[Bug 914908] [NEW] aptBackend.py.line crash on refresh coercing to unicode

[AD Burrows]

Public bug reported:

I'm running under Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS with KDE 4.4.5 and Software Update
0.5.4 from System Settings 1.0

I'd just looked up software updates from System Settings. There was an
update for a package (youtube-dl) which I knew from previous update
searches would be blocked by another package. I removed that youtube-dl,
then went back to software updates and refreshed it. Instead of
reloading waiting updates, I got the following error.

A problem that we were not expecting has occurred.
Please report this bug with the error description.
Error Type: 
Error Value: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, exceptions.SystemError found
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2216, in 
main()
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2213, in main
run(args, options.single)
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2175, in run
backend.dispatcher(args)
File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 699, in dispatcher
self.dispatch_command(args[0], args[1:])
File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 606, in dispatch_command
self.refresh_cache(force)
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 202, in _locked_cache
func(*args, **kwargs)
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 1498, in refresh_cache
format_string(error.message))
File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 723, in format_string
txt = unicode(text, encoding, errors='replace')

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: update-manager (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-37.81-generic 2.6.32.49+drm33.21
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-37-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Jan 11 12:25:41 2012
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: update-manager

** Affects: update-manager (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: apport-bug i386 lucid

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/914908

Title:
  aptBackend.py.line crash on refresh coercing to unicode

Status in “update-manager” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I'm running under Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS with KDE 4.4.5 and Software
  Update 0.5.4 from System Settings 1.0

  I'd just looked up software updates from System Settings. There was an
  update for a package (youtube-dl) which I knew from previous update
  searches would be blocked by another package. I removed that youtube-
  dl, then went back to software updates and refreshed it. Instead of
  reloading waiting updates, I got the following error.

  A problem that we were not expecting has occurred.
  Please report this bug with the error description.
  Error Type: 
  Error Value: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, exceptions.SystemError found
  File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2216, in 
  main()
  File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2213, in main
  run(args, options.single)
  File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2175, in run
  backend.dispatcher(args)
  File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 699, in dispatcher
  self.dispatch_command(args[0], args[1:])
  File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 606, in dispatch_command
  self.refresh_cache(force)
  File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 202, in _locked_cache
  func(*args, **kwargs)
  File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 1498, in refresh_cache
  format_string(error.message))
  File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 723, in format_string
  txt = unicode(text, encoding, errors='replace')

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
  Package: update-manager (not installed)
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-37.81-generic 2.6.32.49+drm33.21
  Uname: Linux 2.6.32-37-generic i686
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
  Architecture: i386
  Date: Wed Jan 11 12:25:41 2012
  InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
  ProcEnviron:
   LANGUAGE=
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: update-manager

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