Bug#320257: mozilla-thunderbird: Hangs on large mailbox folders
Efraim Feinstein
Version: 1.0.2-3
Severity: important
Thunderbird incorrectly handles large mailbox folders (I'm not sure
whether that means large in size, > 100 MB, or containing large numbers of email messages, say > 800). Clicking on one of those folders will either lock up the application, forcing it to be killed by the user through the operating system, or it will simply show a blank listing of messages. If the folder's .msf file is deleted and Thunderbird is restarted, it will correctly reconstruct the summary file, but, eventually, the freeze and/or blank listing will recur, probably after new messages are downloaded.
As far as I can tell, this is not the same as bug#257206. Here, it will
hang while viewing the folder, even while it's not downloading new messages.
If there is any more information that I can provide that will help
debug/reproduce this problem, I will be glad to do it. Please CC me the
request efdf AT comcast.net
Steps to reproduce:
1. Load thunderbird with a large Inbox (>100MB).
2. Click on the Inbox
3. Results in application freeze or blank listing
Workaround:
Delete [foldername].msf file
-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
APT prefers unstable
APT policy: (500, 'unstable'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.11-1-686
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968)
Versions of packages mozilla-thunderbird depends on:
ii libatk1.0-0 1.10.1-2 The ATK accessibility toolkit
ii libc6 2.3.2.ds1-22 GNU C Library: Shared libraries an
ii libfontconfig1 2.3.2-1 generic font configuration library
ii libfreetype6 2.1.10-1 FreeType 2 font engine, shared lib
ii libgcc1 1:4.0.1-2 GCC support library
ii libglib2.0-0 2.6.5-1 The GLib library of C routines
ii libgtk2.0-0 2.6.8-1 The GTK+ graphical user interface
ii libpango1.0-0 1.8.1-1 Layout and rendering of internatio
ii libstdc++5 1:3.3.6-7 The GNU Standard C++ Library v3
ii libx11-6 6.8.2.dfsg.1-4 X Window System protocol client li
ii libxext6 6.8.2.dfsg.1-4 X Window System miscellaneous exte
ii libxft2 2.1.7-1 FreeType-based font drawing librar
ii libxp6 6.8.2.dfsg.1-4 X Window System printing extension
ii libxrender1 1:0.9.0-2 X Rendering Extension client libra
ii libxt6 6.8.2.dfsg.1-4 X Toolkit Intrinsics
ii xlibs 6.8.2.dfsg.1-4 X Window System client libraries m
ii zlib1g 1:1.2.3-1 compression library - runtime
Versions of packages mozilla-thunderbird recommends:
pn myspell-en-us | myspel <none> (no description available)
ii xprint 1:0.1.0.alpha1-11 Xprint - the X11 print system (bin
-- debconf information:
* mozilla-thunderbird/browser: Debian
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EF
>Efraim Feinstein wrote:
>
>What account type are you using? IMAP, Pop, or Unix Mailfolder?
>
>
POP accounts. I don't have any of the others, so, I can't verify that
it does not happen on them too.
>
>
>>Workaround:
>>Delete [foldername].msf file
>>
>>
>
>Does the workaround solve your problem in a persistent way or just for the next
>time you start thunderbird?
>
>
The workaround allows me to view my mail the next time I start
Thunderbird. At some point later, the problem comes back and I have to
remove the msf file again.
Alexander Sack
>
> If there is any more information that I can provide that will help
> debug/reproduce this problem, I will be glad to do it. Please CC me the
> request efdf AT comcast.net
What account type are you using? IMAP, Pop, or Unix Mailfolder?
>
> Workaround:
> Delete [foldername].msf file
Does the workaround solve your problem in a persistent way or just for the next
time you start thunderbird?
Cheers,
*READ THIS*: this is bugmail! Take care that the bug is listed as
To: or CC: when replying to this mail (e.g. /reply-all/). Thanks!
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Alexander Sack
>
> The workaround allows me to view my mail the next time I start
> Thunderbird. At some point later, the problem comes back and I have
> to remove the msf file again.
>
That's good. OK, first backup your $HOME/.mozilla-thunderbird directory
so we can be sure that this stays reproducible and that you don't loose
your mail while trying to track this down.
I guess (hope) the problem is not the size of the mailbox, but a "bad"
entry that might result in a corrupted .msf.
So the idea is to spot a single mail that causes all the trouble. If you
need instructions on how to do this, let me know
Cheers,
Alexander
EF
>EF wrote:
>
>hat's good. OK, first backup your $HOME/.mozilla-thunderbird directory
>so we can be sure that this stays reproducible and that you don't loose
>your mail while trying to track this down.
