Firefox on TahrPup 6.02 32-bits: No Print Dialog (Fixed But)

[Disco Makberto]

Dear fellows,

I am using Firefox 60.5.0esr (32-bits) on TahrPup 6.02 (SP 6.03) (32-bits) as LiveCD.

The problem I have is that when I go File -> Print, Firefox disappears or crashes, and no print dialog shows up. By the same token, when I go File -> Print Preview, although the new windows appears, when I hit Print or Page Setup, I get no dialogs at all, and Firefox also disappears or crashes.

In trying to solve this problem, I disabled all my add-ons, but I still get the same effect. Additionally, I was trying to get my hands on a Firefox's crash report to see if I could discover something by typing about:crashes on the address bar, but I get the message "No crash reports have been submitted" even after multiple crashes.

I almost forgot. On the same LiveCD, I also have PaleMoon 27.04 and GNU Icecat 45.5.1, and both browsers have no problems with the print dialogs...the only difference that I can see with Firefox is the fact that Firefox uses GTK3 while the other browsers do not, though I am not sure if that makes a difference.

Could you please advise on this matter?

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto

[Semme]

Carlos, as there were issues with 6.0.2, you should *absolutely* be booting TP 6.0.5.

Boot that build and see if it prevents Firefox from crashing when accessing it's print function.

[Disco Makberto]

Thanks, Semme! I installed "service_pack-6.0.3_TO_6.0.5_tahr.pet". Unfortunately, I am still getting the same error which is a lack of print dialog.

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto

[OscarTalks]

There is an issue with GTK3 which affects Firefox if you try to bring up certain dialogs.
Downloading and uploading can be affected
Maybe the print dialog is affected by this.
If you have installed libgtk-3 via PPM it should all be present and work OK.
Have a look in /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas
There should be a *FileChooser* .xml file in there, if so...
Try running glib-compile-schemas /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas from terminal

[Mike Walsh]

@ Carlos/Oscar :-

I concur with Oscar. I put together a .pet package which basically does what Oscar describes, automatically at every boot, following this post, and this from Mikeslr in Fredx181's Quantum-portable thread. Once again, it was all to do with the glib2.0-schemas stuff, and FF crashing everytime when certain dialogs came up.

(Which kinda surprised me, 'cos I'd only previously seen that behaviour with the Chromium 'clones'....)


Mike.

[Semme]

Carlos, make sure and check your PM inbox.

[Disco Makberto]

There is an issue with GTK3 which affects Firefox if you try to bring up certain dialogs.
Downloading and uploading can be affected
Maybe the print dialog is affected by this.
If you have installed libgtk-3 via PPM it should all be present and work OK.
Have a look in /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas
There should be a *FileChooser* .xml file in there, if so...
Try running glib-compile-schemas /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas from terminal

Hello, OscarTalks!

Yes, I do have org.gtk.Settings.FileChooser.gschema.xml at the path you told me. I went on and run the command you also told me. Unfortunately, Firefox still crashes.

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto

[Disco Makberto]

@ Carlos/Oscar :-

I concur with Oscar. I put together a .pet package which basically does what Oscar describes, automatically at every boot, following this post, and this from Mikeslr in Fredx181's Quantum-portable thread. Once again, it was all to do with the glib2.0-schemas stuff, and FF crashing everytime when certain dialogs came up.

(Which kinda surprised me, 'cos I'd only previously seen that behaviour with the Chromium 'clones'....)


Mike.

Hi, Mike!

Do you still have that pet? Perhaps I can try it, please.

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto

[Disco Makberto]

Update: I am getting closer to a solution.

On the path usr -> lib, there is a directory called "i386-linux-gnu". I think this directory was empty since the target destination was a simple . (a dot). Anyway, I symnlinked this directory to the directory "gtk-3.0" on the same path. Incredibly, now File -> Print brings a print dialog, and File -> Print Preview brings a new window under which both the "Print" and the "Page Setup" tabs bring dialogs. At any rate, under the print dialog, there are not options for "Print to file" and "CUPS-PDF".

In light of what I have discovered, please let me ask you two questions. Is there something wrong in symnlinking "i386-linux-gnu" to "gtk-3.0"? I am afraid that this act interferes with something or breaks something. Additionally, how can I add "Print to file" and "CUPS-PDF" to the print dialog? Please note that both "Print to file" and "CUPS-PDF" are available to my PaleMoon and to my GNU IceCat,

Thanks again for the help!

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto

[Disco Makberto]

Update 2: Unfortunately, after symnlinking "i386-linux-gnu" to "gtk-3.0", in spite of the fact that by doing this the print dialog appears, some things get broken; for instance, the shading (in Firefox) after choosing File -> (something) plus the icons in the "Puppy Log Out" dialog. I will keep trying to find a better solution, and I will report back accordingly. If you have some ideas, please post to the group.

Regards to all,

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto

[Mike Walsh]

@ Carlos:-

If you follow this link, the .pet package is attached to the post. Let me know if it helps, please.


Mike.

[Disco Makberto]

Thanks, Mike! I tried your pet, but it didn't solve the problem, unluckily.

I will keep trying (:

All the best,

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto

[Mike Walsh]

Thanks, Mike! I tried your pet, but it didn't solve the problem, unluckily.

I'm not really surprised, TBH. If the line of code Oscar gave you to enter didn't work, then this probably wouldn't, either; after all, it simply automates the process that Oscar explained.

'Tis a strange one, this, because as far as I can tell, those .xml files don't get 'updated' as such; they're only scripts describing a bunch of 'standards'....


Mike.

[Disco Makberto]

Update 3: Fixed....basically.

Dear members,

After trying and trying different files and different scenarios (and after overcoming a bad case of stomachache and a flu), I have found a solution to the problem, at least basically:

From the file libgtk-3-0_3.4.2-7+deb7u1_i386.deb, I extracted the file libprintbackend-cups.so which I am attaching here (as tar.gz) in case you want to do your own tests, and placed the file on an external flash drive. After that, I went, on my system, to "usr -> lib -> gtk-3.0 -> 3.0.0 -> printbackends", and deleted the file libprintbackend-cups.so from there. In lieu of this deleted file, I moved in the extracted libprintbackend-cups.so from before. Then I closed the windows. With this new file libprintbackend-cups.so, Firefox works as it should, and both options to "Print to File" and "CUPS-PDF" appear if we go "File -> Print". Likewise, "File -> Print Preview" works as it should.

You might be wondering why I said "basically" before. You see, while Firefox works properly, if we try to open it via console by going "Opt -> Firefox -> Firefox", I am still getting the old errors of "GLib-GObject-CRITICAL". Strangely, if I start Firefox, then minimize it, and then I try again to open a new Firefox, the errors of "GLib-GObject-CRITICAL" do not show up. I don't understand this, but I am sure it means something.

Best to all,

Carlos Albert
Disco Makberto