Ubuntu: Chrome crashes when started

Question

System: Ubuntu 16.04

All was fine until today. And then: chrome crashes while watching a YT video.

No addon / Plugin / Extension added recently.

When trying to restart chrome via launch panel: chrome opens, I can see an empty tab and a small window (sth like chrome wasn't shut down correctly ...)

But both, chrome main window and the small notification window disapearing within a fraction of a second.

Trying to start it from the command line:

$ google-chrome
ATTENTION: default value of option force_s3tc_enable overridden by environment.
Segmentation fault (core dumped)

$ google-chrome-stable 
ATTENTION: default value of option force_s3tc_enable overridden by environment.
Segmentation fault (core dumped)

$ google-chrome --disable-gpu
[17251:17251:0605/162551.711779:ERROR:gpu_process_transport_factory.cc(1017)] Lost UI shared context.
Segmentation fault (core dumped)

$ google-chrome-stable --disable-gpu
[17589:17589:0605/162621.887694:ERROR:gpu_process_transport_factory.cc(1017)] Lost UI shared context.
[17661:17661:0605/162622.088225:ERROR:sandbox_linux.cc(378)] InitializeSandbox() called with multiple threads in process gpu-process.
Segmentation fault (core dumped)


$ google-chrome --version
Google Chrome 67.0.3396.62 

Reboot doesn't help.

Both versions are links to this executable: /opt/google/chrome/google-chrome

which is 10 days old:

$ ls -l /opt/google/chrome/google-chrome
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1873 Mai 25 21:08 /opt/google/chrome/google-chrome

Chrome is used every day since without problems.

Other Programs are starting without issues.

---

One hour later:

Chrome can be started, using this line:

google-chrome --disable-extensions

this leads me to the conclusion that one of these extensions is causing the problem.

BUT: I need my extensions!

So, I'd like to

1. get a list of the installed extensions, then
2. start chrome from the commandline, disabling the extensions one by one, until the offender is found

Is that possible?

Or what other options do I have?

Answer 1

First: the crash causing extension was ad block plus.

And here's how I found it:

1. Open a terminal window

2. create a temporary folder:

   mkdir ~/ChromeExtensions
   

3. cd to google extension folder (Default is the default profile, change as needed):

   cd ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/Extensions
   

4. show list of sub folders:

   ls
   

Each extensions has a dedicated folder

5. Now, move each individual folder to the temporary folder:

   mv <foldername> ~/ChromeExtensions
   

6. start chrome:

   google-chrome
   

   -> still crashing? Move folder back:

   mv ~/ChromeExtensions/<foldername> .
   

   proceed wit 5.

   Until the crasher is identified.

7. get rid of temporary folder:

   cd
   rm -rf ChromeExtensions
   

Part 2: reinstall ABP

It might was a temporary problem, so I gave ABP another try.

1. Open triple dot Menu -> More Tools
2. Uninstall ABP (there where still some remains)
3. Reinstall ABP

no problems since 1 h ...