Handling Zen Browser Crashes on Linux with Wayland **Archived**

Good News!

Zen Browser has been upgraded to Firefox 130 in version 1.0.0-a.35. This update addresses the issue that was causing crashes on Wayland.

If you haven’t updated yet, you can easily do so via Zen’s Auto Updater or download the latest version from our Download Hub.

This guide addresses a known issue where Zen Browser may crash randomly or repeatedly on Linux systems using Wayland. While this issue primarily affects Linux users, particularly on Wayland, it’s important to note that the problem is upstream and is expected to be fixed in Firefox 130. This guide also provides steps to work around the issue for users who installed Zen via different package managers or Flatpak.

Steps to Mitigate Crashes

For Package Manager Installations

If you installed Zen Browser via a package manager (e.g., yay, paru, nix, etc.), you can try the following:

1. Edit the Menu File:

   • Use a menu editor (e.g., libre-menu-editor) to edit the Zen Browser menu file.

   • Add the following environment variable at the beginning of the command:

     MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=0

For Flatpak Installations

If you installed Zen Browser via Flatpak (e.g., GNOME Software, KDE Discover, flatpak command, etc.), there are a few options you can try:

1. Apply the Environment Variable:

   • Run the following command to set the environment variable, but be aware that results may vary:

     flatpak override --user --env MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=0 io.github.zen_browser.zen

   • Alternatively, you can use Flatseal to set the environment variable:

     • Open Flatseal.
     • Click the plus icon next to Variables.
     • Enter MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=0.

2. Disable Wayland Support Entirely:

   • If the above steps don’t resolve the issue, you may need to disable Wayland support completely. Run the following command:

     flatpak override --user \
       --nosocket=wayland \
       --nosocket=fallback-x11 \
       io.github.zen_browser.zen

   • Alternatively, using Flatseal:

     • Disable the Wayland windowing system and Fallback to X11 windowing system under the Socket section.

Conclusion

If you’re experiencing crashes with Zen Browser on Linux using Wayland, the steps above should help mitigate the issue until an upstream fix is released in Firefox 130. We appreciate your patience and feedback as we track and address this issue.

For any further assistance or to report new issues, feel free to reach out to the Zen Browser community.

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Thanks to eagerestwolf for creating this guide

Original Post: Issue #296