software center didn't run

[Lesha Ogonkov]

Start page didn't ever shows, always "loading". Console outputs:
$ software-center
2011-11-21 22:25:56,931 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.em - INFO - EM's: 17 15 21
2011-11-21 22:25:59,154 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.utils - INFO - Softwarecenter style provider for ambiance Gtk theme: /usr/share/software-center/ui/gtk3/css/softwarecenter.css
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/software-center/update-software-center-agent", line 39, in <module>
    from softwarecenter.db.update import update_from_software_center_agent
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/update.py", line 91, in <module>
    cataloged_times = pickle.load(open(CF))
cPickle.UnpicklingError: unpickling stack underflow
2011-11-21 22:26:01,055 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - software-center-agent finished with status 1
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/app.py", line 1193, in show_lobby
    self.view_manager.set_active_view(ViewPages.AVAILABLE)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/session/viewmanager.py", line 125, in set_active_view
    view_widget.init_view()
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/panes/availablepane.py", line 109, in init_view
    SoftwarePane.init_view(self)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/panes/softwarepane.py", line 261, in init_view
    self.icons, self.show_ratings)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/views/appview.py", line 76, in __init__
    self.helper = AppPropertiesHelper(db, cache, icons)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/models/appstore2.py", line 228, in __init__
    softwarecenter.paths.APP_INSTALL_PATH)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 111, in parse_applications_menu
    category = self._parse_menu_tag(child)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 267, in _parse_menu_tag
    l = self._parse_directory_tag(element)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 142, in _parse_directory_tag
    from softwarecenter.db.update import DesktopConfigParser
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/update.py", line 91, in <module>
    cataloged_times = pickle.load(open(CF))
cPickle.UnpicklingError: unpickling stack underflow

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: software-center 5.0.2ubuntu0.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-13.22-generic 3.0.6
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-13-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Nov 21 22:26:20 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release amd64 (20100429)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: software-center
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-17 (35 days ago)

[Gary Lasker (gary-lasker)]

Hi Lesha, and thank you for your bug report. This issue has actually been reported earlier in bug 891499, so I will mark this one as a duplicate of that.

Per the other report, it seems that a local cache file that Software Center uses has become corrupted and that is causing this issue. First, so that we can take a look at the file to see exactly what went wrong, could you please attache the following file to bug 891499?:

   /var/lib/apt-xapian-index/cataloged_times.p

After you've done that, you can restore normal Software Center operation as follows. Please shut down Software Center (if it is running) and type the following command into a terminal window to delete the corrupted file:

  $ sudo rm /var/lib/apt-xapian-index/cataloged_times.p

After this, Software Center should start normally. Please let us know if it does not, or if have you any further problems.

Thank you again!

[Lesha Ogonkov (ogonkov)]

Worked for me, thanks!