MantisBT - NetSurf
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0002558NetSurf[All Projects] Generalpublic2017-09-22 00:372019-05-06 15:20
ReporterHarriet Bazley 
Assigned To 
PrioritynormalSeverityminorReproducibilityalways
StatusclosedResolutionunable to reproduce 
PlatformARMiniOSRISC OSOS Version5.22
Product Version 
Target VersionFixed in Version 
Fixed in CI build #
Reported in CI build #4206
URL of problem pagehttps://www.fanfiction.net/pm2/inbox.php
Summary0002558: Timeouts when submitting data via multi-line text input icons
DescriptionNetsurf has started failing to submit data of more than an arbitrary length (between 1300 and 1500 characters) via multi-line text input icons on the site fanfiction.net. I've observed the same behaviour on three different forms so far (submitting posts to the site forums, sending PMs and editing documents previously uploaded to the site) - the transmission simply hangs and eventually results in an "This request took too long to process, it has been timed out by the server" error. Smaller amounts of text still work as before.

This is presumably the result of some change in the site coding, as it stopped working overnight and with no change to the version of Netsurf used. Issue initially observed around 7-8 August.
Steps To ReproduceLog into account on http://www.fanfiction.net (luckily the login uses single-line text icons).
Attempt to create a PM more than 1,485 characters long. (Official site limit is 8,000 characters.)
Additional InformationIt apparently only affects multi-line text icons in forms. It's possible to submit much larger quantities of data using the 'Drop file here' box (input type="file"), but unfortunately it's then impossible to edit so much as one character of it afterwards! Netsurf will display twenty or thirty kilobytes of text in an editable text box, but attempting to submit the form results in another timeout.

It's specific to this one site, so far at least - other sites allow the submission of much longer sections of text via multi-line text icons in forms.

TagsNo tags attached.
Attached Files

Notes
(0001626)
Dave Higton   
2017-10-03 16:07   
I can't see how I can test this since the site's login page uses a captcha that NetSurf doesn't display.

If you know of a way to overcome this problem, I'll have another try.
(0001629)
Harriet Bazley   
2017-10-03 20:27   
Yes, this is another long-running issue with the site (which I mentioned on the mailing list a few years back but apparently never reported...)

The work-around is to do a 'full save' of the login page (don't close the original) and then delete all the CSS files and load the saved version from disc to reveal what the captcha was. You can then type this into the original page to log in.
(0001869)
Harriet Bazley   
2018-12-19 02:11   
After dragging on for over a year, this issue now appears to have resolved itself, at least temporarily. Presumably as a result of something changing in the affected website over the past couple of weeks, as I haven't downloaded any new versions of Netsurf that would account for it!

Issue History
2017-09-22 00:37Harriet BazleyNew Issue
2017-10-03 16:07Dave HigtonNote Added: 0001626
2017-10-03 20:27Harriet BazleyNote Added: 0001629
2018-04-21 09:31Vincent SandersStatusnew => acknowledged
2018-04-21 09:31Vincent SandersDescription Updatedbug_revision_view_page.php?rev_id=2019#r2019
2018-04-21 09:31Vincent SandersSteps to Reproduce Updatedbug_revision_view_page.php?rev_id=2021#r2021
2018-04-21 09:31Vincent SandersAdditional Information Updatedbug_revision_view_page.php?rev_id=2023#r2023
2018-12-19 02:11Harriet BazleyNote Added: 0001869
2019-05-06 15:20Vincent SandersStatusacknowledged => closed
2019-05-06 15:20Vincent SandersResolutionopen => unable to reproduce