Python programs wont start with locale variables set to sr_RS and sr_RS@latin

[Slobodan Simić]

Binary package hint: software-center

I cannot get software center to work with my locales setting.
When I try to start it from console I get

slobodan@koala:~$ software-center
Gtk-Message: (for origin information, set GTK_DEBUG): failed to retrieve property `GtkWidget::visited-link-color' of type `GdkColor' from rc file value "((GString*) 0x19df880)" of type `GString'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/software-center", line 80, in <module>
    app = SoftwareCenterApp(datadir, xapian_base_path)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/app.py", line 140, in __init__
    self.icons, datadir)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/view/availablepane.py", line 58, in __init__
    SoftwarePane.__init__(self, cache, db, icons, datadir)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/view/softwarepane.py", line 92, in __init__
    self.datadir)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/view/appdetailsview.py", line 102, in __init__
    self.aptd_client = client.AptClient()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/aptdaemon/client.py", line 382, in __init__
    self._locale = "%s.%s" % locale.getdefaultlocale()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/locale.py", line 478, in getdefaultlocale
    return _parse_localename(localename)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/locale.py", line 410, in _parse_localename
    raise ValueError, 'unknown locale: %s' % localename
ValueError: unknown locale: sr_RS

When I change LANG variable to something else (tried en_US de_DE hu_HU)
software-center starts normally.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Oct 29 20:33:15 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release Candidate amd64 (20091020.3)
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
Package: software-center 1.0.2
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
SourcePackage: software-center
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic x86_64
XsessionErrors:
 (gnome-settings-daemon:4111): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:4217): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
 (nautilus:4210): Eel-CRITICAL **: eel_preferences_get_boolean: assertion `preferences_is_initialized ()' failed
 (gnome-panel:4209): Gtk-WARNING **: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -1 and height 24
 (gnome-panel:4209): Gdk-WARNING **: /build/buildd/gtk+2.0-2.18.3/gdk/x11/gdkdrawable-x11.c:952 drawable is not a pixmap or window

[Zarko Mihajlovic (developer-beotel)]

This bug affects two of mine computers, desktop and laptop, both set with serbian locale sr_RS:

zarko@zarko-desktop:~$ software-center
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/software-center", line 80, in <module>
    app = SoftwareCenterApp(datadir, xapian_base_path)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/app.py", line 140, in __init__
    self.icons, datadir)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/view/availablepane.py", line 58, in __init__
    SoftwarePane.__init__(self, cache, db, icons, datadir)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/view/softwarepane.py", line 92, in __init__
    self.datadir)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/view/appdetailsview.py", line 102, in __init__
    self.aptd_client = client.AptClient()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/aptdaemon/client.py", line 382, in __init__
    self._locale = "%s.%s" % locale.getdefaultlocale()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/locale.py", line 478, in getdefaultlocale
    return _parse_localename(localename)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/locale.py", line 410, in _parse_localename
    raise ValueError, 'unknown locale: %s' % localename
ValueError: unknown locale: sr_RS

Moreover, even the Alacarte wont start with similar error report:

zarko@zarko-desktop:~$ alacarte
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/alacarte", line 36, in <module>
    main()
  File "/usr/bin/alacarte", line 32, in main
    app = MainWindow(datadir, version, sys.argv)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/Alacarte/MainWindow.py", line 48, in __init__
    self.editor = MenuEditor()
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/Alacarte/MenuEditor.py", line 35, in __init__
    self.locale = locale.getdefaultlocale()[0]
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/locale.py", line 478, in getdefaultlocale
    return _parse_localename(localename)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/locale.py", line 410, in _parse_localename
    raise ValueError, 'unknown locale: %s' % localename
ValueError: unknown locale: sr_RS

[Slobodan Simić (slsimic)]

I think this bug is Python related and not software-center related since I get similar errors with wicd-client wich is python based too.

[Petar Vasić (p-vasic)]

This is a python bug, as it shows up in every python program.

[Petar Vasić (p-vasic)]

Runing
 cd /usr/lib/python2.6/
 python locale.py

when your $LANG is set to " sr_RS@latin" (serbian localization) results in:

Locale aliasing:

Locale defaults as determined by getdefaultlocale():
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "locale.py", line 1739, in <module>
    _print_locale()
  File "locale.py", line 1685, in _print_locale
    lang, enc = getdefaultlocale()
  File "locale.py", line 478, in getdefaultlocale
    return _parse_localename(localename)
  File "locale.py", line 410, in _parse_localename
    raise ValueError, 'unknown locale: %s' % localename
ValueError: unknown locale: sr_RS@latin

[Petar Vasić (p-vasic)]

Upstream report is here: http://bugs.python.org/issue6668

[Petar Vasić (p-vasic)]

related reports:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/python2.5/+bug/194993

https://bugs.launchpad.net/debian/+source/libx11/+bug/299841

[Jovica Lesevic (jovica-lesevic)]

 The package from Jonathan Marsden ( ppa ) fixes errors I've been seeing on my Ubuntu Karmic installation."