thunderbird problem

I am on f40 and regularly keeping up with updates.
$ uname -a
Linux e7.eyal.emu.id.au 6.12.11-100.fc40.x86_64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Thu Jan 23 22:07:15 UTC 2025 x86_64 GNU/Linux
TB is 128.6.0esr (64-bit)

Short story: TB stays active with high %CPU in "top".

I start TB. Fetch mail (POP3). So far so good.
After a few times I do  "Compact Folders". The messages go though a few folders and then say it is done.
However, the blue line at the bottom right stays solid blue and "top" shows about 60-70% CPU.
This is with the focus and the mouse are NOT on TB.

I later collect mail and that line goes wavy and stays so after mail is collected. Usually forever. I once left it overnight...

The only solution is to restart TB. Not nice.

How do I find what TB is actually doing?

BTW:
- I removed all the .msf files, which were then recreated when I did a global search.
- I vacuumed the sql databases for this profile.

[Charlie Dennett]

On Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at 6:43 PM  wrote:
> I am on f40 and regularly keeping up with updates.
> $ uname -a
> Linux e7.eyal.emu.id.au 6.12.11-100.fc40.x86_64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC
> Thu Jan 23 22:07:15 UTC 2025 x86_64 GNU/Linux
> TB is 128.6.0esr (64-bit)
>
> Short story: TB stays active with high %CPU in "top".
>
> I start TB. Fetch mail (POP3). So far so good.
> After a few times I do  "Compact Folders". The messages go though a few
> folders and then say it is done.
> However, the blue line at the bottom right stays solid blue and "top"
> shows about 60-70% CPU.
> This is with the focus and the mouse are NOT on TB.
>
> I later collect mail and that line goes wavy and stays so after mail is
> collected. Usually forever. I once left it overnight...
>
> The only solution is to restart TB. Not nice.
>
> How do I find what TB is actually doing?
>
> BTW:
> I removed all the .msf files, which were then recreated when I did a
>
> global search.
> I vacuumed the sql databases for this profile.

I've observed a similar issue on fedora 41.  Every once in a while TB would
use a lot of cpu cycles.  It would last a while and eventually go back to
normal only to repeat.  I was never able to figure out what it was doing.
I just lived with it.

Yesterday I installed KDE 6.3 from the testing repository plus all other
updates from the update repository.  It may be too early but I have not
noticed this behavior since.  Time will tell.

BTW, if you want to say you keep up with updates, you might want to update
for Fedora 41.

[richard emberson]

Has been happening to me for a couple of years - multiple IMAP google accounts.
Mostly, it happens when I delete a bunch of stuff from the Archives folders.
Thunderbird would freeze.
Using Wayland, after Thunderbird crashes, Wayland UI was frozen and I had to
reboot.
So, went back to X (xfce4); Thunderbird crashing does not kill X.
Recently, if I leave Thunderbird alone, it eventually comes back.

RME

[ToddAndMargo]

On 2/12/25 3:42 PM, [e-mail] wrote:
> I am on f40 and regularly keeping up with updates.
> $ uname -a
> Linux e7.eyal.emu.id.au 6.12.11-100.fc40.x86_64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC 
> Thu Jan 23 22:07:15 UTC 2025 x86_64 GNU/Linux
> TB is 128.6.0esr (64-bit)
>
> Short story: TB stays active with high %CPU in "top".
>
> I start TB. Fetch mail (POP3). So far so good.
> After a few times I do  "Compact Folders". The messages go though a few 
> folders and then say it is done.
> However, the blue line at the bottom right stays solid blue and "top" 
> shows about 60-70% CPU.
> This is with the focus and the mouse are NOT on TB.
>
> I later collect mail and that line goes wavy and stays so after mail is 
> collected. Usually forever. I once left it overnight...
>
> The only solution is to restart TB. Not nice.
>
> How do I find what TB is actually doing?
>
> BTW:
> I removed all the .msf files, which were then recreated when I did a
>
> global search.
> I vacuumed the sql databases for this profile.

Not what you asked, but when does that stop me!!!! <Maniacal Laughter>

I switched to Betterbird and all my problesm vanished.
    https://betterbird.eu

It uses your Thunderbird profile, so nothing to alter.
Start Betterbird with "-P" switch to pick up the
correct profile from Thunderbird.

