update-manager crashed with ValueError in ./xorg_fix_proprietary.py: _system not initialized

[Benjamin Schmid]

On dist-upgrading vom oneiroc to precise this appeared first at the very end of the upgrade process in the update-manager and now appears on each implicit start of the update-manager.

I can reproduce the problem on manually calling the script:

~> sudo python /usr/share/pyshared/DistUpgrade/xorg_fix_proprietary.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/pyshared/DistUpgrade/xorg_fix_proprietary.py", line 160, in <module>
    if ver and apt_pkg.VersionCompare(ver, "2:1.5.0") > 0:
ValueError: _system not initialized

ProblemType: Crash
Date: Fri Mar 2 08:21:30 2012
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/update-manager
ExecutableTimestamp: 1326448883
InterpreterPath: /usr/bin/python2.7
ProcCmdline: /usr/bin/python ./xorg_fix_proprietary.py
ProcCwd: /tmp/update-manager-TFEgcM
PythonArgs: ['/usr/bin/update-manager']
Traceback:
 Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "./xorg_fix_proprietary.py", line 160, in <module>
     if ver and apt_pkg.VersionCompare(ver, "2:1.5.0") > 0:
 ValueError: _system not initialized
UserGroups:

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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