Insomnia: Unreadable about menu in Linux

[hadisfr]

Describe the bug
About menu in Linux Ubuntu is totally filled with unreadable square-like characters.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Go to 'Help' menu
2. Click on 'About'
3. See error

Expected behavior
Seeing readable contents.

Screenshots

Desktop

• OS: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS
• Installation Method: snap (latest/stable channel)
• App Version 2020.4.0 2020-09-14

Additional context
When running from terminal, only the following warning appears after opening about menu, which seems unimportant:

$ insomnia
...
Gtk-Message: 12:45:37.468: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.

[develohpanda]

Thanks for the report! I wonder if it is related to missing fonts. Did it work for you in 2020.3.3 (the previous stable version)?

[hadisfr]

Unfortunately, I cannot test the previous version. After reverting to 2020.3.3 using snap I get some no such file or directory related to appmenu-gtk-module (Seems snap revert bug or incomplete revert or sth).

[hadisfr]

But also a totally white screen appears whenever I click _Preferences_ in 2020.4.0. t may be related to this issue or not.

Logs in --enable-logging modes:

[19955:0916/015916.601753:INFO:CONSOLE(31635)] "[ga] Event Modals, Show, SettingsModal", source: file:///snap/insomnia/102/resources/app.asar/bundle.js (31635)
Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object width does not accept value [75 100)

[develohpanda]

Just looked at the PR that introduced it (https://github.com/Kong/insomnia/pull/2505) and it contains a screenshot from Linux working correctly on Ubunutu 20.04.1. 🤔 INS-124.

[hadisfr]

Interesting… 🤔

My config is (using the left button which seems to be copy):

Version: Insomnia Core 2020.4.0
Release date: 10/09/2020
OS: Linux x64 5.4.0-47-generic
Electron: 9.1.1
Node: 12.14.1
V8: 8.3.110.13-electron.0
Architecture: x64
node-libcurl: libcurl/7.69.1 OpenSSL/1.1.1g zlib/1.2.11 brotli/1.0.7 libssh2/1.9.0 nghttp2/1.41.0

So it seems to be just font problem, as you said. But I expected a warning (in terminal) for missing font, at least in debug mode. 🤔
My full log:

$ insomnia --enable-logging
Error org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Failed: cannot set "default-url-scheme-handler" setting to invalid value "insomnia"
Gtk-Message: 13:10:30.694: Failed to load module "appmenu-gtk-module"
[8558:0916/131030.766220:ERROR:sandbox_linux.cc(374)] InitializeSandbox() called with multiple threads in process gpu-process.
[fix] Running database repairs
[db] Initialized DB at /home/hadi/snap/insomnia/102/.config/Insomnia/insomnia.$TYPE.db
Init responses DB
[localstorage] Initialized at /home/hadi/snap/insomnia/102/.config/Insomnia/localStorage
[main] Loading file:///snap/insomnia/102/resources/app.asar/renderer.html
[ga] Non-interactive General, Launched, 2020.4.0
[ga] Queued event [
  { name: 't', value: 'event' },
  { name: 'ec', value: 'General' },
  { name: 'ea', value: 'Launched' },
  { name: 'ni', value: '1' },
  { name: 'el', value: '2020.4.0' }
]
[updater] Updater not running platform=linux dev=false
[8455:0916/131032.813694:INFO:CONSOLE(1214)] "[db] Initialized DB client", source: file:///snap/insomnia/102/resources/app.asar/bundle.js (1214)
(node:8585) Electron: Loading non-context-aware native module in renderer: '/run/user/1000/snap.insomnia/.org.chromium.Chromium.OsKEUX'. This is deprecated, see https://github.com/electron/electron/issues/18397.
(node:8585) Electron: Loading non-context-aware native module in renderer: '/run/user/1000/snap.insomnia/.org.chromium.Chromium.VTIjdY'. This is deprecated, see https://github.com/electron/electron/issues/18397.
(node:8585) [DEP0005] DeprecationWarning: Buffer() is deprecated due to security and usability issues. Please use the Buffer.alloc(), Buffer.allocUnsafe(), or Buffer.from() methods instead.
[8455:0916/131033.427580:INFO:CONSOLE(194290)] "[FileSystemDriver] Initialized in "/home/hadi/snap/insomnia/102/.config/Insomnia/version-control"", source: file:///snap/insomnia/102/resources/app.asar/bundle.js (194290)
[8455:0916/131033.453656:INFO:CONSOLE(31635)] "[ga] Event Activity, Change, insomnia", source: file:///snap/insomnia/102/resources/app.asar/bundle.js (31635)
[8455:0916/131033.453708:INFO:CONSOLE(31662)] "[ga] Page /insomnia", source: file:///snap/insomnia/102/resources/app.asar/bundle.js (31662)
[8455:0916/131034.459063:INFO:CONSOLE(175771)] "[sync] Initialized", source: file:///snap/insomnia/102/resources/app.asar/bundle.js (175771)
Gtk-Message: 13:11:18.435: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.

