Vivaldi not working for weeks in Arch

[alan9990]

Since I have a dual boot Linux system I tend to not worry too much these days if some package or other doesn't quite work. It means I can boot the other install and wait a day or two, and usually the next update fixes the issue.

Thus it has been with previous small issues with Vivaldi. The current failure to run though has been going on for weeks now. Since I've no idea where to start troubleshooting, or indeed if it's "my" issue at all, here's the output when run from terminal:

Gtk-Message: 12:07:26.958: Failed to load module "window-decorations-gtk-module"
[3612:3612:1118/120727.118924:ERROR:sandbox_linux.cc(374)] InitializeSandbox() called with multiple threads in process gpu-process.
Fontconfig error: Cannot load default config file: No such file: (null)
[3575:3575:1118/120728.285874:ERROR:CONSOLE(0)] "Unchecked runtime.lastError: The message port closed before a response was received.", source: chrome-extension://mpognobbkildjkofajifpdfhcoklimli/browser.html (0)
[3575:3575:1118/120728.286916:ERROR:CONSOLE(0)] "Unchecked runtime.lastError: The message port closed before a response was received.", source: chrome-extension://mpognobbkildjkofajifpdfhcoklimli/browser.html (0)
[3575:3575:1118/120728.287098:ERROR:CONSOLE(0)] "Unchecked runtime.lastError: The message port closed before a response was received.", source: chrome-extension://mpognobbkildjkofajifpdfhcoklimli/browser.html (0)
[3575:3608:1118/120729.240721:ERROR:chrome_browser_main_extra_parts_metrics.cc(228)] crbug.com/1216328: Checking Bluetooth availability started. Please report if there is no report that this ends.
[3575:3608:1118/120729.240801:ERROR:chrome_browser_main_extra_parts_metrics.cc(231)] crbug.com/1216328: Checking Bluetooth availability ended.
[3575:3608:1118/120729.240829:ERROR:chrome_browser_main_extra_parts_metrics.cc(234)] crbug.com/1216328: Checking default browser status started. Please report if there is no report that this ends.
[3575:3608:1118/120729.273408:ERROR:chrome_browser_main_extra_parts_metrics.cc(238)] crbug.com/1216328: Checking default browser status ended.
code_text

[guigirl]

@alan9990 Before i bother with any serious engagement in this thread, pls post something else here pertinent to your OP. Lately the forum has been copping an influx of loathsome spammers, & i've already been bitten a few times, so now i basically don't trust anyone who's newish here, til they prove themselves.

[DoctorG]

@alan9990 Tell us bout your
Please check Troubleshooting issues.

After you checked all items and that did not solve your issue, tell us more:

• OS version and build

• Installed third party security tools like Antivirus, Internet Security etc.

• Installed extra codecs in OS

• Installed third party ad/tracker filter or blocker

• Installed latest chipset/GPU driver from graphics producers website

• Extra start parameters for Vivaldi

• Vivaldi version
  Open page vivaldi://about

• Use of Vivaldi ad/tracker blocker
  Activated block lists

• Info about changed settings in page vivaldi://flags

• Installed extensions
  Open vivaldi://system
  Section extensions
  Button Maximise…
  Copy the items
  Paste with </> button

• Info about GPUs
  Open vivaldi://gpu
  Hit button Copy Report to Clipboard
  Paste with </> button

• Updated DRM codec
  Open vivaldi://components
  Scroll down to "Widevine Content Decryption Module"
  Post version number here
  Try to update Widevine with "Check for Update" button

• Info about media usage
  Open vivaldi://media-internals
  Click on Copy to Clipboard
  Paste with </> button

• Visit the following links and tell us which options are selected for the selected flags:
  vivaldi://flags/#ignore-gpu-blocklist
  vivaldi://flags/#disable-accelerated-video-decode

• URL where issue happens and if a player is used on webpage, the setting for video or audio format

• Information if a Vivaldi downgrade was used before with current browser profile

[A Former User]

@guigirl seems real, ntopics < nposts.

@alan9990 apart from the info asked by @DoctorG, can you pls also tell what’s your desktop environment / window manager?

[alan9990]

Apologies all if I rushed my original post. True that I overlooked to include any basic information.