>
>
I can do that...
>I guess (hope) the problem is not the size of the mailbox, but a "bad"
>entry that might result in a corrupted .msf.
>
>
A bad entry in the preferences or in the individual mail files?
>So the idea is to spot a single mail that causes all the trouble. If you
>need instructions on how to do this, let me know
>
>
Ok, here's a bit more about my current setup that might help:
I have 7 POP accounts set up under the same Thunderbird profile. I've
had the same problem with (at least) three of my seven email boxes, all
of them the largest ones with the most messages.
As part of my workaround that assumed that large inboxes caused the
problem, I moved my big Inboxes to other files/mail folders called
Inbox.2; new mail then went into an empty Inbox folder. I can merge
them back into one large Inbox, if necessary.
I need a bit more information about how you plan on finding which mail
causes the problem. If I start with brand new folders, we'll be waiting
for a couple of months for the problem to reproduce itself unless I
flood myself with email (?).
Thanks,
-Efraim
Alexander Sack
>
>
>> I guess (hope) the problem is not the size of the mailbox, but a "bad"
>> entry that might result in a corrupted .msf.
>>
>>
> A bad entry in the preferences or in the individual mail files?
>
good question. I thought of the individual mail file ... your inbox file
for example (the one you need to remove it's msf file for in order to
fix it).
> Ok, here's a bit more about my current setup that might help:
> I have 7 POP accounts set up under the same Thunderbird profile. I've
> had the same problem with (at least) three of my seven email boxes,
> all of them the largest ones with the most messages.
>
I don't think the size of the mailbox should be much a problem.
Otherwise there would have been more problem reports, because people
tend to have huge mailboxes.
> As part of my workaround that assumed that large inboxes caused the
> problem, I moved my big Inboxes to other files/mail folders called
> Inbox.2; new mail then went into an empty Inbox folder. I can merge
> them back into one large Inbox, if necessary.
>
The Inbox.2 is still displayed as a folder? If not you should merge it
back in and start to split that file in 2 pieces ... until you find the
minimal mailbox that still causes this problem.
> I need a bit more information about how you plan on finding which mail
> causes the problem. If I start with brand new folders, we'll be
> waiting for a couple of months for the problem to reproduce itself
> unless I flood myself with email (?).
Yes, don't wait for it. Merge the old mailbox (Inbox.2) in, so you it is
broken for you again. After that try the first half of that file (move
the rest to some backup file) and see if it still happens (e.g. remove
msf, start thunderbird, stop thunderbird and start it again - still
error?). If it does not, try the second half of your mailbox. Split the
part that still causes troubles in two and go ahead the same way until
you find the bad message.
Cheers,
Alexander
Alexander Sack
> I remerged the Inbox.2 file and the Inbox, so I have a large Inbox
> again. The problem hasn't shown up yet, but, when it does, I'll post
> back as much information as I can gather.
>
Please keep a backup of a broken .msf file too.
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EF
again. The problem hasn't shown up yet, but, when it does, I'll post
back as much information as I can gather.
Thanks,
Efraim
EF
The bug recurred twice. The first time was actually the first instance
I'd ever seen it on a small folder. The second was on one of my large
folders. So, it may have been dumb "luck" that I'd only experienced it
on large folders to date. I couldn't collect data from the first
instance.
I also noticed that the freeze will only occur when the messed-up folder
is selected, and after the folder has just had messages downloaded to
it. It's not quite the same as bug #257206, but it's beginning to look
similar.
I collected both the bad Inbox and the bad Inbox.msf file, and the Inbox
and Inbox.msf after the summary file was regenerated. I don't really
want to post all my personal mail from the last 2 years publically on
the Internet, and I don't know what to do with an msf file. Any help
here would be appreciated.
I also took an strace of both the freeze taking place and a working
version after it remade the msf file (but not while it was remaking
it). I'm not sure if that would be useful. If it is, I can post both.
Copying back the bad Inbox.msf and Inbox to the mail directory and
restarting Thunderbird causes Thunderbird to display a blank folder,
without freezing, so there's something else going on other than the
summary file being remade.
This one's getting more even confusing to understand...
Thanks,
-Efraim
Alexander Sack - Debian Bugmail
thanks
- Alexander
p.s. please take care that the bug is listed as To: or CC: when
replying to this mail (e.g. /reply-all/).
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