synaptic crashes after installing updates

[Roger]

In both Saucy and Trusty (with Gnome 3.10 and 3.12 respectively), Synaptic has been taking an inordinate amount of time populating lists with search results, often resulting in a Force Quit? dialog. But at least it hasn't crashed. Until now.

The good thing is that packages actually appear to be installed, though, so apparently the crash happens after installation but before returning to the normal view.

This on a fully up-to-date Ubuntu Gnome 14.04.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: synaptic 0.81.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: GNOME
Date: Wed Apr 16 03:07:15 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-04-10 (5 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-GNOME 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Daily amd64 (20140409)
SourcePackage: synaptic
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

Thanks for your bugreport.

Is the crash reproducable in any way? I would love to get a gdb backtrace - do you have a /var/crash/_usr_sbin_synaptic* file?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Forage (forage)]

I can confirm the issue. While I haven't experienced it in 13.10, it started for me after updating to 14.04. Using Ubuntu GNOME with GNOME 3.12.

It can take ages for Synaptic to launch, populate lists and search. When Synaptic is in this state, it will crash right after having installed a package, not showing the progress dialog in the first place and not adding the changes to its history list.

Do note that it does not always occur. The only way I found to fix it was to reboot the system, followed by another reboot if the first didn't fix it.

I have a _usr_sbin_synaptic.0.crash file, but it is taking up 56 MB. After compressing it still takes up 41 MB. Let me know if you need the complete file.

[Miguel de Freitas Fonseca (miguelfonseca72-gmail)]

Hi, today (a few hours ago) I updated my Ubuntu Gnome 14.04 64 bits fresh install using the Staging PPA to Gnome 3.12.
The only (huge) problem so far is with Synaptic!
I can confirm the issue describ above.
When I open Sybnaptic it takes about 2 to 3 minutes to load! The fan goes crazy! Spinning at full speed!
Then, after the 2 or 3 minutes, finally loads, but there's more!
When I choose to use the search box to find a package it works fine, but if I try to erase the letters in the search box to look for another package the fan goes crazy again, and for another 2 or 3 more minutes, nothing, until it finally sows all the packages starting fromletter "a".
At last, but not least, when I use the main menu (File) and choose close, the issue repeats it self!
Another, this time, 1 or 2 minutes for Synaptic to close.
I've repeated the process 3 times, and it allways happended!
One of the times, a window pop up stating that there was a problem with Synaptic and asking me if I wanted to TERMINATE or CONTINUE. I've choose continue and eventually it got out of the freezing!
This only occured AFTER I upgraded to Gnome 3.12|
Before, using the "normal" 3.10, NOTHING like this ever happended!
I checked for my /var/crash directory, but, maybe, because I did wait for it to work properly, I don't have any log.

Regardeless, I can confirm the bug/issue in the exact same conditions as describe above by Roger and Forage.

If there's any procedure that you'll like to execute in order to help with the issue, please inform me and, within my technical limitations I'll do it.

[Miguel de Freitas Fonseca (miguelfonseca72-gmail)]

 Hi, AGAIN, the issue, somehow got resolved in Gnome 3.10, but it came back on Gnome 3.12 after I installed it using the Gnome Staging PPA (with the Gnome "normal" PPA together!).
 I already removed (purged) Synaptic and located every bit of files and directorys link to it, remove them too and reinstalled it again.
 The issue is exactly the same!
 I open it, it hangs for 3 to 5 minutes! Fan going crazy and processors at full speed/work!

 I use the quick seach search box and the hanging starts again for 2 or 3 minutes.
 Then, choose a packge, either to install or remove and the problem continues!

 It installs or unistalls with no issues, but them, when starts loading the data base, again the issue!

 And the most incredible is that takes about 1 or more minutes to close Synaptic, choosing the menu File->Close!

 So the question is, you some whow detect and resolved the issue on Gnome 3.10, then why in God's name it exists on Gnome 3.12?!

 If the problem was detect and solved, why you let it repeat on the next version of Gnome?!

 This is not a new bug! This is an old and solved bug that returned!

 I hope for a reply this time, or it will be the last time ever that I will report a bug!

 Because it's my third bug report with not even a SINGLE REPLY!

 I'm sick off it!

 Waiting for a answer,

 Miguel Fonseca from Portugal.