Mullvad GUI often opens with just a white window (Ubuntu)

[TwonkyHardware]

Issue report

Operating system: Ubuntu 18.04, Cinnamon DE

App version: 2021.5

Issue description

When opening the Mullvad GUI, either through the system tray icon or from the command line ($ /opt/Mullvad\ VPN/mullvad-gui), the GUI opens but displays only a blank white window. I cannot access any of the options available through the GUI (this means I also can't go to Settings -> Report a Problem, as suggested by the message provided when posting issues :) )

If I kill -9 the program by process ID and restart, the GUI tends to behave normally at first, but it will eventually start showing this issue before having to be killed and restarted again.

[strykenKN]

I have the same problem, under Fedora 35 Final. This is getting really embarrassing for Mullvad. It's just annoying, I have on Mullvad slowly really no more desire, only Murks that deliver there!

Now I can not use Mullvad at all and CLI I will certainly not use!

So Mullvad finally sit on your ass, do less advertising and much rather fix problems! I really have no nerve for such crap!

[strykenKN]

let's see how long Mullvad times again until it finally works normally again! Probably weeks again and the users also still pay for something like that! One pays and has only trouble because Mullvad nothing gets there, but advertising they can!

[strykenKN]

for 2 days here is the problem and Mullvad does not respond here in any way! What is this ?

[tydog98]

Since updating to Fedora 35 I also cannot use the GUI. CLI works fine in the meantime though.

[raksooo]

Hi! This is probably a different issue than the Fedora 35 one so please discuss Fedora 35 in this issue https://github.com/mullvad/mullvadvpn-app/issues/2992.

If I kill -9 the program by process ID and restart, the GUI tends to behave normally at first, but it will eventually start showing this issue before having to be killed and restarted again.

@TwonkyHardware Do I understand it correctly that the GUI works as expected and then turns white? Do you do anything special to make it happen? How long does it take until it turns white? Would you be able to send a problem report while it's working?

[kushaldas]

Just installed the latest version yesterday on Fedora 35, I am seeing only this.

[raksooo]

@kushaldas This issue is about Ubuntu 18.04. Please keep Fedora 35 related discussion to https://github.com/mullvad/mullvadvpn-app/issues/2992. There's a workaround in the comments in that issue. We also have a fixed version in the works.

[kushaldas]

@kushaldas This issue is about Ubuntu 18.04. Please keep Fedora 35 related discussion to #2992. There's a workaround in the comments in that issue. We also have a fixed version in the works.

Sorry for commenting on the wrong issue, I saw this issue first and I should have searched through for the Fedora issue. Thank you for the quick feedback.

[TwonkyHardware]

Yes, the GUI works normally at first, then at some point I'll try to open it, and it will produce only a white page. It stays a white page no matter how many times I reopen it after that.

I just killed Mullvad and started taking notes to answer some of your questions. It took me a while to successfully kill it this time; there were multiple processes, and most kept restarting themselves. I can give full details if you think that would be helpful.

After restarting, the GUI looks and works normally. I was able to submit a problem report (I referenced and linked this issue rather than writing everything back out again). I closed and reopened the GUI several times over the course of about 5 minutes, and it remained functional each time. I also closed and reopened my laptop lid, and the GUI worked normally after returning from the suspended state. I'll monitor it and try to note when it happens again and whether that correlates with any special events.

[faern]

Could you please try and install our latest beta and see if it helps solve this issue? 2021.6-beta1

[TwonkyHardware]

After my last post, the GUI made it about 24 hours before the problem recurred. I tried opening it shortly after near-freeze slowdown of the entire system, and it was a blank white page again. The slowdown might be relevant, but I don't think that it happened with earlier instances of this issue.

I've installed the beta that @faern linked. Out of the gate, it seems to work fine. If the issue happens again, I'll post when it does. Otherwise, I'll assume success after about a week and post then.

[adamwonn]

Happens to me when my system runs out of memory and starts killing processes, possibly it's killing a mullvad process?

[TwonkyHardware]

I just attempted to open the GUI for the Mullvad beta I installed as noted in my last post. Instead of opening, it threw this error into a modal:

A JavaScript error occurred in the main process

Uncaught Exception:
Error: Render frame was disposed before WebFrameMain could be accessed
  at Object.n.send (node:electron/js2c/browser_init:169:413)
  at Object.b.send (node:electron/js2c/browser_init:165:2492)
  at Object.notifyShape (/opt/Mullvad VPN/resources/app.asar/build/src/shared/ipc-helpers.js:90:25)
  at WindowController.notifyUpdateWindowShape (/opt/Mullvad VPN/resources/app.asar/build/src/main/window-controller.js:210:60)
  at WindowController.updatePosition (/opt/Mullvad VPN/resources/app.asar/build/src/main/window-controller.js:183:14)
  at WindowController.showImmediately (/opt/Mullvad VPN/resources/app.asar/build/src/main/window-controller.js:202:18)
  at /opt/Mullvad VPN/resources/app.asar/build/src/main/window-controller.js:158:54
  at WindowController.executeWhenWindowIsReady (/opt/Mullvad VPN/resources/app.asar/build/src/main/window-controller.js:231:13)
  at WindowController.show (/opt/Mullvad VPN/resources/app.asar/build/src/main/window-controller.js:158:18)
  at click (/opt/Mullvad VPN/resources/app.asar/build/src/main/index.js:1504:53)

Mullvad appears to remain connected, with the icon showing in the system tray. I'll leave the beta installed for now, but I'll replace it with the main release as soon as I need to do anything with the VPN, probably within a few days.

[solsticedhiver]

I don't know if I need to open a new bug report for that.

Although everything is fine, if I let the GUI opened for some time, at one point, it turns completely blank. Not sure, what cause that.

On archlinux, gnome shell/desktop 45.1 and wayland, and mullvad 2023.5 but happened the last 2 versions at least.

[zzzsl9]

Please fix this. I'm also on arch kde and the mullvad gui client just turns white randomly. I have to open and close the window again and this is really annoying and ugly. It's been 2 years. with this issue open and a recent update didn't fix it.

[LinuxOnTheDesktop]

Just now, on Windows 10, (which is the only OS on which I use the app), this (when using dark mode):

I notice that this bug is now . . over three years old.

[LinuxOnTheDesktop]

I notice that on my Windows PC one trigger of this (ancient) bug - of the window going white - was my starting the VPN service on another computer on the same network. But that might have been a coincidence.