Looks like libvte9 package is internally using an incorrect path for gnome-pty-helper. libvte-2.90-9 package of the same library is using the correct path. gnome-terminal updates utmp successfully because it is using the latter library.
libvte9 tries to run /usr/lib/vte/gnome-pty-helper but installs /usr/lib/libvte9/gnome-pty-helper.
The following shows the incorrect path in libvte.so.9 and the correct path in libvte2_90.so.9:
Looks like libvte9 package is internally using an incorrect path for gnome-pty-helper. libvte-2.90-9 package of the same library is using the correct path. gnome-terminal updates utmp successfully because it is using the latter library.
libvte9 tries to run /usr/lib/ vte/gnome- pty-helper but installs /usr/lib/ libvte9/ gnome-pty- helper.
The following shows the incorrect path in libvte.so.9 and the correct path in libvte2_90.so.9:
$ strings /usr/lib/ libvte. so.9 | fgrep /gnome-pty-helper vte/gnome- pty-helper libvte2_ 90.so.9 | fgrep /gnome-pty-helper libvte2- 90/gnome- pty-helper
/usr/lib/
$ strings /usr/lib/
/usr/lib/
This shows where these packages have installed their gnome-pty-helper:
$ dpkg -S gnome-pty-helper libvte9/ gnome-pty- helper libvte2- 90/gnome- pty-helper
libvte9: /usr/lib/
libvte-2.90-9: /usr/lib/
As a workaround I made a symbolic link such as follows:
$ ln -s libvte9 /usr/lib/vte
$ ls -la /usr/lib/vte
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 2011-10-12 20:14 /usr/lib/vte -> libvte9
...and that solves the problem for me. xfce4-terminal now correctly adds utmp entries.
These are the installed libvte package versions:
$ apt-cache policy libvte9 libvte-2.90-9 kh.archive. ubuntu. com/ubuntu/ oneiric/main amd64 Packages dpkg/status kh.archive. ubuntu. com/ubuntu/ oneiric/main amd64 Packages dpkg/status
libvte-2.90-9:
Installed: 1:0.28.2-0ubuntu2
Candidate: 1:0.28.2-0ubuntu2
Version table:
*** 1:0.28.2-0ubuntu2 0
500 http://
100 /var/lib/
libvte9:
Installed: 1:0.28.2-0ubuntu2
Candidate: 1:0.28.2-0ubuntu2
Version table:
*** 1:0.28.2-0ubuntu2 0
500 http://
100 /var/lib/