Contents of dialog boxes and menus is blank with visual effects enabled

[echo-e]

Binary package hint: thunderbird

Description: Ubuntu lucid (development branch)
Release: 10.04

thunderbird:
  Installed: 3.0.4+nobinonly-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 3.0.4+nobinonly-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 3.0.4+nobinonly-0ubuntu1 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Dialog boxes opened in thunderbird are empty or continue to display their prior contents or only some objects in the box will appear. The contents will update partially or completely when the dialog box is moved.

Drop-down menus in the application also appear empty in some cases.

The Error Console shows this message, which may be related:
Warning: Expected color but found 'dialog'. Error in parsing value for 'background-color'. Declaration dropped.
Source File: chrome://messenger/skin/accountCreation.css
Line: 229

Important! This problem goes away if Visual Effects is set to 'none' in Appearance Preferences.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: thunderbird 3.0.4+nobinonly-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-19.28-generic 2.6.32.10+drm33.1
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-19-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Apr 4 22:10:31 2010
ExecutablePath: /usr/lib/thunderbird-3.0.4/thunderbird-bin
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Beta i386 (20100318)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_GB.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: thunderbird
XsessionErrors:
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:6514): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
 (gnome-terminal:6708): Gtk-CRITICAL **: gtk_accel_map_unlock_path: assertion `entry != NULL && entry->lock_count > 0' failed
 (gnome-appearance-properties:6743): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_display_sync: assertion `GDK_IS_DISPLAY (display)' failed
 (gnome-appearance-properties:6743): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_display_sync: assertion `GDK_IS_DISPLAY (display)' failed
 (gnome-appearance-properties:6743): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_display_sync: assertion `GDK_IS_DISPLAY (display)' failed

[echo-e (jamesrudee)]

Since this bug seems to be tied to Visual Effects, I've included my Xorg log too.

[Aethralis (aethralis)]

I'm also attaching my Xorg.0.log. Can confirm that switching off visual effects remedies the problem.

[Bassjunkie (mark-skrzypczyk)]

Got directed here are googling and finding bug #530708 which is apparently a duplicate of this :-)

I'm experieincing issues described here within Thunderbird on a HP nc4010 laptop with Ati Radeon card (not with laptop at present so can't give exact details!)

Thought initially it might have been an upgrade bug so did a fresh install and still the same. Also tried with new TB profile. In the end disabling Desktop Effects cured the issue but not an ideal workaround!

[ludo33200 (ludo-cheron)]

Also affected after migrating from Ubutun 9.10 with Thunderbird 2.x to Ubuntu 1.04 with Thunderbird 3.0.4
Package manager says Thunderbird 3.0.4+nobinonly-0ubuntu
The workaround "System/Appearance/Visual effects none" seems to resolve the problem.

[Tommy Trussell (tommy-trussell)]

Is there anything to distinguish this bug from Bug #564011 or is it likely a duplicate? That other one is tied to a bug in Debian so it's more likely to get wider attention, as it may be a Debian packaging issue. Folks commenting on that bug say installing Thunderbird directly from Mozilla is one way to avoid the problem.

[Paul White (paulw2u)]

Reports of this issue stopped over 8 years ago so the problem must have been fixed.