Steps to reproduce the issue

Configure PHP so that errors are logged into a file.

Switch on debug in global configuration.

Set error reporting to maximum in global configuration.

Make sure the "Track Request History" option in the "Debug" system plugin is disabled.

Load the system dashboard and check the icon right beside "Install - Discover", "Update - Joomla" and "Update - Extensions".

Check PHP error log.

Expected result

Note the green check marks right beside the "Install - Discover", "Update - Joomla" and "Update - Extensions".

The PHP error log file doesn't show anything special.

Actual result

Note the red crosses right beside the "Install - Discover", "Update - Joomla" and "Update - Extensions".

What is interesting: The quick icons for "Maintenance - Database", "Maintenance - Global Check-in" and "Information - Warnings" seem to work.

In the PHP error log file:

Warning:  session_write_close(): Failed to write session data using user defined save handler. (session.save_path: /var/lib/php/sessions) in /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Storage/NativeStorage.php on line 114, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
Stack trace:, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
  1. Joomla\\CMS\\Session\\Storage\\JoomlaStorage->close() /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/src/Session/Storage/JoomlaStorage.php:0, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
  2. Joomla\\Session\\Storage\\NativeStorage->close() /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/src/Session/Storage/JoomlaStorage.php:136, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
  3. session_write_close() /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Storage/NativeStorage.php:114, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
Warning:  session_write_close(): Failed to write session data using user defined save handler. (session.save_path: /var/lib/php/sessions) in /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Storage/NativeStorage.php on line 114, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
Stack trace:, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
  1. Joomla\\CMS\\Session\\Storage\\JoomlaStorage->close() /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/src/Session/Storage/JoomlaStorage.php:0, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
  2. Joomla\\Session\\Storage\\NativeStorage->close() /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/src/Session/Storage/JoomlaStorage.php:136, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
  3. session_write_close() /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Storage/NativeStorage.php:114, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
Warning:  session_write_close(): Failed to write session data using user defined save handler. (session.save_path: /var/lib/php/sessions) in /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Storage/NativeStorage.php on line 114, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
Stack trace:, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
  1. Joomla\\CMS\\Session\\Storage\\JoomlaStorage->close() /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/src/Session/Storage/JoomlaStorage.php:0, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
  2. Joomla\\Session\\Storage\\NativeStorage->close() /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/src/Session/Storage/JoomlaStorage.php:136, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system
  3. session_write_close() /home/richard/lamp/public_html/joomla-cms-4.2-dev/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Storage/NativeStorage.php:114, referer: https://www.joomla-42-dev.vmubu01.vmnet2.local/administrator/index.php?option=com_cpanel&view=cpanel&dashboard=system

System information (as much as possible)

Current 4.2-dev branch or current 4.3-dev branch.

PHP 8.x. (I haven't checked if it also happens with PHP < 8).

Global Configuration:

• Debug System = Yes
• Error Reporting = maximum
• System Cache = Off
• Session Handler = Database

"Track Request History" option in the "Debug" system plugin is disabled.

Additional comments

The network or the console don't show any errors in the browser's developer tools when the error happens.

The quick icons in the home dashboard work fine and so are not concerned by this error.

When the the "Track Request History" option in the "Debug" system plugin is enabled, the problem disappears, and the quick icons in the system dashboard work fine.

=> Same cause as issue #39341 ?

See comment #39341 (comment) by @SharkyKZ there:

This is coming from recent changes in debug plugin. When Track Request History option is disabled, an unlimited number of request data is stored in the session until a HTML page is opened.

This fits to the symptoms because before I had increased the memory limit from 128 to 256 MB I got a memory limit exceeded error, too.

So this issue might be considered a duplicate, but I created it to have the very different symptoms documented.