Is there any way I can test other versions without installation? _.zip_ artifact of release seems to have macOS version only.

[develohpanda]

Very strange

Is there any way I can test other versions without installation? .zip artifact of release seems to have macOS version only.

Unfortunately there is no portable version, so the only way is to install it. Older versions should be under releases if you filter to core@2020. or designer@2020..

When I get a change I will try this in a fresh VM running your version of Ubuntu. That might help to narrow down whether this is scoped to your installation, or to do with Ubuntu itself.

With the Electron upgrade introduced in 2020.4.0, there was an update to how the font-manager module was used, so it _could_ be related, but also possibly unrelated.

[miguelbaldi]

Same thing for me, on Fedora 32.
I've tested the AppImage version, and seems to work fine: https://updates.insomnia.rest/downloads/linux/latest
Problem only occurs on Snap version.

[miguelbaldi]

Log runnig with AppImage (works fine):

[fix] Running database repairs
[db] Initialized DB at /home/miguel/.config/Insomnia/insomnia.$TYPE.db
Init responses DB
[localstorage] Initialized at /home/miguel/.config/Insomnia/localStorage
[main] Loading file:///tmp/.mount_Insomn1GpvxB/resources/app.asar/renderer.html
[ga] Non-interactive General, First Launch, 2020.4.0
[ga] Queued event [
  { name: 't', value: 'event' },
  { name: 'ec', value: 'General' },
  { name: 'ea', value: 'First Launch' },
  { name: 'ni', value: '1' },
  { name: 'el', value: '2020.4.0' }
]
[updater] Updater not running platform=linux dev=false
(node:37028) Electron: Loading non-context-aware native module in renderer: '/tmp/.org.chromium.Chromium.UPLpr7'. This is deprecated, see https://github.com/electron/electron/issues/18397.
(node:37028) Electron: Loading non-context-aware native module in renderer: '/tmp/.org.chromium.Chromium.HMDGy4'. This is deprecated, see https://github.com/electron/electron/issues/18397.
(node:37028) [DEP0005] DeprecationWarning: Buffer() is deprecated due to security and usability issues. Please use the Buffer.alloc(), Buffer.allocUnsafe(), or Buffer.from() methods instead.

Log running with Snap (does not work):

WARNING: cgroup v2 is not fully supported yet, proceeding with partial confinement
/bin/bash: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (en_US.UTF-8)
/bin/bash: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (en_US.UTF-8)
/bin/bash: warning: setlocale: LC_ALL: cannot change locale (en_US.UTF-8)
Error org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Failed: cannot use setting "default-url-scheme-handler": not allowed
/usr/share/libdrm/amdgpu.ids: No such file or directory
[fix] Running database repairs
[db] Initialized DB at /home/miguel/snap/insomnia/102/.config/Insomnia/insomnia.$TYPE.db
Init responses DB
[localstorage] Initialized at /home/miguel/snap/insomnia/102/.config/Insomnia/localStorage
[main] Loading file:///snap/insomnia/102/resources/app.asar/renderer.html
[ga] Non-interactive General, Launched, 2020.4.0
[ga] Queued event [
  { name: 't', value: 'event' },
  { name: 'ec', value: 'General' },
  { name: 'ea', value: 'Launched' },
  { name: 'ni', value: '1' },
  { name: 'el', value: '2020.4.0' }
]
[updater] Updater not running platform=linux dev=false
(node:37713) Electron: Loading non-context-aware native module in renderer: '/run/user/1000/snap.insomnia/.org.chromium.Chromium.cEsOYU'. This is deprecated, see https://github.com/electron/electron/issues/18397.
(node:37713) Electron: Loading non-context-aware native module in renderer: '/run/user/1000/snap.insomnia/.org.chromium.Chromium.BqSAI7'. This is deprecated, see https://github.com/electron/electron/issues/18397.
(node:37713) [DEP0005] DeprecationWarning: Buffer() is deprecated due to security and usability issues. Please use the Buffer.alloc(), Buffer.allocUnsafe(), or Buffer.from() methods instead.

