Text Vanished

Users and developers helping users with generic and technical Pale Moon issues on all operating systems.

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AnotherBloodyLogin

Text Vanished

Unread post by AnotherBloodyLogin » 2018-03-08, 11:57

It looks as though Pale Moon is trying to protect me from something!

I must have done something to the settings of my Pale Moon for Linux, something that I cannot find how to undo.
- Pale Moon 27.7.2
- Linux Mint 17.3 xfce 32bit [thank you but no, I do not want 18.anything xfce as I don't like the desktop]

I attach screenshots of the same web page in both Pale Moon 27.7.2 (Linux Native) and Firefox 52.4.0 (Win32 portable on Wine). In both cases the programs are running in "Safe Mode". This missing text (or in some cases pictures) is typical of many sites, or portions of sites, and has made Pale Moon effectively unusable.
FX52 Screenshot.png
Firefox 52 showing good page
PM27 Screenshot.png
Pale Moon 27 with corrupted page

I have tried re-installing Pale Moon over the top of the existing installation - no change.
I have tried removing Pale Moon, and removing Pale Moon completely (allegedly removing all personalisation and all other records of the program) - no change
I have tried ferreting through Thunar (file manager) searching for all instances of Pale Moon and Moonchild Productions in file and folder names and deleting them, not just consigning them to the recycle bin - no change.

Does anyone know what to try next?

Or must I reach for the DBAN and then reinstall Linux onto a disk wiped to the Gutman standard? (ie Wiped 32 times)

Many thanks for your help,

Jeff

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Moonraker
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Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by Moonraker » 2018-03-08, 13:27

what extensions are you using ?
Judging form the url bar mixed content is getting blocked.ssl images perhaps.?

Have you checked in your preferences in regard to images etc.?..does it say from originating server.?

Is java script getting blocked somehow.?
user of multiple puppy linuxes..upup,fossapup.scpup,xenialpup..... :thumbup:

Pale moon 29.4.1

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Night Wing
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Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by Night Wing » 2018-03-08, 14:30

I'm in agreement with Moonraker because 64 bit linux Pale Moon 27.8.1 running in 64 bit linux Mint 18.3 Xfce renders the Daily Moon site properly since I copied the exact same address shown in your Navigation/Address bar screenshot into my Navigation/Address bar. Nothing is missing. All pictures are seen and there is no missing text.

The only addons I use are Adblock Latitude 4.0.1 and NoSquint (2.1.9.1).
Linux Mint 21.3 (Virginia) Xfce w/ Linux Pale Moon, Linux Waterfox, Linux SeaLion, Linux Firefox
MX Linux 23.2 (Libretto) Xfce w/ Linux Pale Moon, Linux Waterfox, Linux SeaLion, Linux Firefox
Linux Debian 12.5 (Bookworm) Xfce w/ Linux Pale Moon, Linux Waterfox, Linux SeaLion, Linux Firefox

AnotherBloodyLogin

Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by AnotherBloodyLogin » 2018-03-08, 21:49

Perhaps I have missed something, but I was under the impression that running in SAFE MODE disabled ALL extensions for the duration. Which is why I used it when preparing those two screen shots, and said so in my original post.

However, to answer the point about Javascript, I get the same effect whether I enable or disable NoScript, or even completely uninstall it. I have NoScript on both browsers, and Pale Moon worked for ages perfectly correctly with NoScript installed and enabled before suddenly going into mental breakdown mode as shown in the image.

On the Pale Moon page shown, all the images are present as in the same page viewed by Firefox. The difference is that the TEXT is missing, which enables the pictures to move closer together. The only restrictions on sources of images or anything else will be found in the HOSTS file which will affect both browsers, provided of course that safe mode does actually disable all extensions as it announces it does.

Yes I am aware that it is something that affects only my installed browser, which I why I explained about uninstalling and reinstalling without any change, and am now asking about settings. But please, not actions that I have already tried without success.



Sorry for the anger, it is the end of a bloody awful day, and I did try my best to make clear what I have already done and tried.

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ron_1
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Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by ron_1 » 2018-03-09, 00:53

Try it in a new profile, which is one step beyond safe mode. Just be sure to backup your old profile!

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Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by Moonchild » 2018-03-09, 10:57

After uninstalling NoScript, did you also clear cookies and your cache? Because if you don't you may still be looking at cached bogus/truncated content.
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Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by stevenpusser » 2018-03-09, 22:38

How are you installing Pale Moon---from the installer script, manually, or from the OBS repo?

Could it have anything to do with the way the official PM binaries are built using gcc-4.9, and Mint 17 only has 4.8?

