Error Reading blist.xml with utf-8 characters in group-descriptions

[xsoul]

pidgin 2.5.0 on Hardy
This happens every time I start pidgin:
Error Reading blist.xml
An error was encountered reading your buddy list. They have not been loaded, and the old file has been renamed to /home/ivy/.purple/blist.xml~.
but after I close the window, everything works fine.

The problem seems to occur because of utf-8 characters I have in group-descriptions.

[Andreas Moog (ampelbein)]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Thank you for reporting this issue and helping to make Ubuntu better.

Could you please close pidgin, rename ~/.purple/blist.xml to
blist.xml.old and start pidgin again. Then again close and start pidgin.
Is the Issue gone now?

 status incomplete

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org

iEYEARECAAYFAkixTAwACgkQ06FgkPZwicQCQwCghYgAPbcXGkX+Y+nD7lAmV/LZ
Q4kAoOJ6ktHGbwPAQe8V7qL9LQ2o77jx
=3zJm
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

[xsoul (ivyleexyg)]

I did as you said. but the second time I start pidgin, the same windows pops up. seems it hasn't been fixed.

[Andreas Moog (ampelbein)]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

xsoul wrote:
> I did as you said. but the second time I start pidgin, the same windows
> pops up. seems it hasn't been fixed.

I added a bugwatch to the developers. The message could come from a
group- or buddyname that has utf-8 characters in it. Would you mind
attaching you blist.xml to the bug report? If you don't want it to be
public, you can also send it per mail to me directly. I'll then have a
look at it. Address: <email address hidden>

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org

iEYEARECAAYFAkixbK4ACgkQ06FgkPZwicRnjgCeJSlPB/dxCoLI5pWOXT5B3aX/
kPoAoJCXMB1lhEGx9LImnsaOr/Sxhgs6
=qLnM
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

[xsoul (ivyleexyg)]

so the problem occurs because pidgin couldn't recognize some special characters in a QQ group name. Changing the group name in the blist.xml can only fix the problem temporarily because once pidgin starts, it retrieves the group name from server thus modified the xml file automatically which cause it unable to recognize the group name the next time it starts. the solution I think will be to improve the support for special characters in later release.

[pacifistik (fatbob)]

just FYI, this is an issue with pidgin not ubuntu, same issue on XP but it worked fine till i renamed some aim groups in pidgin then after a crash i get this error and it creates a group P '=||||` everytime i open the program

[Omar Shami (bigfox)]

I found a workaround for this bug.

After reading the above comments about utf-8 characters, I looked at the groups I had while shoeing all offline buddies and found a couple groups that had special or weird characters in them. I moved all my buddies out of them and then deleted the groups. The problem appears to have gone away.

[ironstorm (ironstorm-gmail)]

I'm seeing this on Jaunty now...

In two weeks it has happened twice where after I start my computer Pidgin reports:
  Error Reading blist.xml

  An error was encountered reading your buddy list. They have not been loaded, and the old file has been renamed to /home/ged/.purple/blist.xml~.

XML Lint shows:
$ xmllint /home/ged/.purple/blist.xml~
/home/ged/.purple/blist.xml~:114: parser error : xmlParseCharRef: invalid xmlChar value 3
    <buddy account='p(Y&#x3;' proto='prpl-jabber'>

I have to manually edit the file to set the account back to my gmail account....

I don't really get why it always happens the account field, its not like my email address changes.

[xsoul (ivyleexyg)]

now i'm running ubuntu 8.10 and pidgin 2.5.5 also has this problem but it works just fine in windows vista

[AZ (m-dev)]

still happens from time to time in lucid.

[Dennis Baudys (thecondordb)]

I can confirm this error. Running Ubuntu 10.04 (64 Bit) with Linux 2.6.32-25-generic #44-Ubuntu, Gnome 2.30.2 and Pidgin 2.7.3 here.

The error »error reading blist.xml« happened to me the first time and when executing »xmllint blist.xml~«, in my ~/.purple directory, I get the following information:

*** snip ***
blist.xml~:32: parser error : xmlParseCharRef: invalid xmlChar value 29
<setting name='core-rlaager-irchelper_topic' type='string'>&#x1d;Welkom op d ...
etc. etc.
*** snip ***

If I manually remove the »&#x1d;« from the corresponding line in the blist.xml file, Pidgin starts normally.

Please, who can fix this? If You don't feel responsible, where should this bug be reported instead and against what package?

Thank You.

Dennis

PS: I also added this comment to the last open Bug Ticket #767 in the Pidgin Bugtracker (where - additionally - another dupe of this ticket exists but that was already closed and marked as »fixed« – though the problem PERSISTS).