Moving to Balsa....

The stack trace isn't very helpful.  It's possible that your config file has
some info that Balsa can't handle.  If you could remove any sensitive
information and post it, we might be able to debug this problem.

Thanks!

*** Bug 154636 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 158051 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

I downloaded the glib2, gtk2 and balsa debugging packages and recreated the
crash. Here is a stack trace that includes the symbol table info.

Backtrace was generated from '/usr/bin/balsa'

Using host libthread_db library "/lib/tls/libthread_db.so.1".
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
[New Thread -152131360 (LWP 10953)]
[New Thread -166724688 (LWP 10957)]
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
[New Thread -152131360 (LWP 10953)]
[New Thread -166724688 (LWP 10957)]
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
[New Thread -152131360 (LWP 10953)]
[New Thread -166724688 (LWP 10957)]
0x00ad87a2 in _dl_sysinfo_int80 () from /lib/ld-linux.so.2

+ Trace 51890

Do you get any error messages when you run balsa on the console? It has been
reported that recompiling balsa from source solves the problem.

Here is the output when running from a terminal.

$ balsa
opening Inbox..
done, msgcnt=0

(balsa:11412): libgnomevfs-WARNING **: Deprecated function.  User modifications
to the MIME database are no longer supported.

(balsa:11412): libgnomevfs-WARNING **: Deprecated function.  User modifications
to the MIME database are no longer supported.

(balsa:11412): libgnomevfs-WARNING **: Deprecated function.  User modifications
to the MIME database are no longer supported.

(balsa:11412): libgnomevfs-WARNING **: Deprecated function.  User modifications
to the MIME database are no longer supported.

!!!!!!
***** At this point balsa it up and running. Next I hit the Compose button
!!!!!!

(balsa:11412): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: specified class size for type `LibBalsaA
ddressEntry' is smaller than the parent type's `GtkEntry' class size

(balsa:11412): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: specified class size for type `LibBalsaA
ddressEntry' is smaller than the parent type's `GtkEntry' class size

(balsa:11412): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: file gobject.c: line 819 (g_object_new)
: assertion `G_TYPE_IS_OBJECT (object_type)' failed

(balsa:11412): Gtk-CRITICAL **: file gtkwidget.c: line 4664 (gtk_widget_modify_f
ont): assertion `GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed

(balsa:11412): Gtk-CRITICAL **: file gtktable.c: line 597 (gtk_table_attach): as
sertion `GTK_IS_WIDGET (child)' failed

(balsa:11412): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: invalid (NULL) pointer instance

(balsa:11412): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: file gsignal.c: line 1634 (g_signal_con
nect_data): assertion `G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed

(balsa:11412): Gtk-CRITICAL **: file gtkdnd.c: line 898 (gtk_drag_dest_set): ass
ertion `GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed

(balsa:11412): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: specified class size for type `LibBalsaA
ddressEntry' is smaller than the parent type's `GtkEntry' class size

** (balsa:11412): CRITICAL **: file address-entry.c: line 1961 (libbalsa_address
_entry_set_find_match): assertion `address_entry != NULL' failed

(balsa:11412): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: specified class size for type `LibBalsaA
ddressEntry' is smaller than the parent type's `GtkEntry' class size

** (balsa:11412): CRITICAL **: file address-entry.c: line 1985 (libbalsa_address
_entry_set_domain): assertion `address_entry != NULL' failed

(balsa:11412): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: invalid (NULL) pointer instance

(balsa:11412): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: file gsignal.c: line 1634 (g_signal_con
nect_data): assertion `G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed

(balsa:11412): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: specified class size for type `LibBalsaA
ddressEntry' is smaller than the parent type's `GtkEntry' class size

(balsa:11412): Gtk-CRITICAL **: file gtkentry.c: line 3871 (gtk_entry_get_text):
 assertion `GTK_IS_ENTRY (entry)' failed
[steve@blackwell1 ~]$

I had the same console messages, and fixed them by rebuilding Balsa from the
source rpm.

*** Bug 158246 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

I haven't got a fixed Balsa, so I can't send email, so I have to ask here:

Ah, *how* do I rebuild Balsa from source? I downloaded balsa-2.2.5-1.src.rpm
from gnome.org and did

sudo rpmbuild --recompile balsa-2.2.5-1.src.rpm

Package libgnomeprint-2.0 was not found in the pkg-config search path.
        Perhaps you should add the directory containing `libgnomeprint-2.0.pc'
        to the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable
                  libgnomeprint-2.0 >= 1.106.0
                  libgnomeprintui-2.0 >= 1.106.0

which is all very clear, except for the fact that I already have eg
libgnomeprintui22-2.8.0-1 which defines many libgnomeprintui-2.2* files.
Sounds newer, not older. 

What next?

I opened
http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=139279

against Fedora Core 3, and referenced this page.

Your rpmbuild command is the right one, but apparently you need the
libgnomeprint-devel and possible the libgnomeprintui-devel packages too.  They
provide the header files that Balsa needs, and also the libgnomeprint-2.0.pc file.

