PackageKit/Python: pk.install_packages() not able to install a package

[Till Kamppeter]

Hi,

I am using the Python bindings of PackageKit in system-config-printer 
for the automatic driver download )as DEB packages in Ubuntu).

s-c-p calls these command lines for example:

install-printerdriver 'openprinting-gutenprint' 'deb 
http://www.openprinting.org/download/printdriver/debian/ lsb3.2 contrib' 
'F8897B6F00075648E248B7EC24CBF5474CFD1E2F'

or

install-printerdriver 'epson-inkjet-printer-201209j' 'deb 
http://download.ebz.epson.net/dsc/op/stable/debian/ lsb3.2 main' 
'E5220FB7014D0FBDA50DFC2BE5E86C008AA65D56'

The script install-printerdriver calls 
/usr/share/system-config-printer/install-printerdriver.py which uses 
PackageKit to add the supplied repository, install the supplied key and 
then install the requested package.

What works for me is the adding of the repository and installing of the 
key. The installation of the package via pk.install_packages() function 
always fails.

The server could not be the problem, as once run the script and so added 
the repo and the key, I can install the package with "sudo apt-get 
install ...".

The problem persists also when not supplying the key and also when 
running as root (so seems not to be an authentication problem).

To investigate the failure I have removed the "try: ... except: ..." 
around the pk.install_packages() and re-run. Then I get the following output

----------
till at till-twist:~/ubuntu/system-config-printer/test$ 
install-printerdriver 'openprinting-gutenprint' 'deb 
http://www.openprinting.org/download/printdriver/debian/ lsb3.2 contrib' 
'F8897B6F00075648E248B7EC24CBF5474CFD1E2F'
Signature key supplied
pk.install_signature
pk.install_signature succeeded
pk.resolve
pk.resolve succeeded
pk.refresh_cache
pk.refresh_cache succeeded
pk.resolve
pk.resolve succeeded
package_id: openprinting-gutenprint;5.2.7-1lsb3.2;amd64;printdriver
package not installed
pk.install_packages
Signature key supplied
Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/usr/share/system-config-printer/install-printerdriver.py", 
line 109, in <module>
     res = pk.install_packages(True, [package_id], None, progress, None)
GLib.Error: pk_client_error: The version 5.2.7-1lsb3.2/printdriver of 
openprinting-gutenprint isn't available. (263)
till at till-twist:~/ubuntu/system-config-printer/test$
----------

and

----------
till at till-twist:~/ubuntu/system-config-printer/test$ 
install-printerdriver 'epson-inkjet-printer-201209j' 'deb 
http://download.ebz.epson.net/dsc/op/stable/debian/ lsb3.2 main' 
'E5220FB7014D0FBDA50DFC2BE5E86C008AA65D56'
Signature key supplied
pk.install_signature
pk.install_signature succeeded
pk.resolve
pk.resolve succeeded
pk.refresh_cache
pk.refresh_cache succeeded
pk.resolve
pk.resolve succeeded
package_id: epson-inkjet-printer-201209j;1.0.1-1lsb3.2;amd64;printdriver
package not installed
pk.install_packages
Signature key supplied
Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/usr/share/system-config-printer/install-printerdriver.py", 
line 109, in <module>
     res = pk.install_packages(True, [package_id], None, progress, None)
GLib.Error: pk_client_error: The version 1.0.1-1lsb3.2/printdriver of 
epson-inkjet-printer-201209j isn't available. (263)
till at till-twist:~/ubuntu/system-config-printer/test$
----------

A strange thing here is also that the package ID always ends with 
"printdriver" as the Python script does not contain the word 
"printdriver" and at least for the Epson driver also the repo path or 
package name does not contain this word.

Anyone has an idea what is going on here or how to do further debugging?

Thanks in advance.

    Till