Not possible to search anything on Firefox

English Applications
1

Starting today, I can no longer search on Firefox.
As soon as I type a word into the search bar, a page appears:
“3opus, the tab has crashed: we can help you,” with the option to close the tab or restore it.
If I close it and open a new tab, then type in my search, I get the same message or Firefox closes.
If I choose to restore the tab, my new search query brings up the same message.
If, instead of typing a search, I click on a bookmark, there is no problem.

Below is a truncated version of the error message.

image
image946×450 111 KB

2 Likes
2

It sounds like a 3rd party extension is interfering with your Firefox. Did you already perform the basic troubleshooting steps?

3

@hui

A third-party extension?
It’s been four months since I added uBlock to block unwanted tracking and pop-up ads.
I haven’t added any other extensions.

I wasn’t aware of this Mozilla support forum because I’ve never needed it.
I’ll see if I can find anything there.

4

@hui

I have used troubleshoot mode : the extension is not the problem.
I’ll follow the rest of the steps outlined by Mozilla and let you know how it goes. But not until tomorrow.

5

I’ve had many firefox tab crashes since updating tumbleweed this morning and many don’t involve any search. Some that crash every time a page loads: FedEx tracking, Ebay home page, USPS tracking https://tools.usps.com/tracking/

1 Like
6

Me too, since the last dup to the 20260605 snapshot. ‘Gah. Your tab just crashed.’ is the message.

7

Try reverting fontconfig and libfontconfig1 to 2.17.1, there seems to be a bug in FF in combination with fontconfig 2.18.0 that will be solved in the next FF release.
You can find the older fontconfigs in one of the history snapshots

6 Likes
8

Downgrading those 2 packages fixed it for me so far no crashes. Thanks!

9

Good catch, fixed here as well.
(only duckduckgo searches crashed here, other options worked)

10

Refresh Firefox (Help,More troubleshooting information) and then Refresh FIreFox
did fixed it for me

11

@OrsoBruno and @swannema

Downgrading works !
All is good now.

Thanks

12

Refresh Firefox didn’t work for me. But now I seem to have lost all my bookmarked tabs. ;-(

13

How do I downgrade? Can someone point me in the right direction. I’m running Tumbleweed.

14 
sudo zypper in --oldpackage https://download.opensuse.org/history/20260603/tumbleweed/repo/oss/x86_64/{fontconfig,libfontconfig1}-2.17.1-1.2.x86_64.rpm
4 Likes
15

There’s an issue with fontconfig 2.18.0 → <Broken fonts after June 6, 2026 zypper dup> and –
this Bug Report: <fontconfig 2.18 ignored (replaced to Noto) all 3rd-party fonts Arial Tahoma Calibri DS-Digital>

The Bug Report mentions the DuckDuckGo Mozilla Firefox issue – I’ve simply changed my Firefox Search Engine to “Ecosia” and will wait until the dust settles … :roll_eyes:

2 Likes
16

@swannema Thanks for the link, I was struggling to find that old fontconfig.
More power.

17

Great. Thanks very much. It works again!

18

BTW, this morning Firefox tabs crashed when I opened specific CNN and CNBC and “Huffington Post” news items in new tabs.

  • In other words, it ain’t only a Search Engine which is causing the Firefox crashes – it’s also specific News Services.
    To date I’ve only experienced this issue with US American News Services – haven’t tried any other countries yet …
19

Refresh creates a backup dir. (Old Firefox Data)
All your data before the refresh in there.

20

I don’t know if it was the new Firefox or the new fontconfig, but with TW20260609 we can remove the lock on fontconfig and upgrade (and DuckDuck goes searching again).

2 Likes