Traceback when searching for packages: TypeError: Expected a string or unicode object

[Heimen Stoffels]

Since a week, I'm getting an error on KPackageKit when I try to search for a package. I type the name in the search box, it looks like it's searching and then a pop-up called "There was an internal system error" displays with the following output:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/daemonBackend.py", line 109, in run
   threading.Thread.run(self)
File "/usr/lib/python2.6/threading.py", line 477, in run
   self.__target(*self.__args, **self.__kwargs)
File "/usr/lib/packagekit/aptDBUSBackend.py", line 594, in doSearchName
   self._emit_visible_package(filters, pkg)
File "/usr/lib/packagekit/aptDBUSBackend.py", line 1816, in _emit_visible_package
   self._emit_package(pkg, info)
File "/usr/lib/packagekit/aptDBUSBackend.py", line 1809, in _emit_package
   self.Package(info, id, summary)
File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/daemonBackend.py", line 146, in wrapper
   return func(*args, **kwargs)
File "/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/dbus/decorators.py", line 309, in emit_signal
   message.append(signature=signature, *args)
TypeError: Expected a string or unicode object

When closing the error, no or half search results are displayed.
I already tried reinstalling KPackageKit, but that didn't work.

OS: Kubuntu 9.04
KDE-version: 4.2.4
KPackageKit-version: 0.4-0ubuntu9

What to do about it, other than upgrading to 9.10 alpha?

[Jonathan Thomas (echidnaman)]

Looks like a PackageKit backend crash.

[Heimen Stoffels (vistaus)]

What to do about it?

[Heimen Stoffels (vistaus)]

It's really annoying, I'm falling back Adept/apt-get/aptitude for now. Sad, because this way I'll never get used to KPackageKit. Is there someting I can do about this?

[James Westby (james-w)]

Hi,

Please try the packages at

  https://edge.launchpad.net/~james-w/+archive/packagekit]

and see if they improve the issue.

Thanks,

James

[Heimen Stoffels (vistaus)]

@James: Nope, it didn't work. I get dependency problems when installing the packages :(

[James Westby (james-w)]

Vistaus wrote:
> @James: Nope, it didn't work. I get dependency problems when installing
> the packages :(
>
Oops, I uploaded karmic packages, I just uploaded jaunty ones, could you
try those please?

Thanks,

James

[Heimen Stoffels (vistaus)]

After installing the jaunty ones, the error still exists :(

[James Westby (james-w)]

With the same backtrace?

Thanks,

James

[Heimen Stoffels (vistaus)]

Yes, same backtrace as above.

[Heimen Stoffels (vistaus)]

KPackageKit still gives the error... What to do about it?

[Heimen Stoffels (vistaus)]

I started KPackageKit from the Terminal, and when KPackageKit gave the error, the Terminal gave this output:

heimen-at-kubuntu@heimen-at-compaq:~$ kpackagekit
enumFromString ( Group ) : converted "unknown" to "Unknown" , enum value -1
heimen-at-kubuntu@heimen-at-compaq:~$ New transaction with tid "/46_bdcbcced_data"
removing transaction from pool : "/46_bdcbcced_data"
New transaction with tid "/47_acacedda_data"
removing transaction from pool : "/47_acacedda_data"

heimen-at-kubuntu@heimen-at-compaq:~$

[Heimen Stoffels (vistaus)]

Anyone knows what t do about it? Or when this bug will be fixed?

[Heimen Stoffels (vistaus)]

Anyone knows what to do about it? Or when this bug will be fixed? Or is this bug fixed in KPackageKit 0.4.1 in Karmic (9.10)?

[James Westby (james-w)]

I've no idea what's going wrong if my patch didn't fix it.

Thanks,

James

[Sebastian Heinlein (glatzor)]

So you still have got the error? Do you get translated package descriptions? Which package can you see in the list before the error?

In Karmic the APT backend uses a different mechanism for the communication between the packagekit daemon and the backend. The issue should be fixed there.

[Jonathan Thomas (echidnaman)]

We are closing this bug report because it lacks the information we need to investigate the problem, as described in the previous comments. Please reopen it if you can give us the missing information, and don't hesitate to submit bug reports in the future. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!