Firefox memory leaks

Glenn · Dec 05, 2010, 16:28:49

Anyone having problems with FF3, patched up to date? After a couple of hours use, I find my install starts to lag when typing, shutting down FF and restarting it clears the problem for a while. Using IE8 and there is no issues. I would suspect a memory leak, not sure how to fix it though.

Rik · Dec 05, 2010, 16:31:58

My memory usage had gone from 40MB to 12MB after an hour, Glenn.

Glenn · Dec 05, 2010, 16:37:09

I get a 1 - 2 second delay when typing, which causes me to make even more typing errors than normal.

armadillo · Dec 05, 2010, 16:40:10

I have noticed it a few times too. Happened on every version of FF that I can remember. I think the only way round it is what you are doing, that is restarting FF. I don't really see it as a problem, more just one of those things.

Rik · Dec 05, 2010, 16:43:22

Quote from: Glenn on Dec 05, 2010, 16:37:09
I get a 1 - 2 second delay when typing, which causes me to make even more typing errors than normal.

I've seen that - but the way I type it doesn't count.

pctech · Dec 05, 2010, 16:46:13

Interesting, had this problem also.

Might be worth flagging via BugZilla

Simon · Dec 05, 2010, 16:48:35

http://www.seamonkey-project.org/

Rik · Dec 05, 2010, 16:49:20

pctech · Dec 05, 2010, 16:52:04

Seamonkey is of course the old Mozilla/Netscape suite.

Rik · Dec 05, 2010, 16:54:00

Hallowed memories.

Simon · Dec 05, 2010, 16:54:22

Indeed. But it and FF share the integral parts of the browser engine. SM just runs better as it hasn't got all the bloat.

Rik · Dec 05, 2010, 16:56:01

But you should see its klaxon.

Ray · Dec 05, 2010, 16:58:37

My FF is using 335Mb of memory at the moment.

just going to restart it.

Edit:
Down to 103Mb after restart.

Simon · Dec 05, 2010, 16:59:39

Keep taking the tablets, Rik...

Technical Ben · Dec 05, 2010, 21:56:05

Quote from: Glenn on Dec 05, 2010, 16:28:49
Anyone having problems with FF3, patched up to date? After a couple of hours use, I find my install starts to lag when typing, shutting down FF and restarting it clears the problem for a while. Using IE8 and there is no issues. I would suspect a memory leak, not sure how to fix it though.

Fixed in the update called "Chrome"

http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/
(They actually tackle memory leaks, amongst others such as sandboxing and plugin crashes)

PS. Might have something to do with how FF caches webpages. It may not be a "bug" but an overzealous feature. Can you lower the memory usage for cache? I suppose it will have the opposite side effect, if less pages are stored in cache then they load slower. What we want is more cache on the HDD and less in the RAM.
There is this F&Q. http://kb.mozillazine.org/Memory_Leak
But it seems to "skirt around" the problem. As said, they see it as a feature, not a bug it seems.

Rik · Dec 06, 2010, 01:30:42

All my life, manufacturers have labelled bugs as features. Especially Microsoft - take Vista for example.

pctech · Dec 06, 2010, 08:56:08

Vista should have been codenamed cockroach

I went for some training to support Vista but did not bother sitting the exam as I kind of knew it was doomed.

Technical Ben · Dec 06, 2010, 10:16:41

Quote from: pctech on Dec 06, 2010, 08:56:08
Vista should have been codenamed cockroach

I went for some training to support Vista but did not bother sitting the exam as I kind of knew it was doomed.

I've done that over health and saftey tests. But only cos I knew the in house software would crash. And I have no coding/software experience. I did have to retake it after all the bugs were fixed.

mrapoc · Dec 06, 2010, 21:00:37

+1 for chrome

switched from FF to chrome after it got slower and slower

now I have a browser which starts when I click it not 5 seconds later!

JB · Dec 07, 2010, 08:25:10

Quote from: mrapoc on Dec 06, 2010, 21:00:37
+1 for chrome

switched from FF to chrome after it got slower and slower

now I have a browser which starts when I click it not 5 seconds later!

Take a look at ChromePlus.

http://www.chromeplus.org

Same thing but compiled without the tracking and other Google hidden extras.

Ray · Dec 07, 2010, 09:19:59

Quote from: 6jb on Dec 07, 2010, 08:25:10
Take a look at ChromePlus.

http://www.chromeplus.org

Same thing but compiled without the tracking and other Google hidden extras.

Just downloaded and installed this to try it out but I can't get it to import my FF bookmarks for some reason.

Glenn · Dec 07, 2010, 09:25:19

Have you closed FF, Ray?

Ray · Dec 07, 2010, 09:27:14

Yes tried that, Glenn, still no luck.

bindeweede · Dec 07, 2010, 09:28:08

I downloaded Chromeplus and am using it now. It imported my FF addresses OK, but after I got a message to close FF before I proceeded.

Subjectively, it does seem a little bit faster than FF.

Gary · Dec 07, 2010, 10:11:44

Quote from: mrapoc on Dec 06, 2010, 21:00:37
+1 for chrome

switched from FF to chrome after it got slower and slower

now I have a browser which starts when I click it not 5 seconds later!

Chrome, powered by wikileaks