 3400G kernel: **sd 5:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg3 type 0**
Jun 14 10:01:44 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#20 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE cmd_ag
e=7s 
Jun 14 10:01:44 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#20 Sense Key : Medium Error [current]  
Jun 14 10:01:44 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#20 Add. Sense: Unrecovered read error - auto reallocate failed 
Jun 14 10:01:44 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#20 CDB: Read(16) 88 00 00 00 00 00 02 a1 4c 00 00 00 08 00 00 00 
Jun 14 10:01:53 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#29 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE cmd_ag
e=16s 
Jun 14 10:01:53 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#29 Sense Key : Medium Error [current]  
Jun 14 10:01:53 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#29 Add. Sense: Unrecovered read error - auto reallocate failed 
Jun 14 10:01:53 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#29 CDB: Read(16) 88 00 00 00 00 00 02 a1 54 00 00 00 0a 00 00 00 
Jun 14 10:02:00 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#23 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE cmd_ag
e=3s 
Jun 14 10:02:00 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#23 Sense Key : Medium Error [current]  
Jun 14 10:02:00 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#23 Add. Sense: Unrecovered read error - auto reallocate failed 
Jun 14 10:02:00 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#23 CDB: Read(16) 88 00 00 00 00 00 02 a1 4d f0 00 00 00 08 00 00 
Jun 14 10:02:03 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#20 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE cmd_ag
e=3s 
Jun 14 10:02:03 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#20 Sense Key : Medium Error [current]  
Jun 14 10:02:03 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#20 Add. Sense: Unrecovered read error - auto reallocate failed 
Jun 14 10:02:03 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#20 CDB: Read(16) 88 00 00 00 00 00 02 a1 4d f0 00 00 00 08 00 00 
Jun 14 10:05:58 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#13 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_TIMEOUT cmd_
age=39s 
Jun 14 10:05:58 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#13 CDB: Read(16) 88 00 00 00 00 00 02 d5 79 40 00 00 0a 00 00 00 
Jun 14 10:06:30 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#28 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE cmd_ag
e=32s 
Jun 14 10:06:30 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#28 Sense Key : Medium Error [current]  
Jun 14 10:06:30 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#28 Add. Sense: Unrecovered read error - auto reallocate failed 
Jun 14 10:06:30 3400G kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdd] tag#28 CDB: Read(16) 88 00 00 00 00 00 02 d5 94 00 00 00 0a 00 00 00 
^C 
**3400G:~ #**