$ mir_demo_server --help fails with an exception

[Alan Griffiths]

$ mir_demo_server --help
[2016-12-21 11:49:00.068655] mirplatform: Found graphics driver: mir:mesa-kms (version 0.25.0)
[2016-12-21 11:49:00.069710] mirplatform: Found graphics driver: mir:mesa-x11 (version 0.25.0)
[2016-12-21 11:49:00.069935] mirplatform: Found graphics driver: mir:stub-graphics (version 0.25.0)
[2016-12-21 11:49:00.069954] mirplatform: Found graphics driver: throw-on-creation (version 0.25.0)
ERROR: Throw location unknown (consider using BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION)
Dynamic exception type: boost::exception_detail::clone_impl<boost::exception_detail::error_info_injector<std::logic_error> >
std::exception::what: character conversion failed

[Alan Griffiths (alan-griffiths)]

It isn't just the test platform:

$ sudo apt remove mir-test-tools
$ mir_demo_server --help
[2016-12-21 12:07:29.534586] mirplatform: Found graphics driver: mir:mesa-kms (version 0.25.0)
[2016-12-21 12:07:29.535346] mirplatform: Found graphics driver: mir:mesa-x11 (version 0.25.0)
ERROR: Throw location unknown (consider using BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION)
Dynamic exception type: boost::exception_detail::clone_impl<boost::exception_detail::error_info_injector<std::logic_error> >
std::exception::what: character conversion failed

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I can't reproduce this failure using either Mir 0.25 in zesty or trunk. What's your locale?

Mine is:
LANG=en_AU.UTF-8
LANGUAGE=en_AU:en

[Alan Griffiths (alan-griffiths)]

On further investigation I only see this on my desktop (not on VM or laptop).

[Rick Harris (rickfharris)]

Also occurs on Zesty installations that have been upgraded from Yakkety.

Unity8 fails to launch (classic black screen) and unity8.log shows the error:
"character conversion failed"

This is due to incorrect multiple versions of boost being present on the system because they aren't removed when upgrading.

Counted 6(six) different boost versions installed in Zesty because of taking the upgrade route through multiple Ubuntu versions.
'apt-get remove --auto-remove --purge' does not remove them so looks like a genuine dependency resolution problem when upgrading.

Manually removing all the old boost versions works around the problem and allows Unity8 to work again.