[Bug 1053749] Re: UnicodeDecodeError from broken package descriptions

[Rofko]

I have had this problem twice in a couple of days - first with davmail, which I just removed using apt-get, and then with another programme, Scrivener (beta for linux, but very reputable) , which placed illegal characters in the same way. Removed them and saved - resolved the problem.
Rfk

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Title:
  UnicodeDecodeError from broken package descriptions

Status in “dpkg” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in “ubuntu-drivers-common” package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged
Status in “dpkg” source package in Quantal:
  Invalid
Status in “ubuntu-drivers-common” source package in Quantal:
  Triaged
Status in “dpkg” source package in Raring:
  Invalid
Status in “ubuntu-drivers-common” source package in Raring:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  Attempting to launch software-properties-gtk results in this:

  $ software-properties-gtk 
  gpg: /tmp/tmpsw0n10/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
  Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/UbuntuDrivers/detect.py", line 162, in packages_for_modalias
      cache_map = packages_for_modalias.cache_maps[apt_cache_hash]
  KeyError: 3989481

  During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

  Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "/usr/bin/software-properties-gtk", line 103, in <module>
      app = SoftwarePropertiesGtk(datadir=options.data_dir, options=options, file=file)
    File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/gtk/SoftwarePropertiesGtk.py", line 178, in __init__
      self.init_drivers()
    File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/gtk/SoftwarePropertiesGtk.py", line 1097, in init_drivers
      self.devices = detect.system_device_drivers()
    File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/UbuntuDrivers/detect.py", line 415, in system_device_drivers
      for pkg, pkginfo in system_driver_packages(apt_cache).items():
    File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/UbuntuDrivers/detect.py", line 319, in system_driver_packages
      for p in packages_for_modalias(apt_cache, alias):
    File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/UbuntuDrivers/detect.py", line 164, in packages_for_modalias
      cache_map = _apt_cache_modalias_map(apt_cache)
    File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/UbuntuDrivers/detect.py", line 129, in _apt_cache_modalias_map
      m = package.candidate.record['Modaliases']
    File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt/package.py", line 429, in record
      return Record(self._records.record)
  UnicodeDecodeError: 'utf-8' codec can't decode byte 0xeb in position 114: invalid continuation byte

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
  Package: software-properties-gtk 0.92.6
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-15.22-generic 3.5.4
  Uname: Linux 3.5.0-15-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.5.2-0ubuntu4
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Fri Sep 21 08:54:17 2012
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Alpha amd64 (20120905.2)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: software-properties
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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