update-manager crashes when trying to upgrade to quantal or trusty (Gtk couldn't be initialized)

[JR]

see the output I get when I'm trying to upgrade from 12.04 to 12.10:

$ update-manager -d
Gtk-Message: Failed to load module "canberra-gtk-module"
authenticate 'quantal.tar.gz' against 'quantal.tar.gz.gpg'
extracting 'quantal.tar.gz'
can't load DistUpgradeViewGtk3 (Gtk couldn't be initialized)
/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gobject/constants.py:24: Warning: g_boxed_type_register_static: assertion `g_type_from_name (name) == 0' failed
  import gobject._gobject
/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gtk-2.0/gtk/__init__.py:40: Warning: specified class size for type `PyGtkGenericCellRenderer' is smaller than the parent type's `GtkCellRenderer' class size
  from gtk import _gtk
/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gtk-2.0/gtk/__init__.py:40: Warning: g_type_get_qdata: assertion `node != NULL' failed
  from gtk import _gtk

I already did the upgrade in my kubuntu where it worked as expected.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: update-manager 1:0.156.14.11
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-32.51-generic 3.2.30
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-32-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu14
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Oct 18 08:32:51 2012
GsettingsChanges:
 com.ubuntu.update-manager first-run false
 com.ubuntu.update-manager launch-time 1350541387
 com.ubuntu.update-manager show-details true
 com.ubuntu.update-manager window-height 944
 com.ubuntu.update-manager window-width 600
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: update-manager
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-10-18 (0 days ago)
VarLogDistupgradeAptclonesystemstate.tar.gz: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/dist-upgrade/apt-clone_system_state.tar.gz'
VarLogDistupgradeMainlog:
 2012-10-18 08:26:31,849 INFO Using config files '['./DistUpgrade.cfg']'
 2012-10-18 08:26:31,849 INFO uname information: 'Linux jrichtsfeld 3.2.0-32-generic #51-Ubuntu SMP Wed Sep 26 21:33:09 UTC 2012 x86_64'
 2012-10-18 08:26:31,849 INFO apt version: '0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10.3'
 2012-10-18 08:26:31,850 INFO release-upgrader version '0.190.1' started
 2012-10-18 08:26:31,944 WARNING can't import view 'DistUpgradeViewGtk3' (Gtk couldn't be initialized)

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

What desktop environment are you using on this system? Is it Ubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu or something else?

[JR (juergen-richtsfeld)]

I installed ubuntu but I'm currently using the xfce desktop.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

How did you go about switching from the lubuntu desktop to the xubuntu one?

[JR (juergen-richtsfeld)]

I just installed the xfce packages and then logged in choosing xfce

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Jack Choy (choyj2000)]

I installed 12.04.1 less than a month ago and 12.10 comes out, so I decide to upgrade and was hit with this bug, even after updating all the 12.04 packages and restarting the system.

[Havard Bjastad (havard-bjastad)]

I have the same problem. Trying to upgrade 12.04, I got this error. Did a complete update of all packages, and restarted, still getting the error. Running standard Ubuntu Unity desktop.

[Jonas Petersson (catellie)]

Same problem. Running unity 2d on a newly a MBP newly upgraded from 11.10.

[Michael S Costello (fraterm)]

In my case I have the XFCE login screen set, but use the gnome 2d desktop interface most of the time. Ubuntu server.

[Francisco Vila (francisco-vila)]

I use gnome-shell and the problem affects me in the same way. What is the command-line equivalent to use as a workaround, if there is any?

[Gabor Karsay (gabor-karsay)]

I have a very similar backtrace when upgrading from precise to trusty:

gabor@mycomputer:~$ update-manager # then I click on "Upgrade" to 14.04.1 LTS; then I have to enter my password
WARNING:root:nothing unsupported running 0 (0)
»trusty.tar.gz« wird gegenüber »trusty.tar.gz.gpg« legitimiert
»trusty.tar.gz« wird entpackt
can't load DistUpgradeViewGtk3 (Gtk couldn't be initialized)

** (trusty:13155): WARNING **: Befehlszeile »dbus-launch --autolaunch=36cdae6788e1edf1d3a649cc0000000a --binary-syntax --close-stderr« brach mit von Null verschiedenem Beenden-Status 1 ab: Autolaunch error: X11 initialization failed.\n
/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gtk-2.0/gtk/__init__.py:40: Warning: specified class size for type `PyGtkGenericCellRenderer' is smaller than the parent type's `GtkCellRenderer' class size
  from gtk import _gtk
/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gtk-2.0/gtk/__init__.py:40: Warning: g_type_get_qdata: assertion `node != NULL' failed
  from gtk import _gtk

However, it's working fine when I launch it like this:
pkexec env DISPLAY=$DISPLAY XAUTHORITY=$XAUTHORITY update-manager