Thunderbird freezes graphical session except mouse cursor on second launch or clicking the icon after email setup on the first launch

[Tony Thuitai]

When Launching thunderbird (pinned on Favourites) from the dock/dash it shows 2 orange dots on default theme that is one for email setup and the other for the main window. After setting up an email and closing the email config window, the two dots are still shown on the dash/dock before the icon. Thunderbird causes the graphical session except for the mouse cursor to freeze until I switch to a TTY and reboot. Also when closing thunderbird, one dot is shown and when launching the application the graphical session except for mouse cursor freezes.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.10
Package: thunderbird 1:68.4.1+build1-0ubuntu0.19.10.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-45.37-generic 5.3.18
Uname: Linux 5.3.0-45-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.7
Architecture: amd64
BuildID: 20200110143530
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Wed Apr 1 13:26:59 2020
DefaultProfileExtensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
DefaultProfileIncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
DefaultProfileLocales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
DefaultProfilePrefErrors: Unexpected character ',' before close parenthesis @ /usr/lib/thunderbird/omni.ja:greprefs.js:1141
DefaultProfileThemes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-03-31 (1 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 19.10 "Eoan Ermine" - Release amd64 (20191017)
Profiles:
 Profile1 (Default) - LastVersion=None/None (Out of date)
 Profile0 - LastVersion=68.4.1/20200110143530
SourcePackage: thunderbird
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

From the problem description, I understand that this happens for a clean installation of thunderbird (because the email setup window is shown), not an existing profile, right?

I cannot reproduce the problem in a clean and up-to-date 19.10 VM: I am able to successfully set up a gmail account.

Does it matter what email provider you set up? (if you can test with a different one)
Did this work before on previous Ubuntu releases / older versions of thunderbird?

[Tony Thuitai (tony-thuitai-deactivatedaccount)]

@osomon I notice that it always causes the system to freeze when WiFi is in use. The WiFi card is rtl8723de which is not in the kernel and I installed it from lwfinger git clone using dkms. With LAN it works fine and does not cause the system to freeze.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Thanks Tony, that's useful information. When the session freezes, is the WiFi connection still active and functional? I.e. can you ping/download data from a TTY ?

[Tony Thuitai (tony-thuitai-deactivatedaccount)]

The WiFi that I use refuses to connect via the TTY and works with the graphical session. In the graphical session the WiFi connects sometimes instantly, sometimes with a delay or connects when the Airplane mode is turned on then off again.

[Tony Thuitai (tony-thuitai-deactivatedaccount)]

Update to #5 The WiFi always fails to connect in a TTY with the error: rtlwifi: AP off, try to reconnect now. The WiFi card is the Realtek rtl8723de. I can only download/ping from a TTY via Ethernet connection.

[Tony Thuitai (tony-thuitai-deactivatedaccount)]

@osomon One way to cause Thunderbird to freeze the system except mouse cursor and TTY can be accessed: Try opening a clean/fresh/purged then reinstalled installation of Thunderbird and set up email like yahoo or google, as the emails sync, click on the hamburger/three short parallel horizontal icon on the left, click Preferences, click Toolbar layout, then disable the title bar. After closing the Toolbar layout window, two orange (Ubuntu default theme) dots are still shown on the dock beside the icon. Clicking the icon causes the issue. Issue also occurs also on the snap package.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

This sounds like a connectivity/network driver issue, rather than a problem with thunderbird.

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

This Thunderbird issue has sat with a status of 'Incomplete' for over two years now without any response from the reporter who seems to have deactivated his account. As no-one else has confirmed or commented on this issue I'll close this as being an invalid bug report.