add-apt-repository crashed with NoDistroTemplateException in get_sources(): Error: could not find a distribution template

[Jakob Mayer]

called »sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://packages.mate-desktop.org/repo/ubuntu precise main"« via console
before, LinuxMint 12 repository has been added, some packages from it have been installed and the repository has been removed again. Problems occured including wrong plymouth configuration, some programs reported errors regarding wrong system version. /etc/lsb-release and /etc/issue got overwritten with LinuxMint information. Fixed that by re-overwriting Ubuntu 12.04 information.

a further call with a different repository line of "deb http://deb.opera.com/opera/ stable non-free" also failed.

Ubuntu Version:
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 12.04
Release: 12.04
Codename: Precise

add-apt-repository verson:
python-software-properties:
  Installiert: 0.82.7
  Kandidat: 0.82.7
  Versionstabelle:
 *** 0.82.7 0
        500 http://mirror.netcologne.de/ubuntu/ precise/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Crash
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: python-software-properties 0.82.7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-22.35-generic-pae 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-22-generic-pae i686
ApportVersion: 2.0-0ubuntu5
Architecture: i386
CrashCounter: 1
Date: Tue Apr 10 14:45:39 2012
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/add-apt-repository
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Beta i386 (20120403)
InterpreterPath: /usr/bin/python2.7
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcCmdline: /usr/bin/python /usr/bin/add-apt-repository deb\ http://packages.mate-desktop.org/repo/ubuntu\ precise\ main
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
 LANGUAGE=de_AT:de
 SHELL=/bin/bash
PythonArgs: ['/usr/bin/add-apt-repository', 'deb http://packages.mate-desktop.org/repo/ubuntu precise main']
SourcePackage: software-properties
Title: add-apt-repository crashed with NoDistroTemplateException in get_sources(): Error: could not find a distribution template
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups:

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Robert Roth (evfool)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug #874329, so it is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Feel free to continue to report any other bugs you may find.

[raoul martin (raoul223)]

try to install PPA manager :

 sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/y-ppa-manager[sudo] password for raoul:
You are about to add the following PPA to your system:
 Y PPA Manager

Info and feedback: http://www.webupd8.org/2010/11/y-ppa-manager-easily-search-add-remove.html

This PPA is for Y PPA Manager and also includes the latest YAD for Quantal, Precise, Oneiric, Natty, Maverick and Lucid (YAD is a dependency for Y PPA Manager): http://code.google.com/p/yad/
 More info: https://launchpad.net/~webupd8team/+archive/y-ppa-manager
Press [ENTER] to continue or ctrl-c to cancel adding it

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/add-apt-repository", line 160, in <module>
    sp = SoftwareProperties(options=options)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py", line 96, in __init__
    self.reload_sourceslist()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py", line 584, in reload_sourceslist
    self.distro.get_sources(self.sourceslist)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/aptsources/distro.py", line 87, in get_sources
    raise NoDistroTemplateException("Error: could not find a "
aptsources.distro.NoDistroTemplateException: Error: could not find a distribution template
raoul@raoul-VGN-FS115B:~$