kpackagekit can't update package cache

[Oleg Tsarev]

Binary package hint: kpackagekit

Kpackagekit complete "update package cache" with error

Error Type:
Error Value: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, exceptions.SystemError found
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2216, in
main()
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2213, in main
run(args, options.single)
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2175, in run
backend.dispatcher(args)
File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 699, in dispatcher
self.dispatch_command(args[0], args[1:])
File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 606, in dispatch_command
self.refresh_cache(force)
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 202, in _locked_cache
func(*args, **kwargs)
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 1498, in refresh_cache
format_string(error.message))
File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 723, in format_string
txt = unicode(text, encoding, errors='replace')

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: kpackagekit 0.5.4-0ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-22.33-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-22-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Architecture: amd64
Date: Tue May 11 05:33:09 2010
ProcEnviron:
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 LANG=ru_RU.UTF-8
 LANGUAGE=
SourcePackage: kpackagekit

[Oleg Tsarev (tsarev)]

Also i include my /etc/apt/sources.list

[Oleg Tsarev (tsarev)]

My patch to this bug

sarev@developer:~$ cat packagekit-backend-apt.patch
--- /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py 2010-03-08 22:46:16.000000000 +0300
@@ -1495,7 +1495,7 @@
             # reporting. We only receive a failure string.
             # FIXME: Doesn't detect if all downloads failed - bug in python-apt
             self.message(MESSAGE_REPO_METADATA_DOWNLOAD_FAILED,
- format_string(error.message))
+ format_string(unicode(error)))
         self._open_cache(prange=(95,100))
         self.percentage(100)

Package "packagekit-backend-apt" use deprecated in python 2.6 method "error.message", and method format_string get to input SytemError instead of normal string.

By the way, this is a error from apt with my trouble.
"FetchFailedException(SystemError('W:Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/lucid/Release Unable to find expected entry non-free/binary-amd64/Packages in Meta-index file (malformed Release file?)\n, W:Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/lucid-updates/Release Unable to find expected entry non-free/binary-amd64/Packages in Meta-index file (malformed Release file?)\n, W:Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/lucid-security/Release Unable to find expected entry non-free/binary-amd64/Packages in Meta-index file (malformed Release file?)\n, E:Some index files failed to download, they have been ignored, or old ones used instead.',),)"

Now i just call unicode conversion for error, and format_string work correct.

How can i help in improve diagnostic?

[Oleg Tsarev (tsarev)]

Wow, after my patch i found warning icon in the tray with message about failed index download...
Great!

[Aswarp (aswarp2002)]

I will describe my sympthoms:
Fresh install of KUbuntu 10.10.
I log in and get connected to a WiFi connection. I run the rekonq new embedded web browser and it offers details about some packages to be installed (flash player, etcetera). I try to install those and I am asked for authentication. I choose my username and try to type in a password but nothing happens. Apparently, password pop-up dialogs have some trouble in this new release, because nothing gets written. So I can not authenticate and install the packages.
So I try Firefox web browser instead, but it does not come preinstalled. I have to install it and I am asked again for password confirmation, and again it won't work.
So I try tu update my package list and web browsers from the terminal. I try apt-get, aptitude and synaptic, but none of them will work. I enter /var/lib/dpkg and sudo rename the archive 'lock' into 'lock_old' and try to run apt-get again, but to no avail.
I try kdesudo kpackagekit and it says that I need to update my software source (as I if didn't know by now...), but when I try, a message appears telling that the package cache could not be opened.
And that is it. I hope that you can help me. The patch above does not help me clarify the problem or its solution because I do not understand what it is or how to use it, and I think that the average user wouldn't either.
Cheers