[Bug 1053749] Re: UnicodeDecodeError from broken package descriptions

[g.bruno]

After upgrading from Ubuntu 12.04 LTS to 14.04.1 LTS I have the same
error, slightly different:

root at amd8:/home/helmut# software-properties-gtk
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/software-properties-gtk", line 101, in <module>
    app = SoftwarePropertiesGtk(datadir=options.data_dir, options=options, file=file)
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/gtk/SoftwarePropertiesGtk.py", line 169, in __init__
    self.show_keys()
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/gtk/SoftwarePropertiesGtk.py", line 846, in show_keys
    for key in self.apt_key.list():
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/AptAuth.py", line 75, in list
    for line in p:
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/codecs.py", line 313, in decode
    (result, consumed) = self._buffer_decode(data, self.errors, final)
UnicodeDecodeError: 'utf-8' codec can't decode byte 0xfc in position 1440: invalid start byte

I tried the methods described above with gedit and "cat /var/lib/dpkg/available | iconv -c -f utf-8 -t utf-8 > /tmp/available.fixed
root at amd8:/var/lib/dpkg# cat /var/lib/dpkg/available | iconv -c -f utf-8 -t utf-8 > /tmp/available.fixed, but the error is still present. I did not install davmail etc.

Can anyone help me? Ubuntu 14.04.1 is quite new, perhaps are there other
reasons.

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to dpkg in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1053749

Title:
  UnicodeDecodeError from broken package descriptions

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

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)

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dpkg/+bug/1053749/+subscriptions