Software Center doesn't start on systems in Esperanto

[Robin van der Vliet]

When I start the Software Center it immediately gives me a fatal error on my fresh 15.10 installation in Esperanto.

I got the following traceback when I tried to start the software-center from the terminal: http://paste.ubuntu.com/12972133/

I looked at the traceback and I noticed the error occurred in the file region.py.
In the method _get_region_dumb we try to split the variable loc with the delimeter "_", but the input string does not contain an underscore in the first place. The variable loc only contains "eo" at this point, since Esperanto is not connected to a certain country there is no country code.

I managed to fix the method _get_region_dumb by adding a try/except statement, but I am not able to do a pull request myself as I am not really an expert in Bazaar and branches.

Could somebody update the method _get_region_dumb in region.py and replace it with the following or an other similar method: http://paste.ubuntu.com/12972109/
I only added the last try/except statement.

robin@robin-pc:~$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 15.10
Release: 15.10

robin@robin-pc:~$ apt-cache policy software-center
software-center:
  Instalita: 13.10-0ubuntu12
  Kandidato: 13.10-0ubuntu12
  Version table:
 *** 13.10-0ubuntu12 0
        500 http://nl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ wily/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

[Impact]
This bug will prevent the starting of the Ubuntu Software Center on systems installed in the language Esperanto. The fix is so trivial that backporting would be justified.

[Test Case]
1) Download an Ubuntu flavour.
2) Choose the language Esperanto in the installation wizard.
3) After instalation is complete, start the Ubuntu Software Center (EO: Ubuntu-programarejo).
4) Nothing happens.
5) Open the Terminal (EO: Terminalo).
6) Type "software-center" and press enter.
7) You will see a traceback, similiar to the one in the bug description.
8) Apply the patch provided with the bug report.
9) Now you can start it normally and with the terminal.

[Regression Potential]
I do not think there is any way my fix could go wrong, but maybe other people have different opinions about that here.

[Robie Basak (racb)]

Thank you for the bug report and fix! The fix is so trivial that I don't think it's necessary to make you learn how to make debdiffs, patches, bzr branches and so on, and we appreciate your contribution. I'm adding the upstream software-center project as I think this is likely to be a bug upstream too, and subscribing ~ubuntu-sponsors for consideration to patch this in Xenial.

If you'd like this fixed in 15.10 or earlier releases, please follow the instructions at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates#Procedure - in particular although I think a sponsor will be happy to create a debdiff for you, we do still need the "paperwork" done in terms of test case, etc, in order to make sure we minimise regression risk to existing users.

[Robie Basak (racb)]

Looks like upstream track bugs right here?

[Robie Basak (racb)]

@Michael,

Do you mind taking a look please? This looks like a valid bug with a particularly trivial fix/workaround to me.

[Robin van der Vliet (robinvdv)]

I added a test case and regression analysis to the description of this bug and I also managed to make a patch file with the solution I described before.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package software-center - 16.01+16.04.20160119

---------------
software-center (16.01+16.04.20160119) xenial; urgency=medium

  * Patch from Robin van der Vilet to not crash on locales with no
    country. (LP: #1510237)

 -- Iain Lane <email address hidden> Tue, 19 Jan 2016 17:06:39 +0000