When a location name is typed in the text box on 'Where are you page', drop down list doesn't always show right location names

[Akhila]

When a location name is typed in the text box on 'Where are you page', drop down list doesn't always show right location names. Example, when I typed Kolkata, it was giving out the result Kolkat, Mazandaran, Iran and when I backspaced 'a' in Kolkata and retyped it, the right drop down list appeared. To check again, I typed London, the drop down list showed results for Londo. Backspacing 'n' in London and re-typing it worked.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: ubiquity (not installed)
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-10.10-generic 3.5.1
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-10-generic i686
ApportVersion: 2.4-0ubuntu6
Architecture: i386
Date: Thu Aug 30 19:12:17 2012
InstallCmdLine: file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash -- maybe-ubiquity
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Alpha i386 (20120814.1)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_IN:en
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_IN
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: ubiquity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Ubuntu QA Website (ubuntuqa)]

This bug has been reported on the Ubuntu ISO testing tracker.

A list of all reports related to this bug can be found here:
http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/reports/bugs/1043843

[Akhila (akhilahegde)]

Attaching a few screenshots with dropdown lists showing wrong location names. Build /20120901/quantal-desktop-i386.iso

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

On 1 September 2012 14:56, Akhila <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> ** Attachment added: "Screenshot at 2012-09-01 18:00:45.png"
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/1043843/+attachment/3287419/+files/Screenshot%20at%202012-09-01%2018%3A00%3A45.png
>

Thanks for the screenshots.

"Calcutta" should work better.

The actual locations come from the geoname-lookup website, which you
can query directly as below:

http://geoname-lookup.ubuntu.com/?query=Calcutta

There is a deployment pending with the updated database of geonames. I
cannot test right now, but you can track progress of the deployment
via this bug:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-geonames/+bug/837054

The database we use comes from
http://www.geonames.org/search.html?q=kolkata&country=

The premium version does know about Kolkata, I cannot check right now
if the free one does as well.

[Akhila (akhilahegde)]

The auto selection reads Kolkata. Problem starts only after we select a location elsewhere on the map and try to re-choose our time zone by 'typing' the location name.

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

I am not sure about this.
* first we do network detection
* then we take clicks to choose region (approx)
* then we also offer to type the location

the only thing that this chooses is the correct time-zone offset & seasonal timezone shifts (winter/summer).

It is known that not all locations are available or selectable given the combinations of current pointer on the map & stem look up.

From the bug it seems like it is possible to select Kolkata's timezone, which is Indian Standard Time. The exact location within Indian Standard Time is not important.

Therefore, while it's a valid bug, I don't think it needs fixing. Hence I am changing status to opinion.

[Akhila (akhilahegde)]

I don't hail from Kolkata. So it's in no way my choise of 'particular' location within IST. IST is recognized as Kolkata time zone on these maps for whatever reason. I believe it requires fixing, because we cannot expect every user to know how his/her time zone is recognized on the map. User may choose to type out his/her location name exactly. I know for instance, I can choose Bengaluru as the location and proceed (though, after installation system chooses to show location as Kolkata again). Problem is not that. Simply typing out a location name doesn't change the pointer on the map. It has to be picked up from the drop down list. Now, irrespective of where your pointer is, if you type Kolkata, like I did, for a moment the right drop down list appears and before you move your mouse, it vanishes and some other irrelevant list comes up, which makes choosing impossible. Then, if you BACKSPACE the last letter 'a' in Kolkata and retype it, behold, there's your right list! I guess there's something happening that shouldn't.

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

Thank you for detail instructions and clarifications.
Two things need to happen:
* check if ubiquity is doing the correct requests / caching of the geodata / timezones
* check if geonames-lookup is giving us the correct stemmed search results.

[Akhila (akhilahegde)]

If google info is anything to go by, geoname-lookup also shows names that are not expected along with right results.
I tried http://geoname-lookup.ubuntu.com/?query=New York. Result was : [{"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York borg", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "Lungsod ng New York", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "New York kenti", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }]
According to wiki, New York borg stands for New York City(NYC) in Icelandic; Lungsod ng New York stands for NYC in Filipino and New York kenti is NYC in Turkish.
Search for http://geoname-lookup.ubuntu.com/?query=New York City gives:
 [{"name" : "New York City", "admin1" : "New York", "country" : "United States", "longitude" : "-74.005970", "latitude" : "40.714270" }, {"name" : "The Cit...