I have vivaldi installed on two Linux versions. The one on my Gentoo install works flawlessly. The one I'm having trouble with - here on Arch - was working fine until a few updates ago. Sorry if I hadn't noted specific versions, obviously I didn't know there was going to be a problem. And as in my original post here, I've taken to just leaving things overnight/a few days because later updates often fix things rather than me start rushing about "fixing" stuff.

So, if I say "latest version" I'm referring to the fact that I do full updates daily. Current info:

Arch 5.15.2-arch1-1

Processor Intel Core i3-9100

Graphics adapter Intel CoffeeLake-S GT2 ( UHD 630)

DE Xfce

I have ufw installed and running. Otherwise all pretty standard "out of the box".

Extensions used: Dark Reader; Privacy Badger; U Block Origin; Windscribe (but not logged in or enabled by default)

Please keep in mind that I have added or subtracted nothing in terms of packages or ENV settings or anything at all before/since the 'breakdown', thus there was the pre "it works fine" versus the "oh, now it doesn't".

The issue is:

Vivaldi actually loads, but what I get is either a black screen i.e. the window contents are not displayed, or I get this weird and very blocky strangely coloured screen where nothing is really recognisable save that it would appear to be saying "what's new in Vivaldi" albeit extremely jaggy.

"ctrl + q" to quit either does or does not work, forcing me to either kill the ps or log out and in.

And although the following is most likely NOT recommended, what I had done in prior efforts to resolve this were:

clearing all temp and cache/session files. Log out and back in, or even reboot.

Then, I also deleted all the folders inside the ~/.vivaldi and then reinstalled the package.

None of this makes any difference. Other browsers work fine, and vivaldi works fine in Gentoo.

[A Former User]

Sorry if I hadn't noted specific versions, obviously I didn't know there was going to be a problem.

do you at least have an idea if it was before, with, or after upgrade to 4.3?

Vivaldi actually loads, but what I get is either a black screen i.e. the window contents are not displayed,

is it entirely black, or does it show the V logo?

or I get this weird and very blocky strangely coloured screen where nothing is really recognisable save that it would appear to be saying "what's new in Vivaldi" albeit extremely jaggy.

what if you run vivaldi with --disable-gpu?

(if it works, disable HW acceleration in the settings, and don’t bother with the other questions in this post.)

"ctrl + q" to quit either does or does not work, forcing me to either kill the ps or log out and in.

alt-f4 (or whatever shortcut you use to close windows) would most likely also work, or doesn’t it?

[guigirl]

Gentoo + Arch. OMZ, respect!

I look forward to seeing your reply to @potmeklecbohdan questions.

In addition, pls:

• I think you're using V Stable, not V Snapshot. Silly question maybe, but did you simply install it via pacman [or a helper] directly from the Arch Community Repo, or did you take a more, ahem, adventurous route to get it?

• Originally you had some extensions installed, but during your troubleshooting, when you deleted all the folders inside the ~/.vivaldi and then reinstalled the package, logically the status now is that your V is "virginal", no extensions or any Settings changes at all from default OOTB [given you can't actually access its UI now] ... is this deduction correct?

• Would you be willing to also install the Snapshot version to see if that works? https://potmeklecbohdan.vivaldi.net/341/installing-vivaldi-on-arch-linux/

[DoctorG]

@potmeklecbohdan KDE 5 Plasma, and i am not really using Arch but Manjaro.

[A Former User]

@doctorg you read the sentence only from the @ -ping, read again

(i didn’t ask you, but the OP)

[DoctorG]

@potmeklecbohdan Oooopsie OK, no need to tell my secret DE.

[alan9990]

Solved! thanks all for your help!

Turns out that the --disable-gpu was the ticket! Would never have thought to do something so simple.

All back to normal now. Am guessing that my Arch packages haven't quite set up my graphics environment quite the same way as I have in my other install (and which has allowed me to really dig quite deep into the frame buffering modules, kernel mode-setting etc), despite my having worked carefully through the wiki.

And yes, it was the stable version, installed via Pacman (I actually use Yay for ease of accessing Aur). I don't like messing about with "other" methods. I like stable, least effort

[DoctorG]

@alan9990 said in Vivaldi not working for weeks in Arch:

Turns out that the --disable-gpu was the ticket

//edit2: Congrats you found the solution.
Do not patch mime-type, file associations, desktop file URLs or startup scripts without knowledge
//edit: Or if you do, create a visible yellow note on your desktop, so you can remember if needed. SCNR