--
==============================================================================
Sheldon Lee Wen [EMAIL PROTECTED], Nortelnetworks Ottawa Canada
Skyeast CSA
x55800
"Superstition is a word the ignorant use to describe their ignorance."
-- Sifu.
==============================================================================
Title: Mandrake6.0 Netscape Troubleshooting Page
Mandrake Netscape Troubleshooting Page |
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This page is for diagnosing the most common Netscape problems. You will quickly notice
three columns: Symptom, Probable Cause, Solution. The first two are
pretty self explanitory: Symptom describes what is happening to you, Probable Cause describes
what probably caused the problem. However, the Solution section will contain just a heading
of a solution. The solution will be explained in detail later on. The reason that I have
not just typed the solution out there is that Netscape can exhibit many Symptoms that
can be traced back to similar if not identical solutions to the problem.
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Preliminary Procedures
Before you try any of the solutions mentioned below, unless specifically stated otherwise
you should first ensure that no netscape processes are running. You can do this by typing
the command: ps -ef | grep netscape). If there are any lines of output generated then
there are processes running. Kill each process manually by typing kill followed by
the process ID number. The process ID number (PID) is the number directly following your
userid in the output from the ps -ef command. Do the ps -ef | grep netscape command
again to ensure that the processes are stopped. In the event that they are not try killing them
with kill -9 followed by a space and the PID number of the netscape processes.
Note: on some versions of Linux you may need to do ps ax | grep netscape
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Netscape Troubleshooting Section
Symptom | Probable Cause | Solution |
Netscape Crashes on Startup
Netscape core dumps on startup, crashes all the time, or gives an error message about a bus error. This could
actually be the Messenger Freezes on Startup problem if your netscape is setup to
automatically run messenger on startup. |
Most likely the problem is with netscapes configuration and cache files in you
.netscape directory. This can be caused by corrupt files or configuration files
from a different version of netscape.If this is not the case it is a result of
a mismatch between the c libraries installed on your machine and the c libraries
that netscape was compiled against. There are incompatibilities between the different
versions of libc and glibc that can cause netscape to crash. Netscape's glibc version
was linked against glibc2.0.7 and Mandrake6 (as well as most of the newer distributions)
uses 2.1.1 |
preferences.js
.netscape directory
glibc |
Messenger Freezes on Startup
Netscape starts up but Messenger freezes up on startup. Quite often Netscape runs
fine but when trying to access email freezes or crashes. |
Most likely this problem is as result of netscape messengers cache files in you nsmail
directory being corrupted. These files occasionally corrupt themselves without apparent
cause. They can also be corrupted if your netscape crashes while you are performing
an email related function or have messenger running. |
.*.summary files
Corrupt Mailbox |
Netscape Won't Save Bookmarks
Sometimes when you add bookmarks or have been editing your bookmarks when you restart netscape
you get the default bookmarks or the bookmarks you added are gone. |
This is usually caused by one of two problems.
- 1. You have been editing your bookmarks and then explicity saved them or did a save as
then on restarting netscape you get the default bookmarks.
- 2. You have added bookmarks while running multiple instances of netscape and on
restart they disappear but you still have your old bookmarks.
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1. Saved Bookmarks
2. Multiple Browers |
Netscape Preferences are Lost
When you open netscape it shows you the Liscense window and runs as if running for the first time. |
This can be caused if your .netscape directory or preferences.js file is missing, has been renamed
or if the permissions or ownership on it are incorrect. Corruption of the preferences.js file could also
be a cause. If you are using a different version of netscape for the first time it is normal for the
liscence message to be displayed for the new version, but you should not lose your preferences. |
preferences.js
.netscape directory |
Netscape Messenger Can't find you Email Directory
You run netscape and messenger won't open, loses your email (i.e. it shows the default setup for email
that being an Inbox, Unsent Messages, Drafts, Sent and Trash with no email in them), or complains that
it can't find your netscape email (nsmail) directory. |
This is usually caused by an incorrect or missing preferences.js file in your .netscape directory.
If the path to your home directory has changed in any way, you have moved, your account has moved,
or you have gotten a new machine this could result in an incorrectly configured preferences.js file. |
preferences.js |
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Netscape Solutions
| Preferences.js |
For netscape to work, your .netscape directory should contain a preferences.js file.