[sonicyeti]

I'm unable to reproduce this on Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS running snap installed Insomnia Designer 2020.4.1.

[sonicyeti]

I'm also unable to reproduce this on Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS running snap installed Insomnia Designer 2020.4

[hadisfr]

@sonicyeti Could you check insomnia client, too, please?

[sonicyeti]

@sonicyeti Could you check insomnia client, too, please?

Will do!

[sgohl]

edit: this happens with the snap package. the AppImage does work

I have this issue on Fedora 32 (xfce) with the following logs message:

[28210:0928/144128.350050:WARNING:browser_main_loop.cc(273)] GLib: getpwuid_r(): failed due to unknown user id (1010)
Gtk-Message: 14:41:28.464: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.

That message is apparently caused by the fact that my user is not a classic system passwd/shadow user, but SSSD (Active Directory) bound. Insomnia seems to rely on a local system user id

[develohpanda]

That message is apparently caused by the fact that my user is not a classic system passwd/shadow user, but SSSD (Active Directory) bound. Insomnia seems to rely on a local system user id

Ooh thanks for this, it might help narrow down what's causing it... @hadisfr and @miguelbaldi, is that the same case with your accounts as well?

[hadisfr]

Ooh thanks for this, it might help narrow down what's causing it... @hadisfr and @miguelbaldi, is that the same case with your accounts as well?

Hmm interesting. It might be a case in snap version, too. But I would expect a related log as the one is in https://github.com/Kong/insomnia/issues/2614#issuecomment-699984493 to appear in my logs, if it's the case. I could not find such log in my full logs(https://github.com/Kong/insomnia/issues/2614#issuecomment-693265008). 🤔

[sonicyeti]

@sonicyeti Could you check insomnia client, too, please?

Here is what I'm seeing w/ Core on the same VM.

[hadisfr]

The problem seems similar to https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/issues/5217.

[hadisfr]

OK. I found something.
It seems to be related to fontconfig's bug (See https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/snapped-app-not-loading-fonts-on-fedora-and-arch/12484/18).
The workaround https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/snapped-app-not-loading-fonts-on-fedora-and-arch/12484/60 fixed the problem for me:

sudo rm /var/cache/fontconfig/*
rm ~/.cache/fontconfig/*
fc-cache -r

@sgohl Can you test this please?
I think @sonicyeti used a new VM without any old font cache, so no problem was spotted.

[sgohl]

@sgohl Can you test this please?

I did that before I commented here. Does not work for me. I also copied over all fonts from a ubuntu installation and rerun sudo fc-cache --really-force

I think my problem with the user from sssd is like on-top of the base problem here

[sonicyeti]

My oldest Ubuntu VM is only a few months old, tried it though anyway and the issue isn't present.

[nijikokun]

@sgohl any help would be appreciated here, we cannot reproduce on the team and it looks like our current best solution for the issue is comment posted by @hadisfr which points to it being an underlying snap issue.

[sgohl]

we cannot reproduce on the team

it is reproducable if you just install a fresh fedora xfce spin (not sure if classic gnome has same problem), install snapd and then insomnia.
If you tell me I should test something particular, I will help happily

[Tony308]

I think it's a local issue and snap because I've got two separate apps installed from snaps; which is insomnia designer and I've got the same issue with the fonts loading squares. Also have issue with #2707 which I presume is related to the fonts. Installation from other package managers seem fine.

[Tony308]

I think it's a local issue and snap because I've got two separate apps installed from snaps; which is insomnia designer and I've got the same issue with the fonts loading squares. Also have issue with #2707 which I presume is related to the fonts. Installation from other package managers seem fine.

I uninstalled insomnia-designer from snap and used the AppImage instead. Works completely fine now.