22.04 Firefox Snap Crashes

[ssnover]

Since Ubuntu has forcibly pushed Firefox from apt to snap, I'm not unable to run firefox. I ran into this when I first updated to Ubuntu 22.04, but was able to remove the snap and install the apt package to circumvent. That's no longer an option.

When I run firefox from bash, I get this output:

(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance

(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 18:13:54.162: invalid (NULL) pointer instance


(firefox:4508): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 18:13:54.162: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed
[GFX1-]: No GPUs detected via PCI
[GFX1-]: glxtest: process failed (received signal 11)


(firefox:4508): Gtk-WARNING **: 18:13:54.165: cannot open display: :0
ExceptionHandler::GenerateDump cloned child 4538
ExceptionHandler::SendContinueSignalToChild sent continue signal to child
ExceptionHandler::WaitForContinueSignal waiting for continue signal...

I've seen it suggested that running with the environment variable DISABLE_WAYLAND=1 can help, this is the output under those circumstances:

Unable to init server: Could not connect: Connection refused
Error: cannot open display: :0

Not sure how to debug snap packages at all. The sandboxing seems to have added considerable issues in debugging issues. Happy to run any commands that can glean more information.

Also, if anyone from Canonical reads these: being forced off of a working apt package to a non-working snap package is annoying by itself, but when you then remove the way back its enough to make me consider moving to a new distro rather than debug whatever you broke.

[MAFoElffen]

I have been on this Forum for over 12 years and know of no one here from Canonical...

You said you removed the Snap App FireFox and installed FireFox from Apt sources... I may have been the one that posted on how to do that... May have been for you or someone else.

So is your Apt installation of FireFox acting up? Or did you leave the instance of Snap Firefox? Because you mention Snap still... Even though you started out in the second or third sentence saying that you removed the Snap Version... So you have me a bit confused over that.

Did you try

sudo apt install --reinstall firefox

If for some reason you have both installed, yes there are going to be problems... you need to have just one or the other installed.

How? That would be like going into a crowed and yelling out for a common name like "Jim"... and having 5 people respond.

[guiverc]

Did you try

sudo apt install --reinstall firefox

If for some reason you have both installed, yes there are going to be problems...

Having both installed shouldn't cause problems; up till very recently; any of Ubuntu-MATE, Lubuntu & Ubuntu Desktop (installed with canary ISO) jammy daily ISOs would have resulted in both snap and deb packages installed, without issue (unless you counted having 2x firefox options in internet & menus etc)

However, the deb package is now only a shell that installs the snap package.

guiverc@d960-ubu2:~/.config$  apt-cache policy firefox
firefox:
  Installed: 1:1snap1-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1:1snap1-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1:1snap1-0ubuntu1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

If I remember correctly, yesterday morning (~1.5 days ago maybe, if not ~2.5 days) that package left -proposed and the much older & last deb package `97.0.1+build1-0ubuntu1` was replaced with the snap package in repositories.

The only deb package of firefox now in jammy is just a script that will install the snap package.

[guiverc]

If it was me in your position; I'd likely boot a live system (Ubuntu jammy daily) and use the "Try Ubuntu" and see if it crashes there. If it does, I'd file a bug report `ubuntu-bug firefox`is what I'd try to file first with... and thus seek help & get the issue worked on asap.

I suspect it'll work perfectly though in a live system, and it's something related to your setup.

To get more detail on a crashed snap, you can try

snap run firefox --enable-logging=stderr --v=1

If you file a bug report; adding the output from that will be most helpful; in fact you'll possibly get asked to run that & add that detail to the report.

I'd hope to find answers, or at least clues in that output. The other place to look is normal logs (`journalctl`, `dmesg` etc)

[MAFoElffen]

If I remember correctly, yesterday morning (~1.5 days ago maybe, if not ~2.5 days) that package left -proposed and the much older & last deb package `97.0.1+build1-0ubuntu1` was replaced with the snap package in repositories.

The only deb package of firefox now in jammy is just a script that will install the snap package.

Dang. More and more. Another repo application falls from truly being apt.

Early on, during testing of the Snaps Store, Canonical promised that they would not do that. (Affect or encroach on apt packages.)

Dang. I see that Mozilla does not provide .deb package files for download anymore. Only tarballs for Linux. It's been years since I have looked outside of the repo's for that. I will need to create an install script for some of my customers.

[ajgreeny]

Yes, I found today after not updating since last weekend (5 days ago) that the firefox apt version has disappeared and been replaced by the snap version.

So far I have steered clear of snaps completely and if I am able I intend to continue avoiding them, so I have therefore just downloaded the .tar.gz archive direct from https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/download/thanks/ and run it directly from the executable in the extracted archive which is self updating.

I have been doing this in Debian versions (currently Unstable with bookworm repos) for a long time and it works brilliantly.

[The Cog]

I read that Mint maintains its own .deb of Firefox, avoiding forcing users into using snaps. Mint is beginning to look quite attractive.

[sahulkko]

Hi,
22.04 is not yet even in Beta (Ubuntu 22.04 Beta: March 31, 2022) so best thing is really report a bug into Ubuntu bug tracking system.
SH

ref. https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/01/...lease-features

[ks-alexandr]

I installed Firefox from the Mozilla site and removed the snap along with Firefox from Canonical.
Firefox from Mozilla works fine.

[ajgreeny]

I read that Mint maintains its own .deb of Firefox, avoiding forcing users into using snaps. Mint is beginning to look quite attractive.

Yes, in the same way that they did for chromium, Clem trying hard to keep Mint snap free.

I wish him well in this though it may become more of a problem if, as is suggested, many of the Ubuntu packages become snaps by default.
Perhaps this will push Mint to work more with the LMDE (Debian Edition) than they do at present.