AnotherBloodyLogin

Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by AnotherBloodyLogin » 2018-03-10, 17:07

Just an extra little snippet: When I just logged into this forum using the saved passwords feature in Pale Moon, my name turned up as normal once I put the first letter in. At the same time it used (before all this started) to fill the password box with the row of dots. Now nothing is visible in the password box, not even text in the same colour as the background. But clicking "login" has obviously sent the password to the forum server, 'cos I'm here now!
helloimustbegoing wrote:Try it in a new profile, which is one step beyond safe mode. Just be sure to backup your old profile!
Well, when I reinstalled from scratch I renamed the old profile so that it couldn't find it and had to do a new one. Will that do?
Moonchild wrote:After uninstalling NoScript, did you also clear cookies and your cache? Because if you don't you may still be looking at cached bogus/truncated content.
I have every browser that I use set to destroy cookies and cache on closing. I think Pale Moon is capable of doing that also. And I did shut it down and restart - an old Windows habit! Otherwise for pages that I have previously visited it might be possible. But the page shown in my first post is changed several times a day, and the browsers would have been showing different pictures if one was stuck with an out of date cache.
stevepusser wrote:How are you installing Pale Moon---from the installer script, manually, or from the OBS repo?
From the repository at http://www.kovacsoltvideo.hu/moonchildproductions

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adesh
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Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by adesh » 2018-03-10, 17:18

Check your font color settings. Go to Tools -> Preferences -> Content and click "Colors".

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Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by Moonraker » 2018-03-10, 17:50

Just a note.I tend to leave the browser cache alone and clear it maybe once a month or so.same goes for browser history.
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AnotherBloodyLogin

Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by AnotherBloodyLogin » 2018-03-10, 18:43

AnotherBloodyLogin wrote: Now nothing is visible in the password box, not even text in the same colour as the background.[Underline inserted here for additional clarity]
is what I assume gave rise to:
adesh wrote:Check your font color settings. Go to Tools -> Preferences -> Content and click "Colors".
No need to check for same colour font as background, there is nothing there, I have checked. If you try to select text for copying, it shows up against the "this is a selection" colour, even if it is normally invisible by being the same colour as the background.
Moonraker wrote:Just a note.I tend to leave the browser cache alone and clear it maybe once a month or so.same goes for browser history.
Just paranoia!

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Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by Moonraker » 2018-03-10, 18:50

Not paranoia at all.i frequent several regular sites so a cache helps,
user of multiple puppy linuxes..upup,fossapup.scpup,xenialpup..... :thumbup:

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ron_1
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Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by ron_1 » 2018-03-10, 19:12

AnotherBloodyLogin wrote:
Well, when I reinstalled from scratch I renamed the old profile so that it couldn't find it and had to do a new one. Will that do?
That is the exact method I use when I test things in a new profile. When I'm done testing, I delete the new profile and rename the old one what it's supposed to be.

AnotherBloodyLogin

Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by AnotherBloodyLogin » 2018-03-15, 15:32

helloimustbegoing wrote:
AnotherBloodyLogin wrote:
Well, when I reinstalled from scratch I renamed the old profile so that it couldn't find it and had to do a new one. Will that do?
That is the exact method I use when I test things in a new profile. When I'm done testing, I delete the new profile and rename the old one what it's supposed to be.
And it makes no difference for me, whether the new or then the revived profile, neither have much text around the place. I begin to suspect that what is causing this is outside of Pale Moon. Though it only affects Pale Moon as far as I can tell. Here we go ... nuke and re-install Linux!

Lew Rockwell Fan

Re: Text Vanished

Unread post by Lew Rockwell Fan » 2018-03-18, 18:37

AnotherBloodyLogin wrote: I have tried removing Pale Moon, and removing Pale Moon completely (allegedly removing all personalisation and all other records of the program) - no change
I have tried ferreting through Thunar (file manager) searching for all instances of Pale Moon and Moonchild Productions in file and folder names and deleting them, not just consigning them to the recycle bin
I wonder if that word "allegedly" isn't the heart of the problem. You apparently know that the -purge option does NOT really do as advertised. If you haven't already nuked the installation, it might be useful to say exactly how you purged palemoon before reinstalling and exactly what files & directories you removed. If it were me, I'd try:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get purge palemoon
rm -r '~/.cache/moonchild productions'
rm -r '~/.moonchild productions'
I don't see anything in ~/.config/ but I'm on 16.04 and that may have changed so it wouldn't hurt to look. Using thunar, be sure you have it set to show hidden files (although generally files in ~/.config/ aren't hidden).

I wonder if this is what happens if PM is trying to use a missing font or a font that is somehow corrupt or defecttive? Might be worth trying forcing a different font.
Last edited by Lew Rockwell Fan on 2018-03-18, 18:39, edited 1 time in total.

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