Firefox instance opens with an unusable window that has the content area filled with the frozen image of the window/desktop image in the background

[Guruprasad]

After a recent Firefox update (I think this started after the Firefox 95 upgrade), opening Firefox often opens a window with a visible title bar that indicates that the application in focus is Firefox but the content area is invisible because it has the frozen image/background of either the windows/application behind the Firefox window or the desktop background image if there are no windows behind Firefox.

The Firefox shortcut keys work and I am able to open a site by pressing Ctrl+L to focus the address bar and type a domain name/URL. The website/URL loads okay but nothing is visible because of the content area being hidden by the frozen image.

Resizing/minimizing+maximizing the Firefox window doesn't resolve this issue. However, when I launch Firefox from the terminal, it works properly every single time. So it looks like there might be some issue only when launching from the Firefox application launcher (.desktop file).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 21.10
Package: firefox 95.0+build1-0ubuntu0.21.10.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.13.0-22.22-generic 5.13.19
Uname: Linux 5.13.0-22-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zavl icp zcommon znvpair
AddonCompatCheckDisabled: False
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu71
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: guruprasad 4057 F.... pulseaudio
BuildID: 20211129150630
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
Channel: Unavailable
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Tue Dec 14 17:17:46 2021
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/firefox/omni.ja:greprefs.js:363
DefaultProfileThemes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
ForcedLayersAccel: False
InstallationDate: Installed on 2021-12-02 (12 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 21.10 "Impish Indri" - Release amd64 (20211012)
IpRoute:
 default via 192.168.0.1 dev wlp59s0 proto dhcp metric 600
 10.154.85.0/24 dev lxdbr0 proto kernel scope link src 10.154.85.1
 169.254.0.0/16 dev lxdbr0 scope link metric 1000
 192.168.0.0/24 dev wlp59s0 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.0.102 metric 600
Profile0Extensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile0IncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
Profile0Locales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile0PrefErrors: Unexpected character ',' before close parenthesis @ /usr/lib/firefox/omni.ja:greprefs.js:363
Profile0PrefSources: prefs.js
Profile0Themes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile2Extensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile2IncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
Profile2Locales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile2PrefErrors: Unexpected character ',' before close parenthesis @ /usr/lib/firefox/omni.ja:greprefs.js:363
Profile2PrefSources: prefs.js
Profile2Themes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile3Extensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile3IncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
Profile3Locales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile3PrefErrors: Unexpected character ',' before close parenthesis @ /usr/lib/firefox/omni.ja:greprefs.js:363
Profile3PrefSources: prefs.js
Profile3Themes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profiles:
 Profile3 - LastVersion=94.0/20211028161635 (Out of date)
 Profile1 (Default) - LastVersion=None/None (Out of date)
 Profile0 - LastVersion=95.0/20211129150630 (In use)
 Profile2 - LastVersion=95.0/20211129150630 (In use)
RunningIncompatibleAddons: False
SourcePackage: firefox
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 10/12/2021
dmi.bios.release: 1.22
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1.22.1
dmi.board.name: 0N0DK2
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr1.22.1:bd10/12/2021:br1.22:svnDellInc.:pnPrecision5530:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0N0DK2:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct10:cvr:sku087D:
dmi.product.family: Precision
dmi.product.name: Precision 5530
dmi.product.sku: 087D
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Guruprasad (lgp171188)]

The attached screenshot shows a Firefox window (identified by the title in the title bar) whose content area has the frozen image of the terminal application that I had open when launching Firefox.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Please excuse the lack of timely feedback. Are you still seeing this problem with the latest Firefox update (97.0+build2-0ubuntu0.21.10.1) ?

[Guruprasad (lgp171188)]

This issue happened on a laptop of mine with a hybrid GPU setup. It reliably went away after I switched my GPU settings from 'Intel (Power saving mode)' to 'NVIDIA On-Demand'. I am not sure why that is the case. I got the solution within a week or so after I reported this bug. So yes, this issue is not happening any more.

If it will help, I can switch to the 'Intel (Power saving mode)' and test if the issue happens again.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Thanks for following up! If you don't mind switching back to 'Intel (Power saving mode)' and testing again, that would be helpful. When you do that, can you please test an upstream build (downloaded from https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/download/thanks/) to see whether it's an Ubuntu-specific problem?

Otherwise, feel free to close the bug.

[Michael Reiger (mighyflea)]

Hi, I have experienced the same behaviour, or a very similar one.

I also use KDE, and have a Intel/Nvidia hybrid system.
When on Power Save mode (I use Plasma Optimus to switch btw), on the first start of firefox in a session it just displays a frozen image of what was on the screen when I started it. If I kill it and start it a second time it works normally, and also on subsequents starts, until I log out and back in again.
This is also happening with the upstream firefox from the link in comment https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+bug/1954765/comments/6

Can confirm that switching to Hybrid mode makes the problem go away.

If you want me to collect debug information, let me know what you want.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Thanks for the info Michael. It would be very helpful if you could file an upstream bug report with this information at https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=Firefox, and share the link to it here. Thanks!