betterbird graphic bug

[Xyz00777]

Describe the bug

betterbird in version 23.05 (betterbird version 102.15.1) worked but version 23.11 (betterbird version 115.4.2) not. I have the graphic bug that my emails are not getting showed.... if i open it in email preview its not working, if i open it in a new tab its not working BUT if i open it in a new browser than its working and the mail is getting shown. These but is also on the system of a friend of me who didnt used betterbird but thunderbird before.

Steps To Reproduce

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. configured thunderbird
2. nix-shell -p betterbird
3. betterbird

Steps with working version:

1. configured thunderbird
2. nix run github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-23.05#betterbird --extra-experimental-features nix-command --extra-experimental-features flakes
3. betterbird

Expected behavior

My E-Mails should get showed

Screenshots

i get no error so it does not bring anything

Additional context

Descriped in Description

Notify maintainers

@SuperSandro2000

Metadata

Please run nix-shell -p nix-info --run "nix-info -m" and paste the result.

nix-shell -p nix-info --run "nix-info -m"
 - system: `"x86_64-linux"`
 - host os: `Linux 6.1.66, NixOS, 24.05 (Uakari), 24.05pre557885.666fc80e7b2a`
 - multi-user?: `yes`
 - sandbox: `yes`
 - version: `nix-env (Nix) 2.18.1`
 - channels(xyz00777): `""`
 - channels(root): `"nixos"`
 - nixpkgs: `/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixos`

[SuperSandro2000]

Does betterbird log anything when opened from a shell?

[KodyVB]

I have been experiencing the same problem, and when I open Betterbird I get the following in the terminal:

Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0][GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR (t=0.770403) [GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR
Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0][GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR (t=0.770403) |[1][GFX1-]: vaapitest: VA-API test failed: failed to initialise VAAPI connection.
 (t=0.770436) [GFX1-]: vaapitest: VA-API test failed: failed to initialise VAAPI connection.

I'm using version 115.4.2-bb17 from 23.11

[Xyz00777]

Interesting is, that its look like it is even not open the mail, when i click on it it shows not seen, if i open it in a new windows (thats when a mail is getting showend) than its get marked as seen. its also not getting showed as seen when opening in a new tab (when i also see no mail) I get the following terminal output:

Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0][GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR (t=1.00171) [GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR
Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0][GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR (t=1.00171) |[1][GFX1-]: vaapitest: VA-API test failed: failed to initialise VAAPI connection.
 (t=1.00176) [GFX1-]: vaapitest: VA-API test failed: failed to initialise VAAPI connection.

ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.
ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.
ATTENTION: default value of option mesa_glthread overridden by environment.

Hope you can help, and sorry for the delay

[alexpyattaev]

Same problem here, is there any solution to this? I have tried pulling vaapi library into betterbird env and it does not appear to achieve anything.

[SuperSandro2000]

What graphics card are you using? Are you using wayland? If so try disabling it in betterbird with MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=0.

[alexpyattaev]

Intel integrated nonsense gpu. The 3d stuff works fine in other 3d/opengl apps.

I have no idea how to enable wayland in nixos, so have not tried it yet.

[SuperSandro2000]

Can you try starting it with MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=0 env set regardless? If you are using gnome, you are on wayland.

[alexpyattaev]

Quite certain wayland is off, I am using plasma desktop. Error persists with the flag set.

MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=0 betterbird Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0][GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR (t=0.500193) [GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0][GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR (t=0.500193) |[1][GFX1-]: vaapitest: VA-API test failed: failed to initialise VAAPI connection. (t=0.500223) [GFX1-]: vaapitest: VA-API test failed: failed to initialise VAAPI connection.

[alexpyattaev]

Okay, just switched to wayland, nothing seems to be obviously broken, except for betterbird. Now it has more errors though:

$ betterbird Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0][GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR (t=0.548098) [GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0][GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR (t=0.548098) |[1][GFX1-]: vaapitest: VA-API test failed: failed to initialise VAAPI connection. (t=0.548116) [GFX1-]: vaapitest: VA-API test failed: failed to initialise VAAPI connection. Gdk-Message: 17:23:18.778: Unable to load sb_h_double_arrow from the cursor theme Gdk-Message: 17:23:20.522: Unable to load sb_v_double_arrow from the cursor theme

Confirmed via xeyes that betterbird is indeed running under wayland.

[alexpyattaev]

Ok, followed some steps to get VA-API working with my GPU with this guide https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Accelerated_Video_Playback now VA-API is working fine and betterbird starts with no errors. However, email content is still not shown.

[alexpyattaev]

Found another bug on thunderbird with similar symptoms... https://www.reddit.com/r/Thunderbird/comments/18dbdv1/since_the_major_update_blank_opened_mails_in_tabs/

[alexpyattaev]

Ok this is stupid but somehow it just started working (on wayland at least). Can not reproduce anymore. So maybe it was VAAPI after all?

[KodyVB]

I added the sample configuration from the NixOS Accelerated Video Playback page and tried it on my computer. It got rid of the vaapi errors, but still no luck. I then tried MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=0 betterbird and still no luck. I updated my flakes, then updated my NixOS system and home-manager packages with the updated flakes (23.11), restarted my computer, and still had no luck. This is a weird bug.

[alexpyattaev]

Try selecting a message and right-clicking, then "open in a new window". then without closing the window that just opened and try selecting another message in the message list. For me this seems to work out. Just from fresh start the bug still persists.

[KodyVB]

Sorry for the late reply - it was a very busy week. I tried opening in a new window and that did work, but only while the window was still open. If I closed the window and then tried clicking on another message, the preview pane stopped updating, and only showed the previously previewed window (until I clicked on another email account, when it went blank again).

[SuperSandro2000]

Hmm, I don't have a good idea and debugging GUI applications is usually not that straight forward, at least for me.

[SullivanNagler]

Hi, almost same problem on nixos 23.11 and ustable with this same absence of mail showing up inline and in a new window and this error on the lauch of betterbird in the terminal :

Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0][GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR (t=0.887086) [GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR
Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0][GFX1-]: vaapitest: ERROR (t=0.887086) |[1][GFX1-]: vaapitest: VA-API test failed: failed to initialise VAAPI connection.
 (t=0.887115) [GFX1-]: vaapitest: VA-API test failed: failed to initialise VAAPI connection.

Gdk-Message: 13:25:13.597: Unable to load hand2 from the cursor theme
Gdk-Message: 13:25:17.115: Unable to load sb_v_double_arrow from the cursor theme

thx

[nixos-discourse]

This issue has been mentioned on NixOS Discourse. There might be relevant details there:

https://discourse.nixos.org/t/betterbird-not-showing-emails/46658/2

[Xyz00777]

i dont know if i fixed it myseld (didnt used it a while now) but in the meantime im on kde 6 with wayland and its working on my device again 🤷