When the software-center cache files located @ /var/cache/software-center/xapian are deleted the utility crashes after a few seconds when opening. No crash report is generated and no system error report is triggered.
A reinstall fixes the issue: sudo apt-get install --reinstall software-center
Expectation:
==
Since we are taking about cache files making the application crash I believe this is a bug, cache files shouldn't be depended on and be regenerated if they are unavailable from the cache directory.
My System
==
I'm running out of the box Ubuntu 15.10 desktop 32bit, no upgrades have been applied to the system, some package info is below
dpkg --status
Package: software-center
Status: install ok installed
Priority: optional
Section: gnome
Installed-Size: 2880
Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <email address hidden>
Architecture: all
Version: 13.10-0ubuntu12
Terminal output below, thanks:
==
millzy@ubuntudesktop:~/Documents$ software-center
2016-04-04 22:48:13,376 - softwarecenter.backend.zeitgeist_logger - WARNING - Support for Zeitgeist disabled
2016-04-04 22:48:13,441 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - setting up proxy 'None'
2016-04-04 22:48:13,583 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - building local database
2016-04-04 22:48:13,583 - softwarecenter.db.pkginfo_impl.aptcache - INFO - aptcache.open()
2016-04-04 22:48:14,851 - softwarecenter.db.update - WARNING - Problem creating rebuild path '/var/cache/software-center/xapian_rb'.
2016-04-04 22:48:14,851 - softwarecenter.db.update - WARNING - Please check you have the relevant permissions.
2016-04-04 22:48:15,455 - softwarecenter.backend.reviews - WARNING - Could not get usefulness from server, no username in config file
2016-04-04 22:48:15,457 - softwarecenter.plugin - INFO - activating plugin '<module 'webapps_activation' from '/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/plugins/webapps_activation.pyc'>'
2016-04-04 22:48:15,496 - softwarecenter.db.pkginfo_impl.aptcache - INFO - aptcache.open()
/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gi/overrides/GLib.py:584: Warning: Source ID 71 was not found when attempting to remove it
return super(MainContext, self).iteration(may_block)
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/software-center", line 183, in <module>
app.run(args)
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/app.py", line 1378, in run
self.show_available_packages(args)
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/app.py", line 1316, in show_available_packages
self.view_manager.set_active_view(ViewPages.AVAILABLE)
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/session/viewmanager.py", line 150, in set_active_view
view_widget.init_view()
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/panes/availablepane.py", line 193, in init_view
SoftwarePane.init_view(self)
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/panes/softwarepane.py", line 138, in init_view
self.icons, self.show_ratings)
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/views/appview.py", line 71, in __init__
self.helper = AppPropertiesHelper(db, cache, icons)
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/models/appstore2.py", line 112, in __init__
self.all_categories = cat_parser.parse_applications_menu()
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 277, in parse_applications_menu
category = self._parse_menu_tag(child)
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 473, in _parse_menu_tag
query = self._parse_include_tag(element)
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 431, in _parse_include_tag
xapian.Query.OP_AND)
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 368, in _parse_and_or_not_tag
operator_elem, xapian.Query(), xapian.Query.OP_OR)
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 414, in _parse_and_or_not_tag
q = self.db.xapian_parser.parse_query(s,
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 185, in xapian_parser
xapian_parser = self._get_new_xapian_parser()
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 211, in _get_new_xapian_parser
xapian_parser.set_database(self.xapiandb)
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 177, in xapiandb
self._db_per_thread[thread_name] = self._get_new_xapiandb()
File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 190, in _get_new_xapiandb
xapiandb = xapian.Database(self._db_pathname)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/xapian/__init__.py", line 3667, in __init__
_xapian.Database_swiginit(self,_xapian.new_Database(*args))
xapian.DatabaseOpeningError: Couldn't detect type of database
