Blank screen then nothing on Ubuntu 20.04

[emx]

I am on Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS
Release:    20.04
Codename:   focal

I just downloaded the latest version and attempted to install it:

$ sudo dpkg -i electron-mail-4.12.9-linux-amd64.deb 
[sudo] password for user: 
Selecting previously unselected package electron-mail.
(Reading database ... 200291 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack electron-mail-4.12.9-linux-amd64.deb ...
Unpacking electron-mail (4.12.9) ...
Setting up electron-mail (4.12.9) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.36.0-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.24-1ubuntu3) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.64ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...

When I start it, a blank window opens and then nothing happens. The window stays blank.

[vladimiry]

There is not enough information to say something specific. Can you provide the log.log file located in the settings folder? You can either attach the log file here or send it privately to the email specified in https://github.com/vladimiry/ElectronMail/blob/master/package.json (author field).

The possible workaround is using another package type, preferably container-based, like https://flathub.org/apps/details/com.github.vladimiry.ElectronMail.

[emx]

I will do that right away. I was trying to change Display Manager (tried lightdm and gdm3) and Window Managers (tried XFCE4 and Gnome), but it didn't help.

[emx]

I cannot find a file called log.log in the settings folder:

user@host:~/.config/electron-mail$ ll
total 44
drwx------  8 user user 4096 sept. 27 16:02  ./
drwxr-xr-x 20 user user 4096 sept. 27 16:02  ../
drwx------  3 user user 4096 sept. 27 16:02  blob_storage/
drwx------  4 user user 4096 sept. 27 15:15 'Code Cache'/
-rw-rw-r--  1 user user 3644 sept. 27 16:02  config.json
drwx------  2 user user 4096 sept. 27 15:15 'Crash Reports'/
drwx------  2 user user 4096 sept. 27 15:15  Dictionaries/
drwx------  3 user user 4096 sept. 27 15:15 'Local Storage'/
drwx------  2 user user 4096 sept. 27 15:15  logs/
-rw-------  1 user user   59 sept. 27 15:16 'Network Persistent State'
-rw-------  1 user user   57 sept. 27 15:16  Preferences
lrwxrwxrwx  1 user user   20 sept. 27 16:02  SingletonCookie -> 17596021414552855634
lrwxrwxrwx  1 user user   11 sept. 27 16:02  SingletonLock -> host-6309
lrwxrwxrwx  1 user user   37 sept. 27 16:02  SS -> /tmp/.org.chromium.Chromium.8iWHce/SS=
user@host:~/.config/electron-mail$ ll logs
total 8
drwx------ 2 user user 4096 sept. 27 15:15 ./
drwx------ 8 user user 4096 sept. 27 16:02 ../

[vladimiry]

The reason for crashes is often linked to the native dependencies being incompatible with the system.

• Try running from console this way /opt/ElectronMail/electron-mail --enable-logging (path to electron-mail might be different on your system) and then see if something useful gets printed to console.
• Try the /opt/ElectronMail/electron-mail --disable-gpu run.
• Try to run sudo sysctl kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone=1 before starting the app.
• Show the lsof -p $$ | grep libc | awk ' { print $NF" --version"; } ' | sh output (glibc version info).
• Another possible workaround is to assembly your own package from sources but it's time consuming process (might take 30+ minutes due to a need to build @protonmail web clients too).
• Any luck with https://flathub.org/apps/details/com.github.vladimiry.ElectronMail or at least with AppImage package?

I cannot find a file called log.log in the settings folder:

Makes sense if the app severely crashes.

[emx]

I've installed the snap package and it seems to work.

[vladimiry]

I've installed the snap package and it seems to work.

It's not yet updated to v4.12.9 so I didn't list it. But if you don't face a captcha wall then it's ok to use it. I normally prefer "flatpak" though but I understand that Snap stuff is normally preferred option on Ubuntu systems.

[emx]

I'm trying again with the .deb package, following your recommendations:

• Running with --enable-logging doesn't change a thing nor does it produce any output. The window opens (blank) and stays there, on the command line there is no output at all.
• Running with --disable-gpu doesn't change anything. Same behaviour.
• Changing the kernel parameter didn't change anything either.

Here is the output of the glibc version:

$ lsof -p $$ | grep libc | awk ' { print $NF" --version"; } ' | sh
GNU C Library (Ubuntu GLIBC 2.31-0ubuntu9.2) stable release version 2.31.
Copyright (C) 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.
There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Compiled by GNU CC version 9.3.0.
libc ABIs: UNIQUE IFUNC ABSOLUTE
For bug reporting instructions, please see:
<https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/glibc/+bugs>.

[emx]

I'll probably try to build it from source. For some reason, I have a feeling this problem is linked to the electron package.