Crashes on launch if /etc/lsb-release is missing

[Matthew Paul Thomas]

software-center trunk r3054, Ubuntu 12.04

1. sudo mv /etc/lsb-release /etc/lsb-release.backup
2. software-center
3. sudo mv /etc/lsb-release /etc/lsb-release.backup # IMPORTANT to restore your system

What happens:
2. ------------
ERROR:root:DebFileApplication import
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/mpt/hacking/software-center/trunk/softwarecenter/db/__init__.py", line 4, in <module>
    from debfile import DebFileApplication, DebFileOpenError
  File "/home/mpt/hacking/software-center/trunk/softwarecenter/db/debfile.py", line 25, in <module>
    from softwarecenter.db.application import Application, AppDetails
  File "/home/mpt/hacking/software-center/trunk/softwarecenter/db/application.py", line 27, in <module>
    import softwarecenter.distro
  File "/home/mpt/hacking/software-center/trunk/softwarecenter/distro/__init__.py", line 194, in <module>
    distro_instance = _get_distro()
  File "/home/mpt/hacking/software-center/trunk/softwarecenter/distro/__init__.py", line 171, in _get_distro
    distro_class = getattr(module, distro_id)
AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'debian'
INFO:softwarecenter:Using data (UI, xapian) from current dir
2012-07-02 11:46:49,094 - softwarecenter - INFO - Using data (UI, xapian) from current dir
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "./software-center", line 144, in <module>
    from softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app import SoftwareCenterAppGtk3
  File "/home/mpt/hacking/software-center/trunk/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/app.py", line 51, in <module>
    from softwarecenter.db.application import Application
  File "/home/mpt/hacking/software-center/trunk/softwarecenter/db/application.py", line 27, in <module>
    import softwarecenter.distro
  File "/home/mpt/hacking/software-center/trunk/softwarecenter/distro/__init__.py", line 194, in <module>
    distro_instance = _get_distro()
  File "/home/mpt/hacking/software-center/trunk/softwarecenter/distro/__init__.py", line 171, in _get_distro
    distro_class = getattr(module, distro_id)
AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'debian'
------------

Fixing this bug may also fix bug 982370.

[Robert Roth (evfool)]

Setting this to Confirmed, as I can reproduce using the steps described above, but set the Priority to Low, as this should not be a common issue on the distributions software-center currently works on, as lsb-release should exist by default (I thinkg the use rmight have some more serious trouble than software-center doesn't start if it does not exist)
---
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http://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

Hm, is this a valid issue? /etc/lsb-release is part of base-files which in turn is:

Package: base-files
Essential: yes
Priority: required

So all systems should have that. Or am I missing something here?

[Matthew Paul Thomas (mpt)]

I don't see how /etc/lsb-release being part of a package is relevant to the steps to reproduce. Yes, if the file is missing then something has gone wrong on the system. But how would someone learn what the problem was?

I understand that crashing invisibly would be the only option if, say, Python was missing. Or GTK. Or maybe even WebKit. But not a data file. If it's unreasonable to run USC without that file, then don't just crash, show an error message.

[Prx (info-productivix)]

Yes , I have the same problem with TV 8.0.17147 and asked the TV support to react on this situation.