mintmenu suggestions installer not working (python-apt problem)

[daf]

On a new install of Linux Mint, I was quite impressed with the suggestions feature of mintMenu -- especially the one that allowed 1-click install of a suggested package. After some recent updates though, that specific feature is no longer working. The search still works correctly but clicking on an item appears to do nothing.

Launching mintMenu from the consol, I can see error messages related to python-apt: in particular, it looks like the objects that mintMenu is referencing aren't the same structure as before: apt items don't seem to have a BrokenCount or isInstalled member any more -- suggesting that python-apt has changed but mintMenu hasn't caught up.

Version of Mint: LMDE
Edition: mintwelcome reports version 1, but this is up-to-date as of today with whatever is in the repos
What happened: when using the suggestions feature the installation button for a package appears to do nothing. Menu closes though.
What I expected: something to launch up with a way to install (as I saw when I installed new)
Reproducability: always. All packages. All searches.

[Mike T (trustdarkness)]

Guessing this is the same issue of deprecated features in python-apt that i fixed in mintBackup in bug 795132... initial traceback looks like this (but i'm guessing there will be more):

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/apturl-gtk", line 48, in <module>
    sys.exit(apturl.main())
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/AptUrl/AptUrl.py", line 177, in main
    if not self.openCache():
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/AptUrl/AptUrl.py", line 117, in openCache
    if self.cache._depcache.BrokenCount > 0:
AttributeError: 'apt_pkg.DepCache' object has no attribute 'BrokenCount'

i'll see about putting together a patch.

[Mike T (trustdarkness)]

Ok, so, as I suspected, this is related to the python-apt api deprecation explained in bug 795132. This time the bug manifested itself in these two files:

/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/AptUrl/AptUrl.py
/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/AptUrl/Helpers.py

which are part of the apturl-common package. i've attached patches for these two files that fix the issue. There was only one equivalent I could not find in the new api. it appears on line 162 as part of an if block verifying proper package installation.

pkg._pkg.CurrentState != apt_pkg.CurStateInstalled

I could not find an equivalent to the package.CurrentState method that existed in pre 0.8.0 versions. The other 2 checks in place seem sufficient to me, but I added a FIXME all the same.

[Mike T (trustdarkness)]

patch for Helpers.py

[Mike T (trustdarkness)]

deb packages with the patch applied. Tested and functional. 2 attachments built based on the original ubuntu package of version apturl_0.4.1ubuntu4.1_all.deb
apturl-common_0.4.1ubuntu4.1_all.deb

NOTE to users, these are not "official" mint packages by any means, but should fix problems related to apturl in LMDE until the mint team gets official packages released.

[Hirwen HARENDAL (harendalh)]

Same issue about suggestion feature, but the last update with :
apturl 0.4.1ubuntu4.1mint1
apturl-common 0.4.1ubuntu4.1mint1
Seems to solve the issue; Works for me now.

[jevgtv (tugevus)]

I am experiencing the problem in
Maya mate 32

[jevgtv (tugevus)]

I had

apturl 0.5.1ubuntu3
apturl-common 0.5.1ubuntu3

and have resolved the problem by downgdading to

apturl 0.4.1ubuntu4.1mint1
apturl-common 0.4.1ubuntu4.1mint1