It is me, the OP. To simplify the story.
- start TB. OK
- fetch POP3 mail. A few times in a few hours. All OK.
- do a "Compact Folders".
    messages say it completed. The blue activity line remains wavy(*).
    TB is idle yet it shows 60-70% CPU in "top".
    If I minimize TB then it stops using CPU.
    If I select a folder (but do nothing) the %CPU goes up to around 120%.
    Turning off the status bar also stops using CPU!

This last item probably points at the source of the problem!

TIA

(*) the item at the right side of the bottom status line shows a rolling blue/white pattern, as if it is active.

[Tim]

On Thu, 2025-02-13 at 18:49 +1100, [e-mail] wrote:
> It is me, the OP. To simplify the story.
> start TB. OK
> fetch POP3 mail. A few times in a few hours. All OK.
> do a "Compact Folders".
>       messages say it completed. The blue activity line remains wavy(*).
>       TB is idle yet it shows 60-70% CPU in "top".
>       If I minimize TB then it stops using CPU.
>       If I select a folder (but do nothing) the %CPU goes up to around 120%.
>       Turning off the status bar also stops using CPU!
>
> This last item probably points at the source of the problem!

Ha!  Typical, it spends more time fiddling with the display than doing
the job.

When I used Thunderbird, long ago, it took an absolute age re-indexing
folders.  Folders that had their contents changed since the last time
Thunderbird looked into them, because the IMAP server was accessed by
more than one mail client, and it had to fiddle around with its local
mbox cache files.

I never thought of turning off a status indicator (and wouldn't want
to, either).  But out of curiosity, what method is your Thunderbird
using to store messages locally?  And is it less burdened on a folder
with very few messages in it?

On 13/2/25 20:38, Tim wrote:
> On Thu, 2025-02-13 at 18:49 +1100, [e-mail] wrote:
> > It is me, the OP. To simplify the story.
> > start TB. OK
> > fetch POP3 mail. A few times in a few hours. All OK.
> > do a "Compact Folders".
> >        messages say it completed. The blue activity line remains wavy(*).
> >        TB is idle yet it shows 60-70% CPU in "top".
> >        If I minimize TB then it stops using CPU.
> >        If I select a folder (but do nothing) the %CPU goes up to around 120%.
> >        Turning off the status bar also stops using CPU!
> >
> > This last item probably points at the source of the problem!
>
> Ha!  Typical, it spends more time fiddling with the display than doing
> the job.
>
> When I used Thunderbird, long ago, it took an absolute age re-indexing
> folders.  Folders that had their contents changed since the last time
> Thunderbird looked into them, because the IMAP server was accessed by
> more than one mail client, and it had to fiddle around with its local
> mbox cache files.
>
> I never thought of turning off a status indicator (and wouldn't want
> to, either).  But out of curiosity, what method is your Thunderbird

I would also prefer to have the status line visible.
> using to store messages locally?  And is it less burdened on a folder
> with very few messages in it?

I fetch mail using POP3, so everything is local. I use message filters into many dozens of folders.

Opening a folder is quick enough to not notice. Marking junk messages takes a few seconds after all mail arrives.

[Ron Flory]

On 2/13/2025 1:49 AM, [e-mail] wrote:
> It is me, the OP. To simplify the story.
> start TB. OK
> fetch POP3 mail. A few times in a few hours. All OK.
> do a "Compact Folders".
>
> messages say it completed. The blue activity line remains wavy(*).
>     TB is idle yet it shows 60-70% CPU in "top".
>     If I minimize TB then it stops using CPU.
>     If I select a folder (but do nothing) the %CPU goes up to around 
> 120%.
>     Turning off the status bar also stops using CPU!
>
> This last item probably points at the source of the problem!
>
> TIA
>
> (*) the item at the right side of the bottom status line shows a 
> rolling blue/white pattern, as if it is active.

Yeah-  similar issues seem to be a persistent theme reported for TBird 
over several years now.  Search the TBird bugzilla and you'll see it 
popping up again and again.  I reported pretty much the same thing 2..3 
years back- my guess was a tight display-update loop that continuously 
called the display-manager (X11 at that time) for an unchanged status.

ron