TypeError: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, NoneType found

[Paul Sladen]

sudo vmbuilder xen ubuntu \
    --suite lucid --flavour virtual --arch amd64 \
    --part partitions.txt \
    --user ubuntu --name Ubuntu \
    --components main,universe \
    --addpkg openssh-server

2010-03-30 07:25:00,509 INFO : Calling hook: preflight_check
2010-03-30 07:25:00,514 INFO : Calling hook: set_defaults
2010-03-30 07:25:00,515 INFO : Calling hook: bootstrap
2010-03-30 07:26:43,726 INFO : Calling hook: configure_os
2010-03-30 07:26:53,850 INFO : update-alternatives: error: no alternatives for rsh.
2010-03-30 07:26:54,070 INFO : update-alternatives: error: no alternatives for rlogin.
2010-03-30 07:26:54,291 INFO : update-alternatives: error: no alternatives for rcp.
2010-03-30 07:26:56,001 INFO : Creating SSH2 RSA key; this may take some time ...
2010-03-30 07:26:57,643 INFO : Creating SSH2 DSA key; this may take some time ...
2010-03-30 07:26:58,175 INFO :
2010-03-30 07:26:58,177 INFO : Warning: Fake initctl called, doing nothing
2010-03-30 07:26:58,190 INFO :
2010-03-30 07:26:58,190 INFO : Warning: Fake initctl called, doing nothing
2010-03-30 07:27:00,334 INFO :
2010-03-30 07:27:00,335 INFO : Current default time zone: 'Etc/UTC'
2010-03-30 07:27:00,349 INFO : Local time is now: Tue Mar 30 06:27:00 UTC 2010.
2010-03-30 07:27:00,349 INFO : Universal Time is now: Tue Mar 30 06:27:00 UTC 2010.
2010-03-30 07:27:00,349 INFO :
2010-03-30 07:27:04,436 INFO : Calling hook: post_install
2010-03-30 07:27:04,442 INFO : Calling hook: preflight_check
2010-03-30 07:27:04,443 INFO : Calling hook: configure_networking
2010-03-30 07:27:04,459 INFO : Calling hook: configure_mounting
2010-03-30 07:27:04,474 INFO : Calling hook: mount_partitions
2010-03-30 07:27:04,475 INFO : Mounting target filesystems
2010-03-30 07:27:04,475 INFO : Creating filesystem: /, size: 20000, dummy: False
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/vmbuilder", line 24, in <module>
    cli.main()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/contrib/cli.py", line 116, in main
    hypervisor.install_os()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/hypervisor.py", line 64, in install_os
    self.call_hooks('mount_partitions', self.chroot_dir)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/distro.py", line 66, in call_hooks
    call_hooks(self, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/util.py", line 165, in call_hooks
    getattr(context, func, log_no_such_method)(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/hypervisor.py", line 82, in mount_partitions
    fs.create()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/disk.py", line 332, in create
    if not os.path.exists(self.filename):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/genericpath.py", line 18, in exists
    st = os.stat(path)
TypeError: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, NoneType found

dpkg -l python-vm-builder
python-vm-builder 0.12.3-0ubuntu1

[Paul Sladen (sladen)]

Altering whether 'partitions.txt' has a newline at the end gives a different traceback:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/build$ cat partitions.txt
root 20000

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/build$

If the newline is added, then the result is:

2010-03-30 07:32:57,831 INFO : Calling hook: post_install
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/vmbuilder", line 24, in <module>
    cli.main()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/contrib/cli.py", line 115, in main
    self.set_disk_layout(hypervisor)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/contrib/cli.py", line 228, in set_disk_layout
    hypervisor.add_filesystem(elements[1], type=default_filesystem, mntpnt=elements[0])
IndexError: list index out of range
ubuntu@ubuntu:~/build$ cat partitions.txt
root 20000

[Thierry Carrez (ttx)]

Yes, this is wrong (VMBuilder/disk.py:332):

        if not os.path.exists(self.filename):
            logging.info('Not preallocated, so we create it.')
            if not self.filename:

If self.filename is "None", then os.path.exists(self.filename) fails with the above TypeError

[ericqq (phppie)]

i fond the same Error in the ubuntu 10.4 beta2.0 too..............

[J Bruni (jbruni)]

Perhaps the following fix apply to this bug?

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/packagekit/+bug/546607

[neocultura (neocultura)]

sudo vmbuilder xen ubuntu --part ./part
2010-06-09 13:27:42,334 INFO : Calling hook: preflight_check
2010-06-09 13:27:42,383 INFO : Calling hook: set_defaults
2010-06-09 13:27:42,383 INFO : Calling hook: bootstrap
2010-06-09 13:51:10,410 INFO : Calling hook: configure_os
2010-06-09 13:53:01,427 INFO :
2010-06-09 13:53:01,427 INFO : Current default time zone: 'Etc/UTC'
2010-06-09 13:53:01,429 INFO : Local time is now: Wed Jun 9 11:53:01 UTC 2010.
2010-06-09 13:53:01,429 INFO : Universal Time is now: Wed Jun 9 11:53:01 UTC 2010.
2010-06-09 13:53:01,429 INFO :
2010-06-09 13:56:51,887 INFO :
2010-06-09 13:56:51,888 INFO : Current default time zone: 'Etc/UTC'
2010-06-09 13:56:51,890 INFO : Local time is now: Wed Jun 9 11:56:51 UTC 2010.
2010-06-09 13:56:51,890 INFO : Universal Time is now: Wed Jun 9 11:56:51 UTC 2010.
2010-06-09 13:56:51,890 INFO : Run 'dpkg-reconfigure tzdata' if you wish to change it.
2010-06-09 13:56:51,890 INFO :
2010-06-09 13:57:17,639 INFO : Calling hook: post_install
2010-06-09 13:57:17,680 INFO : Calling hook: preflight_check
2010-06-09 13:57:17,681 INFO : Calling hook: configure_networking
2010-06-09 13:57:17,735 INFO : Calling hook: configure_mounting
2010-06-09 13:57:17,743 INFO : Calling hook: mount_partitions
2010-06-09 13:57:17,743 INFO : Mounting target filesystems
2010-06-09 13:57:17,744 INFO : Creating filesystem: /, size: 400, dummy: False
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/vmbuilder", line 24, in <module>
    cli.main()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/contrib/cli.py", line 116, in main
    hypervisor.install_os()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/hypervisor.py", line 64, in install_os
    self.call_hooks('mount_partitions', self.chroot_dir)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/distro.py", line 66, in call_hooks
    call_hooks(self, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/util.py", line 165, in call_hooks
    getattr(context, func, log_no_such_method)(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/hypervisor.py", line 82, in mount_partitions
    fs.create()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/VMBuilder/disk.py", line 332, in create
    if not os.path.exists(self.filename):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/genericpath.py", line 18, in exists
    st = os.stat(path)

TypeError: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, NoneType found

Here goes my partition file:

root 400
/mnt/ephemeral 0 /dev/sda1
swap 1 /dev/sda2

I am really new with vmbuilder and can not work out what is the problem here...