After updating some of my local packages I discovered that my Chrome browser would not start. I received no error, the application simply wouldn’t start.
Approach
I wanted some log output to determine the root cause of the issue. I tried to execute chrome from CLI. Unfortunately I didn’t know the name of the package so I used apropos to find the command:
$ apropos chrome google-chrome-stable (1) - the web browser from Google neotoppm (1) - convert an Atari Neochrome .neo into a portable pixmap openchrome (4) - video driver for VIA Unichromes ppmtoneo (1) - convert a portable pixmap into an Atari Neochrome .neo file |
OK, the command is google-chrome-stable. I’ll execute it and hope for some error logging output.
$ google-chrome-stable FATAL:nss_util.cc(632)] NSS_VersionCheck(“3.26”) failed. NSS >= 3.26 is required. Please upgrade to the latest NSS, and if you still get this error, contact your distribution maintainer. |
Interesting, I’m not familiar with the package or it’s name. apropos returns too much, I’ll have to search the web for it. Turns out the package is libnss3. I wonder what version I’m at:
$ apt show libnss3 Package: libnss3 Priority: optional Section: libs Installed-Size: 3,848 kB Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com> Original-Maintainer: Maintainers of Mozilla-related packages <pkg-mozilla-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org> Source: nss Version: 2:3.19.2.1-0ubuntu0.15.04.2 Depends: libc6 (>= 2.14), libnspr4 (>= 2:4.9-2~) | libnspr4-0d (>= 4.8.6), libsqlite3-0 (>= 3.5.9), zlib1g (>= 1:1.1.4), libnss3-nssdb Pre-Depends: multiarch-support Conflicts: libnss3-1d (<< 2:3.13.4-2) Download-Size: 1,133 kB Homepage: http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/ Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug Origin: Ubuntu Supported: 9m Task: virt-host, ubuntu-desktop, ubuntu-usb, tomcat-server, kubuntu-desktop, kubuntu-full, kubuntu-active-desktop, kubuntu-active-full, kubuntu-active, edubuntu-desktop, edubuntu-usb, xubuntu-desktop, mythbuntu-frontend, mythbuntu-desktop, mythbuntu-backend-slave, mythbuntu-backend-master, lubuntu-desktop, ubuntustudio-publishing, ubuntustudio-live, ubuntu-gnome-desktop, ubuntu-sdk-libs, ubuntukylin-desktop, ubuntu-mate-desktop, ubuntu-mate-cloudtop APT-Manual-Installed: yes APT-Sources: http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ vivid-updates/main amd64 Packages Description: Network Security Service libraries This is a set of libraries designed to support cross-platform development of security-enabled client and server applications. It can support SSLv2 and v4, TLS, PKCS #5, #7, #11, #12, S/MIME, X.509 v3 certificates and other security standards. N: There are 2 additional records. Please use the '-a' switch to see them. |
Interesting, I’m on version 3.19.2.1. I’ll try to use apt to update it.
$ sudo apt upgrade libnss3 Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done Calculating upgrade... libnss3 is already the newest version. |
I found the package on the Debian website. Since I’m still running on Lubuntu 15 the package isn’t available in the repositories of my /etc/apt/sources.list. After finding the package on the Debian org I added deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security wheezy/updates main to my /etc/apt/sources.list and retried the update. Great I’m now on libnss3 version 2:3.26-1+debu7u5. Chrome is now launching as expected. If you’re looking to resolve a similar issue be sure to grab an up to date package.
I should update my distribution.