Unable to start Chrome and/or Firefox on the Bucknell Linux computers

Body

Sometimes a lock file is left behind when using Chrome or Firefox on the Bucknell Linux systems, and this prevents these applications from starting properly. This is generally because a graphical session was ended abruptly while Chrome and/or Firefox was running; i.e. a Linux lab computer was powered off or a linuxremote FastX session was terminated due to inactivity. To remove the lock file(s):

  1. Login to a Linux lab computer or start a linuxremote FastX session
  2. Open the Terminal application
  3. To remove the Chrome lock files, run:
    rm ~/.config/google-chrome/Singleton*
  4. To remove the Firefox lock file, run:
    rm ~/.mozilla/firefox/*/lock

Whenever possible, be sure to logout of your Linux graphical sessions in the future so they're not abnormally terminated.

Details

Details

Article ID: 746
Created
Wed 8/27/25 8:45 AM
Modified
Wed 8/27/25 9:40 AM