Resolved endless progress indicator when replying to a topic, worked around by disabling a feature of XenForo

[grahamperrin]

Probably not an issue with the site, but until a day or so ago I never encountered this problem, so I keep an open mind.

Using Firefox 47.0.1 (the most recent for my preferred platform), with user agent set to Firefox for Windows. Various extensions.

Symptom: when I reply to a topic, there's the progress indicator at top right – endless – so it appears as if the reply is not posted but if I (Control-R) reload the page, I find that the post succeeded.

Any suggestions? Has anyone else found those symptoms and if so, are they associated with a particular extension (or combination of extensions)?

The problem does not occur when I begin a topic.

 

[grahamperrin]

I encountered the same symptom when posting https://xenforo.com/community/posts/1093056

As this problem affecting XenForo is not specific to MacRumors Forums, we can treat this topic as resolved.
For reference, an example (with the . . . progress indicator visible near the right hand side of the screen):

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Yes, this has been a problem for me, too.

 

[grahamperrin]

Testing … no longer a problem. goodness didn't last for long.

 

[grahamperrin]

@Scepticalscribe still a problem for you? Sporadic?

https://xenforo.com/community/threads/testing.53472/#post-1098391 as a partial record of tests, it's proving extraordinarily difficult to positively determine the root cause(s) of this problem.

 

[grahamperrin]

Reviewing this problem (it's frequent, annoying) … a test with Firefox 49.0 in safe mode … the problem is reproduced.

Please: can someone check whether the service configuration is allowing browsers to cache content that should not be cached?

 

[grahamperrin]

Now in XenForo Community, for consideration as a bug report:

• Frequent representation of stale content from XenForo, most noticeable with Firefox

 

[997440]

@grahamperrin
I've been running Fx (close to whatever the then current version is) in Windows and OS X and haven't experienced the issue at XenForo sites. I use script blockers at all sites, including the ones I have a paid membership to. Perhaps that's the difference. If it is, a process of elimination could be used.

If you haven't yet, you can try disabling the Flash-based uploader located in settings -> browser preferences. There's a page call for it, whether it's actually used or not.

The link in your post #5 leads to a page that prompts for a login. Can't see what's been tried to date.

 

[grahamperrin]

Thanks @rshrugged

Side note: the greatest surprise to me (it may be common knowledge to some people) is that whilst Firefox does list Plugins under about:addons, those plugins are not disabled when Firefox reportedly disables all add-ons



– if Mozilla had been clearer about that contradiction in safe mode, we might have understood the problem sooner.

Back on topic …

Problems when replying inline

Yesterday's test at https://xenforo.com/community/threads/testing.53472/page-2#post-1114467 was successful.

Now, another test with:

• Firefox 49.0 in normal mode on TrueOS Desktop
• Electrolysis (e10s) enabled
• Adblock Plus 2.8.2 and some other enabled extensions behaving as if they are not enabled (for at least some of these, the loss of functionality is to be expected whilst e10s is rolled out)
  
• Adobe Flash Player 11.2.202.632 (only slightly inferior to Adobe's current 11.2.202.644 Extended Support Release (ESR))
  
• XenForo's Flash-based uploader disabled …

$ uname -v
FreeBSD 12.0-CURRENT #14 1717ae3(drm-next-4.7): Fri Oct 28 13:49:49 UTC 2016     root@gauntlet:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC
$

 

[grahamperrin]

… try disabling the Flash-based uploader located in settings -> browser preferences.

+1

– consistent with what was suggested by the XenForo developer.

To work around the problem, now, I disable the feature at both MacRumors Forums and XenForo Community.

There's a page call for it, whether it's actually used or not.

I would never have guessed (or known how to figure that out)!

Re: https://gitter.im/trueos/Lobby?at=5835e4e923157bcb1cc1e7ac I might report the issue, but not until after I retest with Firefox 50.

No longer classified as a bug in XenForo Community, Mike (the developer) renamed the topic to:

• JS error when posting (Flash uploader related)

 

[997440]

+1

– consistent with what was suggested by the XenForo developer.

To work around the problem, now, I disable the feature at both MacRumors Forums and XenForo Community.

I would never have guessed (or known how to figure that out)!

Re: https://gitter.im/trueos/Lobby?at=5835e4e923157bcb1cc1e7ac I might report the issue, but not until after I retest with Firefox 50.

No longer classified as a bug in XenForo Community, Mike (the developer) renamed the topic to:

• JS error when posting (Flash uploader related)

Thanks @rshrugged

You're welcome. I had help from troubleshooting a different issue, which gave me the clue we needed. Glad we got it sorted.

Happy Thanksgiving, to you and yours.

Issue that caused me to find it -- https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/forum-pages-request-flash-use.2002664/