Ubuntu 18.04.5 - tab flickering when I refresh or loading website
Dear Mozilla Support,
After some update (I think from 89.0.0 version of Mozilla Firefox - this version with new looks of tabs) I notice flickering on the tab when I loading website or refresh website. This looks very strange. Like I said I dindn't notice any issue with flickering on previous Mozilla Firefox versions. Only with these new versions with new look of the tabs. I didn't remember if it was 89.0.0 version or 90.0.0 version. I don't know if it is problem with the machine but I didn't notice this issue on another computer with 90.0.2 Firefox version but with Windows 10 OS. I also noticed this issue with Firefox 90.0.0.2 with Windows 7 OS on another computer so I don't know if this is problem with two computers or Firefox itself. Can you help me?
Yours faithfully, Piotr
Chosen solution
This could be a problem with WebRender or hardware acceleration in Firefox.
You can try to disable WebRender by setting this pref to true on the the about:config page to see if that has effect.
- gfx.webrender.force-disabled = true
You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I accept the risk!" to continue.
Read this answer in context 👍 2All Replies (8)
A video showing the issue would help.
Chosen Solution
This could be a problem with WebRender or hardware acceleration in Firefox.
You can try to disable WebRender by setting this pref to true on the the about:config page to see if that has effect.
- gfx.webrender.force-disabled = true
You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I accept the risk!" to continue.
I tried safe mode and I thinked that issue was gone but I tested today more and I noticed that issue is still here. I also tried turn off hardware acceleration but this not help me. I didn't test yet option "gfx.webrender.force-disabled = true " but I think that this also will not help. I am worry about this because this looks strange. Like I said I only have problem with flickering tab when I refresh or loading website, for example: allegro.pl. This is not visible always. I tested for 10 minutes and I noticed twice flicker so now is it very rare but exist. This is randomly and sometimes this is more often.
P.S. I also deleted firefox files where are located profiles so my browser was reset to factory default settings but this not help.
Modified by Peter
Dear Mozilla Community,
I solve this issue or last update for 91.0 version fixed this issue. Now I will tell you what I did:
1) I tried delete all files in .mozilla directory. Like we know in this location are stored all settings for profiles. This didn't help. 2) I tried run Mozilla Firefox in safe mode. This helps because in this mode I didn't notice this issue. When I run again in "normal" mode this issue was back. 3) I tried gfx.webrender.force-disabled = true in about:config like said user @cor-el. I don't know if this was help because I use it now and I don't notice issue ony my machine with Ubuntu 18.04.5. On Windows 7 machine I also tried change configuration in about:config and this looks like this also helps. After update to 91.0 I returned back to gfx.webrender.force-disabled = false and now this also works fine without issue.
Someone can tell me what cause of this issue was? If I changed settings in about:config like above and only changed from gfx.webrender.force-disabled = false to gfx.webrender.force-disabled = true and now get back to gfx.webrender.force-disabled = false this restores all settings to default or this option change also some other option automatically? Can you tell me?
I had the same problem on Win 7 Enterprise after update 90.0.2 and gfx.webrender.force-disabled = true solved my problem too.
Note that in Firefox 93 it will no longer be possible to disable WebRender. To prepare for that gfx.webrender.force-disabled is renamed to gfx.webrender.force-legacy-layers in Firefox 92.
- 1725388 - Remove/change environment variables and prefs that can disable WR
@cor-el What did you mean that in Firefox 93 will be no longer possible to disable WebRender? Is it mean that if I will be have this same problem I will can not resolve this by this option? If yes what similar option will be in Firefox 93?
I don't know what problem existed in mine two machines (one with Ubuntu and second with Windows 7) but I turned off hardware acceleration on both computers and this didn't help. Only option gfx.webrender.force-disabled = true in about:config helped me. What changes did option made in firefox? Can you explain me?
Modified by Peter
OK, the problem appeared again. The version now is 93.0, 64-bit, OS - Windows 7 Enterprise. It seems that the problem appears once I open more than 4 tabs, otherwise there is no problem. None of the previous settings change the behavior, nor turning off the Hardware acceleration helps. I wonder if I should stop auto-updating firefox and downgrade to the previous version. I am curious what the problem is exactly and what makes this to happen. As I read the web rendering can't be deactivated anymore, but what at all does it make and why this problem occurs, I don't have any idea. Hopefully someone will give us a clue what the problem is.