As I said above, FC3 has the 2.2 versions of those libraries - it just doesn't
have the 2.0 versions. And looking at old distros, I see that pattern at least
as far back as Red Hat 9.0. And looking at:

http://mail.gnome.org/archives/gtk-perl-list/2003-July/msg00041.html

I notice a different Gnome project converting over, and having to make a code
change to do so. So I'm guessing that 2.0 is obsolete, and it's not clear to me
if a 2.2 binary can be substituted.

If you know where the right library can be found, I'd appreciate an *exact*
description of where. I searched http://rpmfind.net/ and installed:

libgnomeprintui-1.116.0-6.1.x86_64.rpm
libgnomeprint-1.116.0-10.x86_64.rpm
libgnomeprint2.0_0-1.116.0-2mdk.x86_64.rpm
libgnomeprintui2.0_0-1.116.0-1mdk.x86_64.rpm

but the rpmbuild still gives the exact same error. So maybe it would be easier
if a Balsa person worked up the 2.0 => 2.2 source patch ?

Execute "yum install libgnomeprintui22-devel libgnomeprint22-devel" or eqivalent.

Thanks for filing the down-stream report.

Thank you, the yum command worked.

The log from the rpmbuild is now about 300 lines longer than before, so we have
progress. But it still ends with an error:

  gcc ... -o balsa ... -L/usr/X11R6/lib64 -lSM ...
  /usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lSM


Inspecting /usr/X11R6/lib64 I find libSM.so.6.0 (supplied by the 
xorg-x11-libs-6.8.1-12 RPM), and

ICK, finger trouble with a new browser, sorry.

I meant to say: /usr/X11R6/lib64 also contains

  libSM.so.6 -> libSM.so.6.0

I believe that the -lSM flag is looking for the static lib libSM.a, which on my
FC3 box is provided by xorg-x11-devel-6.8.1-12.  In line with Pawel's
suggestion, please try

sudo yum install xorg-x11-devel

Here is what I have tried so far:

Downloaded and unpacked balsa-2.2.4-1.src.rpm (and gmime-2.1.7.src.rpm that came
with it). Got some comments about a non-existant user, using root instead. As root:

# cd /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES/gmime-2.1.7
# ./configure
# make
# make install

All OK.

# cd /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES/balsa-2.2.4-1
# ./configure

This failed with these messages:
checking for pkg-config... /usr/bin/pkg-config
checking for
glib-2.0
libgnome-2.0
libgnomeui-2.0
gtk+-2.0 >= 2.0
gnome-vfs-2.0
gnome-vfs-module-2.0

gmime-2.0 >= 2.1.7
libbonobo-2.0
... Package gmime-2.0 was not found in the pkg-config search path.
Perhaps you should add the directory containing `gmime-2.0.pc'
to the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable
No package 'gmime-2.0' found

configure: error: Library requirements (
glib-2.0
libgnome-2.0
libgnomeui-2.0
gtk+-2.0 >= 2.0
gnome-vfs-2.0
gnome-vfs-module-2.0

gmime-2.0 >= 2.1.7
libbonobo-2.0
) not met; consider adjusting the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable if your
libraries are in a nonstandard prefix so pkg-config can find them.

I checked my PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable which was not set so I found
gmime-2.0.pc in /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES/gmime-2.1.7 and

# PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/src/redhat/SOURCES/gmime-2.1.7
# export PKG_CONFIG_PATH
# ./configure
...
checking for smtp_start_session in -lesmtp... no
configure: error: *** You enabled ESMTP but esmtp library is not found.

So I tried:

# ./configure --with-esmtp=no

which worked. What does having no esmtp do?

# make
# make install

Success! I can now click the Compose button without balsa crashing

Libesmtp is Balsa's favored tool for initiating mail delivery to a remote SMTP
host (i.e., outgoing mail server).  I believe that sendmail (or its
replacement?) is the alternative, but I've never used it.  So...you *still*
might not be able to send mail, even though you can open the compose window!

On my box, all the esmtp libs are provided by libesmtp-1.0.3r1-2 and
libesmtp-devel-1.0.3r1-2, which yum should be able to install for you.  If
they're already installed, the problem might be PKG_CONFIG_PATH--the usual place
for *.pc files is /usr/lib/pkgconfig, and perhaps exporting PKG_CONFIG_PATH
*replaces* the default instead of adding to it; so you might need something like

PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/src/redhat/SOURCES/gmime-2.1.7:/usr/lib/pkgconfig

It shouldn't be this hard...

You are correct. I still cannot send e-mail. 

Your suggestion on the PKG_CONFIG_PATH did not work, unfortunately. I found that
I had to install the libesmtp-devel-1.0.3r1-2 rpm and reconfigure, make and
install. Now I can send e-mail - at least to myself.

I agree, it should not be this difficult. I would have thought that with an
error this severe, that a corrective rpm would have been released within hours.

*** Bug 158581 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 158598 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 159454 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 159608 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Balsa-2.2.6 has been released and a binary is available for FC3. Upgrade is
recommended. Please remember to direct your comments to the packager

http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=139279

*** Bug 160170 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 161571 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 162225 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 163184 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 167530 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 171315 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 301385 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 303268 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 303983 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 304256 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 304527 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

*** Bug 305615 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***