When your environment changes the settings in this preferences file could be incorrect. This
is especially true if the path to your home or email directory has changed. If so you can edit the
preferences file by hand and change all occurences of the path. If you are not comfortable doing this
or you cannot see a problem with the file or the file is corrupted then the easiest thing to do
is shutdown netscape, delete the preferences.js file and restart netscape. Then reconfigure it.
It is important that all of your netscape processes be stopped prior to deleting the file and regenerating
it check for them by following the prliminary procedures.
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| .netscape directory |
If your problems are not solved by reconfiguring the preferences.js file or you get the bus error message
"IOT Trap core dump" of "busd error" it can usually be solved by renaming your .netscape directory so that netscape cannot
find it and hence regenerated the standard configuration files. You can do this by first making sure that
you have no old netscape processes running by following the preliminary procedures mentioned above.
Then cd to your home directory by typing
cd
Next rename your .netscape directory to .old by typing
mv .netscape .netscape.old
Then start Netscape again and reconfigure your netscape.
Then copy over your bookmarks.html file. See Importing Bookmarks for information
on how to do this. Be careful not to explicitly save your bookmarks however. After importing them just
select close from the file manager. To import your addressbook see Importing Address Books.
If you want to start multiple instances of netscape then shutdown netscape and restart it
first. Then you can invoke more netscape processes.
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| glibc |
If your netscape crashing problems are not solved by the preferences.js or .netscape directory solutions then
the last thing to try is to download a libc5-based version of netscape from
http://Coruscant.NetRevolution.com/pub/Netscape/
This has been shown to fix most crashing problems.
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| .*.summary files |
First make sure that you are not running any netscape processes. To be sure follow the
preliminary procedures. Go to your netscape mail directory by typing cd ~/nsmail
Do an
ls -asl
If you see any files named after one of your mailboxes with a
.lock or .summary at the end delete these files. You can remove all of the
.summary files by typing
rm .*.summary
Then before starting netscape
again make sure that that your user configuration
is correct if unsure repeat the netscape configuration. Then re run netscape messenger.
Each mail box will have ??? listed as the number of messages read and unread.
When you double click on the folders/mailboxes it will then rebuild the cache files.
If this still doen't work you could have a corrupt mailbox or your email server could be down.
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| Corrupt Mailboxes |
If your mailboxes are corrupted then it will have to be restored.
A mailbox can become corrupted when it is very large, or for some other reason.
When a netscape mailbox becomes corrupted the only
thing that can really be done is to have it restored from a backup.
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| Saved Bookmarks |
The permissions of a bookmarks file can change automatically to a random userid or root with the group usually
set to nobody. This is a bug that occurs when a user edits their bookmarks and then tries to
explicitly save them or do a save as. The resolution is to try to cat the bookmarks file to another
file
cat bookmarks.html > bookmarks2.html
and then try and move out the old file and move
in the new one.
mv bookmarks2.html bookmarks.html
If these steps don't work submit a service request and
to have the permissions on the bookmarks changed. Next time you edit the bookmarks file just select close instead of
save. The bookmarks changes get saved this way as well.
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| Multiple Browsers |
When you have multiple instances of netscape running only the first netscape process that was started can access
netscapes files and do things such as ftp, etc. This is because netscape locks control over certain files on
startup. If you try to ad a bookmark using any other instance of netscape other than the first netscape that
you run the bookmarks will be lost. The same goes for tying to change your preferences. This is normal behaviour
and cannot be fixed or changed.
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| Importing Bookmarks |
To import you bookmarks from an older bookmarks.html file do the following:
- Click on the communicator menu.
- Go to the bookmarks menu and select edit bookmarks.
- You can delete the existing bookmarks if you wish. Otherwise highlight the
folder you want to import your bookmarks into.
- Click on the file menu of the edit bookmarks window.
- Select import.
- You will get the file selection window. Select the file you import and click ok.
- Continue to edit your bookmarks. When you are finished select close from the
file menu not save or save as
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| Importing Address Books |
To import you address books from another netscape directory file do the following:
- Click on the communicator menu.
- Click on Address Book
- In the drop down box beside the text box labelled "Type in the name you are looking for"
make sure it reads "Personal Address Book".
- Click on the file menu and select import. If it is grayed out you have not
completed the previous step.
- You will get the file selection window. Select the file you import and click ok.
- When you are finished select close from the file menu not save or save as
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