gpk-update-viewer fails with "Spawn of helper 'usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py' failed ... (No such file or directory)"

[Manfred Hampl]

gpk-update-viewer fails with
Spawn of helper '/usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py' failed: failed to spawn /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py: Failed to execute child process “/usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py” (No such file or directory)

This was detected by Robert Reinsch on a Ubuntu 17.04 system and was verified by me on a 17.10 daily build from 2017-08-09

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.10
Package: gnome-packagekit 3.24.0-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.11.0-10.15-generic 4.11.8
Uname: Linux 4.11.0-10-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.6-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: GNOME
Date: Wed Aug 9 21:00:48 2017
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/gpk-update-viewer
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-08-09 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 17.10 "Artful Aardvark" - Alpha amd64 (20170807)
SourcePackage: gnome-packagekit
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Amr Ibrahim (amribrahim1987)]

This is the error.

[Gabriel Faure (faure212)]

I have the same problem-- is there a solution?
Lubuntu 17.10 on a Yoga 2 Pro.

[Vide (vincent-boylen)]

same here. Ubuntu 17.10. Intel i5 2500k. gnome-shell version 3.26.2

[[e-mail] (arcveterinario)]

Lo mismo/The same
Spawn of helper '/usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py' failed: failed to spawn /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py: Falló al ejecutar el proceso hijo «/usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py» (No existe el archivo o el directorio)

[Yura Pakhuchiy (yura-p)]

still happens in 18.04

[Hans Joachim Desserud (hjd)]

Adding "bionic" tag based on above comment and duplicate.

[John Sweeney (john-sweeney)]

I also have the problem which presents on installing pk-update-icon

[morph027 (morph027)]

Can confirm on my fresh bionic installation (with pk-update-icon)

[Michael Mair, MSc MAS (oemm1)]

Yes, fresh install 18.04, same prob.

[mary (marydellor)]

I have the same problem with 18.04

[ddamien3 (ddamien3)]

Me too, same problem with Ubuntu 18.04.1

[livier (livier)]

Me too, but on Kde system

$ sudo pkcon get-distro-upgrades
Obtention des mises à jour complètes[=========================]
Terminé [=========================]
Erreur fatale: Spawn of helper '/usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py' failed: failed to spawn /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py: L'exécution du processus fils « /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py » a échoué (Aucun fichier ou dossier de ce type)

[inoue (ginoue)]

Go into terminal
Change Prompt=lts to normal
Save [CTRL]+O and exit. [CTRL]+X

# default behavior for the release upgrader
#

[DEFAULT]
# default prompting behavior, valid options:
# never - never prompt for a new distribution version
# normal - prompt if a new version of the distribution is available
# lts - prompt only if a LTS version of the distribution is available
Prompt=normal

Try again - works on my Ubuntu 18-04.1

[inoue (ginoue)]

After 18.04 - 18.10 update same;
sudo nano /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades

Gnome
package update:

prompt=normal
same problem:

Spawn of helper '/usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py' failed: failed to spawn /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py

test:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get --fix-broken install
sudo apt-get check

sudo apt-get --fix-broken install
...
 main.go:152: description of advise-snap's "from-apt" is lowercase: "advise-snap want to apt via an apt-hook"

[Manfred Hampl (m-hampl)]

Same problem still in gnome-packagekit 3.30.0-1for Ubuntu 19.04.

[Mathew Garland (kromosome)]

Experiencing same in 18.10

lsb_release -a

Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 18.10
Release: 18.10
Codename: cosmic

Spawn of helper '/usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py' failed: failed to spawn /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py: Failed to execute child process “/usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py” (No such file or directory)

[Niklas Sombert (ytvwld)]

I think this is really a bug in packagekit. On 18.04 I can also trigger this by just running pkcon get-distro-upgrades in a terminal:

Transaction: Getting upgrades
Status: Waiting in queue
Status: Starting
Status: Finished
Results:
Fatal error: Spawn of helper '/usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py' failed: failed to spawn /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py: Failed to execute child process ?/usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py?

The problem seems to be that in debian/rules this file is being deleted:

  58 │ # Ubuntu-specific, broken
  59 │ rm -f $(INSTALLDIR)/usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/aptcc/get-distro-upgrade.py

But it is still referenced in backends/aptcc/pk-backend-aptcc.cpp:

 287 │ /**
 288 │ * pk_backend_get_distro_upgrades:
 289 │ */
 290 │ void pk_backend_get_distro_upgrades(PkBackend *backend, PkBackendJob *job)
 291 │ {
 292 │ pk_backend_spawn_helper(spawn, job, "get-distro-upgrade.py", "get-distro-upgrades", NULL);
 293 │ }

Newer upstream versions of PackageKit (1.1.13) seem to have this file removed - and also the reference in backends/aptcc/pk-backend-aptcc.cpp.

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

The attachment "patch removing pk_backend_get_distro_upgrades and disabling the feature" seems to be a patch. If it isn't, please remove the "patch" flag from the attachment, remove the "patch" tag, and if you are a member of the ~ubuntu-reviewers, unsubscribe the team.

[This is an automated message performed by a Launchpad user owned by ~brian-murray, for any issues please contact him.]

[Julian Andres Klode (juliank)]

Marking this as fix released in PackageKit then, seeing that we ship 1.1.13.

Given that we never used that updating stuff, I don't think it is worth fixing that in old releases.