Ubuntu
firefox-3.0 package

Text invisible

Asked by Steven De Baets

When opening certain webpages using Firefox 3.0.14, the text on the webpage is invisible.
If the text was rendered white on a white background, you would be able to see it when selecting the text, but in these certain cases, that doesn't work.
It just seems like there is no text at all.
I'm using Ubuntu 9.04, with Firefox 3.0.14 (Mozilla Firefox for Ubuntu - Canonical 1.0).
The problem appeared ever since switching to the first version of Firefox 3.0, and has not disappeared with any of the updates since then.

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Steven De Baets
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Ernst Zlo (ernst-zlo) said : 		#1

Could you give me an example of a webpage, where this occurs?

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Steven De Baets (stevendebaets) said : 		#2

Sometimes it even happens in Launchpad (example: when searching from the main launchpad page: https://launchpad.net/+search?field.text=test), and another example: www.citadel.org.

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Steven De Baets (stevendebaets) said : 		#3

If it really is a bug, I will file a bug, but before I do, I want to know if other people experience the same thing...

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Steven De Baets (stevendebaets) said : 		#4

Oh, forgot another thing: it really doesn't matter what I search for in Launchpad, all the resulting pages have invisible text all the time, and if I click on a (invisible) link in that page, it brings me to a normal, visible page.
Even the text in the buttons on the top of the launchpad pages (launchpad, overview, code, bugs, blueprints, translations, answers, log out) is invisible. So it doesn't even matter what the background colour is... there is no text at all.

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Ryan Dwyer (ryandwyer) said : 		#5

Works fine for me, using 64 bit 3.0.14.

Maybe try some different browsers and see if it's a problem specific to your system or just to your Firefox install.

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wojox (wojox) said : 		#6

All links worked fine for me also.

Jaunty 32 bit Firefox 3.0.14

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Steven De Baets (stevendebaets) said : 		#7

I already installed Opera v10 next to FF, and Opera doesn't have the problem.
That way I'm quite sure it's Firefox-related.
I have also tried following things:
- reinstall firefox
- modify settings in firefox
- disable/uninstall add-ons
- reinstall add-ons
- changed desktop theme in ubuntu
- changed ubuntu settings
- and lots and lots more...
Still doesn't work...

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wojox (wojox) said : 		#8

Maybe you need to upgrade flash. Open a terminal and run:

sudo apt-get remove --purge flashplugin-nonfree -y && sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree -y

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Ernst Zlo (ernst-zlo) said : 		#9

I can't duplicate it, all pages are fine for me
BUT I use Firefox 3.5 (Ubuntu 9.04 + Firefox 3.5 and Ubuntu 9.10 alpha6 + Firefox 3.5)

the fact that links (even unseen) are working let me suspect that it is "only" a problem of displaying.

Are the white areas always at the same position?
Just a shot into the blue: have you tried to switch of visual effects ?
I have seen very strange effects when the graphic RAM is running low.

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Steven De Baets (stevendebaets) said : 		#10

No, sorry it's not flash, already tried that as well...
And yes, tried to switch of the visual effects...
There isn't really some white areas, there just is no text visible, so if the background is black, there is no text either...

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Steven De Baets (stevendebaets) said : 		#11

Case solved!!!
It's related to the history in Firefox.
Apparently, it gets worse if your history grows and occurs more frequently.
If you clear your history, the problem is gone.