software-center crashed with TypeError in show_available_packages(): this constructor takes no arguments

Same thing happened to me also

I am also experiencing this issue, trying to install a 3rd party .deb

There appears to be a problem in this file

/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/__init__.py

see attached patch, which fixes the problem, can now load .deb files ok atleast.

I am also experience this issue , trying install jitsi_1.0-beta1-nightly.build.3593_i386 in download the link

when ever i download any thing from the software center the software center crash...every single time

Also confirmed with software-center 4.1.14

Tim, I tried your patch and it does not fix the issue for me.

sorry my bad, this is what appears to have happened.

If software-center is already running then it will work when you run 'software-center /path/package.deb'.

If there is not an instance of software-center already running, then the above command fails.

the import of DebFileApplication fails, so DebFileApplication becomes an empty class without a constructor.

Same here installing mysql-workbench-gpl-5.2.34
 The same worked on 11.04

This bug was fixed in the package software-center - 4.1.15

---------------
software-center (4.1.15) oneiric; urgency=low

  [ Michael Vogt ]
  * software-center-gtk3, software-center:
    - fix PYTHONPATH when running from a local repo
    - add "--dummy-backend" option start will start a fake
      aptdaemon in a private dbus for interactive testing of the
      installation/removal
  * softwarecenter/backend/spawn_helper.py:
    - make "--debug-filter softwarecenter.backend.spawn_helper"
      more useful
    - ensure that the io source is removed after any pending
      reads are flushed
  * software-center:
    - fix startup with no PYTHONPATH
  * softwarecenter/gmenusearch.py:
    - port to use gir1.2-gmenu-3.0
  * softwarecenter/ui/{gtk,gtk3}/views/appdetailsview_gtk.py:
    - updated for gir1.2-gmenu-3.0
  * softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/widgets/exhibits.py:
    - show hand cursor if the exhibit has package_names
  * setup.py:
    - fix AUTHORS file merging

  [ Matthew McGowan ]
  * lp:~mmcg069/software-center/appdetails-tweaks:
    - add a pretty frame around the thumbnail in the detailsview.
  * lp:~mmcg069/software-center/bugfix-823233:
    - fix so that markup is actually rendered by the submit_label
      when submitting usefulness (LP: #823233)
  * fix the annoying ascii codec error, #823363
  * add some checks to ensure the exhibits list contains exhibits and
    then some further checks within _render_exhbit_at_cursor to ensure
    the cursor is within the bounds of the exhibits_list

  [ Kiwinote ]
  * data/ui/gtk3/SoftwareCenter.ui,
    softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/app.py:
    - few more tweaks to the about dialog
  * softwarecenter/db/application.py:
    - import version_compare on demand to make deb files work (LP: #824692)
  * softwarecenter/ui/gtk/appview.py,
    softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/widgets/cellrenderers.py:
    - fix listviews in rtl setups (pango reverses LEFT and RIGHT itself)
  * softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/app.py:
    - fix rtl mode for testing
  * softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/views/appdetailsview_gtk.py:
    - correctly show/hide website button
 -- Michael Vogt <email address hidden> Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:21:25 +0200

this fix has exposed another bug in the handling of .deb files.

see Bug #829138