White text on white background for HTML e-mail

I forgot to add that this upstream report (https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/evolution/issues/292) indicates that issues like this are related to the theme, rather than evolution itself.

I know see the following when going through messages, irrespective if it's HTML or plain text:

Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::DocumentHasSelection: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::DocumentHasSelection: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::EWebViewEnsureBodyClass: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::EMailDisplayBindDOM: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::EWebViewEnsureBodyClass: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::EMailDisplayBindDOM: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep 11 19:28:06 hostname evolution[3705]: Failed to call a DBus Proxy method org.gnome.Evolution.WebExtension::AddCSSRuleIntoStyleSheet: Invalid page ID: 5
Sep ...

I am experiencing a similar issue. There is an upstream bug report which might be related to this. https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/evolution/issues/617

For me this started after an unattended upgrade

Start-Date: 2019-11-08 08:50:06
Commandline: /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade
Upgrade: libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37:amd64 (2.24.4-0ubuntu0.18.04.1, 2.26.1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1), libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18:amd64 (2.24.4-0ubuntu0.18.04.1, 2.26.1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1)
End-Date: 2019-11-08 08:50:09

Start-Date: 2019-11-08 08:50:13
Commandline: /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade
Upgrade: gir1.2-webkit2-4.0:amd64 (2.24.4-0ubuntu0.18.04.1, 2.26.1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1), gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0:amd64 (2.24.4-0ubuntu0.18.04.1, 2.26.1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1)
End-Date: 2019-11-08 08:50:14

Any chance we'lll se the fix released into 18.04?

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Same behavior here, after unattended upgrade. This renders Evolution pretty much unusable with dark theme.

Thanks for commenting. I've been meaning to mark this as "Fix Released" as the fix landed a few weeks back in 19.10 (Eoan).

Looks like it will have to be backported. Unfortunately, I don't have Bug Triaging rights for Ubuntu, but hopefully some one else CC'ed in can set this to Triaged.

Thanks, was really surprised to see this happen in an LTS release. Any Ubuntu devs reading this, can we get a backport?

Ubuntu devs, please have a look at getting this backported. This is a user experience breaking bug and it cannot be left unfixed in an LTS release. I strongly urge someone with the powers to get this backported to ubuntu 18.04.

I also have this problem in ubuntu 18.04, will I receive an update?

Thank you

Hi, Will this bug fix in the near future? Thanks.

I got same problem as reported here

When av LTS is relkeased, is is considered according to it's promise: 6 years.
But yet, after 3.5 years, here we are.

Someone else said it works fine in Eoan.

...who approved this SRU?

Looks like no regression testing were made before releasing the libwebkit2gtk update.

This issue makes basic computer tasks such as reading e-mail a difficult moment.

The short term fix can be to downgrade the two required libraries.

sudo apt install libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18=2.20.1-1 libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37=2.20.1-1

Evolution works again and I have blocked updating of those two for now.

Ubuntu Budgie users (like me) can't use that fix as apt is saying it will remove ubuntu-budgie-desktop. That will make a big mess.

I find it disconcerting that this was reported over 4 months ago, was confirmed to be a real bug over 2 months ago, and there has been zero response in terms of a fix. Surely this won't take but a few minutes of someone's time to fix.

I'm not expecting this to be fixed in 18.04 as I imagine that this issue considered low importance since it can be worked around by changing theme. Add to that the fact that the devs and package maintainers probably are pretty busy after the 19.10 release and working towards 20.04. The be fair, this is not really a game breaking bug but more an inconvenience.

@Christopher Howard (howardtopher):
I'm sure you're welcome to contribute a bugfix. Seeing as this is such a quick and easy fix this should be no problem for you.

For those (like me) who prefer to stick to the dark theme, here's how to downgrade the needed packages fairly safely.

Create a file called libwebkit2gtk-downgrade under /etc/apt/preferences.d/
Paste the following into it:

Package: libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37
Pin: version 2.20*
Pin-Priority: 550

Package: libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18
Pin: version 2.20*
Pin-Priority: 550

Package: gir1.2-webkit2-4.0
Pin: version 2.20*
Pin-Priority: 550

Package: gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0
Pin: version 2.20*
Pin-Priority: 550

From a terminal run:

sudo apt-get install libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37=2.20.1-1 libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18=2.20.1-1 gir1.2-webkit2-4.0=2.20.1-1 gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0=2.20.1-1

This won't remove the *-desktop package.

Thank you Nicolas for fixing Evolution so I can read email again.
I am somewhat vision impaired and changing the desktop theme is not a reasonable option for me.
Your instructions worked perfectly.

Closing the default target since it's fixed in 19.10, I've uploaded a bionic SRU now

Hello Bruce, or anyone else affected,

Accepted evolution into bionic-proposed. The package will build now and be available at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/evolution/3.28.5-0ubuntu0.18.04.2 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed repository.

Please help us by testing this new package. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation on how to enable and use -proposed. Your feedback will aid us getting this update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please add a comment to this bug, mentioning the version of the package you tested, what testing has been performed on the package and change the tag from verification-needed-bionic to verification-done-bionic. If it does not fix the bug for you, please add a comment stating that, and change the tag to verification-failed-bionic. In either case, without details of your testing we will not be able to proceed.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification . Thank you in advance for helping!

N.B. The updated package will be released to -updates after the bug(s) fixed by this package have been verified and the package has been in -proposed for a minimum of 7 days.

I've tested version 3.28.5-0ubuntu0.18.04.2 and all looks to be working properly.

I removed the preference file that prevented libwebkit2gtk from upgrading and then upgraded it. Then upgraded evolution from the bionic-proposed repository.

All emails that were displaying white text on a white background are no longer doing that. Text is now black. I've seen no other problems with evolution so far.

This bug was fixed in the package evolution - 3.28.5-0ubuntu0.18.04.2

---------------
evolution (3.28.5-0ubuntu0.18.04.2) bionic; urgency=medium

  * debian/patches/ubuntu_gettext_domain.patch:
    - backport an upstream commit to fix a regression with newer webkitgtk
      which leads html email to be rendered in white (lp: #1841646)

 -- Sebastien Bacher <email address hidden> Tue, 24 Mar 2020 16:27:49 +0100

The verification of the Stable Release Update for evolution has completed successfully and the package is now being released to -updates. Subsequently, the Ubuntu Stable Release Updates Team is being unsubscribed and will not receive messages about this bug report. In the event that you encounter a regression using the package from -updates please report a new bug using ubuntu-bug and tag the bug report regression-update so we can easily find any regressions.

This is very good news. Thanks to everyone involved in fixing this.