[MASTER] silently fails to install software after PolicyKit error

This is what I see in my shell during the Software Center session, up to the point where it fails:

[-(Thu 2011-05-19 5:36:31)-(~/)-]> software-center (selene @ GiR)
2011-05-19 05:36:40,903 - softwarecenter.fixme - WARNING - logs to the root logger: '('/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/view/widgets/mkit_themes.py', 675, 'retrieve')'
2011-05-19 05:36:40,903 - root - WARNING - No styling hints for Raleigh were found... using Human hints.
/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/app.py:1192: Warning: g_object_set_qdata: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
  self.window_main.show_all()
2011-05-19 05:36:41,038 - softwarecenter.fixme - WARNING - logs to the root logger: '('/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/zeitgeist/client.py', 367, 'reconnect_monitors')'
2011-05-19 05:36:41,038 - zeitgeist.client - INFO - Reconnected to Zeitgeist engine...
/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/SimpleGtkbuilderApp.py:50: Warning: g_object_set_qdata: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
  gtk.main()
2011-05-19 05:36:43,704 - softwarecenter.app - INFO - software-center-agent finished with status 1
/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/view/channelpane.py:85: Warning: g_object_set_qdata: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
  self.notebook.set_current_page(self.PAGE_APPLIST)
/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/models/appstore.py:194: Warning: g_object_set_qdata: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
  gtk.main_iteration()
2011-05-19 05:37:40,110 - softwarecenter.backend - WARNING - _on_trans_error: org.freedesktop.PolicyKit.Error.Failed: ('system-bus-name', {'name': ':1.127'}): org.debian.apt.install-or-remove-packages

# ^^^ tried to install 7zip

2011-05-19 05:37:55,966 - softwarecenter.backend - WARNING - _on_trans_error: org.freedesktop.PolicyKit.Error.Failed: ('system-bus-name', {'name': ':1.127'}): org.debian.apt.install-or-remove-packages

# ^^^ clicked "Install" again, then waited a bit

2011-05-19 05:38:39,930 - softwarecenter.backend - WARNING - daemon dies, ignoring: <AptTransaction object at 0x476bb90 (aptdaemon+client+AptTransaction at 0x35f0560)> exit-failed
2011-05-19 05:38:40,221 - softwarecenter.backend - WARNING - daemon dies, ignoring: <AptTransaction object at 0x3f525f0 (aptdaemon+client+AptTransaction at 0x35ec7a0)> exit-failed

# Eventually closed the app.
[-(Thu 2011-05-19 5:39:59)-(~/)-]>

To clarify, there are two bugs here. One is that Software Center doesn't work without PolicyKit running (could use gksu or similar as a fallback), and the other is that Software Center doesn't show an error to the user if there is an unhandled exception.

I have a similar problem

Bug description:
  My Synaptic Package Manager will not load from the menu. It will load
  from the Terminal. Sodtware centre will load but will not install or
  remove programmes. Can anyone help?

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
  Package: software-center 5.0.4
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-16.28-generic 3.0.17
  Uname: Linux 3.0.0-16-generic i686
  ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
  Architecture: i386
  Date: Wed Mar 7 15:15:26 2012
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release i386 (20111012)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: software-center
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2012-02-17 (19 days ago)

I think the best course of action here is to fix the policykit-agent issue in policykit itself (somehow, just waving my hands currently ;), next is to fix it in aptdaemon, i.e. if its not available, to try start it somehow.

Of course, the fact that s-c does show a error is also a bug that needs investigation.

I think that sounds like the right course of action. will see. Thanks

On 15/05/12 20:27, Michael Vogt wrote:
> I think the best course of action here is to fix the policykit-agent
> issue in policykit itself (somehow, just waving my hands currently ;),
> next is to fix it in aptdaemon, i.e. if its not available, to try start
> it somehow.
>
> Of course, the fact that s-c does show a error is also a bug that needs
> investigation.
>

I have the same problem. However i do not seem to understand how to solve, that is to say what does exactly means "to fix the policykit-agent issue in policykit itself".
What should exactly be done to fix the bug?

First thing to do is to check that the policy kit authentication agent
is activated in your list of start up programmes.

On 23/07/12 08:47, Roberto Frega wrote:
> I have the same problem. However i do not seem to understand how to solve, that is to say what does exactly means "to fix the policykit-agent issue in policykit itself".
> What should exactly be done to fix the bug?
>

Many thanks, that solved the problem. In fact, the policy kit authentication agent was NOT activated in the list of start up programmes

FWIW, here is a short guide on how to install purchases manually, if you need to work around issues such as this bug.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Pay/FAQs/Manual_Install

I find it easier to do manual installs than to deal with gnome, but I'm a bit old-fashioned about all this newfangled desktop-environment stuff.

Thanks for the tip Selene! I am also partial to the command line, but
I thought that this time I should try to make my small contribution to
iron out this annoying wrinkle. We don't want to alienate our faithful
users who are not comfortable with a command line. :)

--Pedro.

On 24 July 2012 08:23, Selene Scriven <email address hidden> wrote:
> FWIW, here is a short guide on how to install purchases manually, if you
> need to work around issues such as this bug.
>
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Pay/FAQs/Manual_Install
>
> I find it easier to do manual installs than to deal with gnome, but I'm
> a bit old-fashioned about all this newfangled desktop-environment stuff.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/785117
>
> Title:
> [MASTER] silently fails to install software after PolicyKit error
>
> Status in “software-center” package in Ubuntu:
> Triaged
>
> Bug description:
> Whenever the policykit authentication agent isn't running (ie failsafe
> sessions, custom sessions etc), then the install/remove buttons
> briefly become insensitive, after which the transaction fails and the
> buttons become sensitive again.
>
> ---
>
> If I try to install software with Software Center, nothing happens
> aside from dumping some errors to the shell I ran it from. The
> install button greys out for a moment then goes back to its original
> state. This is on Ubuntu 11.04 with software-center 4.0.1 and
> policykit-1-gnome 0.99-1ubuntu4.
>
> I suspect this probably has something to do with me not running gnome,
> kde, xfce, or any other desktop environment. I have a window manager
> (sawfish) and that's about it.
>
> Steps to reproduce:
> 1. Run software-center from a terminal of some sort.
> 2. Select a package.
> 3. Click "Install".
>
> Actual results:
> Errors dumped to parent shell, and then the Install button goes back to a normal, clickable state.
>
> Expected results:
> User is asked for sudo password, then software is installed.
> If anything goes wrong, Software Center should notify the user through its GUI in case they aren't running it from a shell. (dumping errors to the shell is also okay, but shouldn't be the sole error-reporting mechanism)
>
> Additional information: attached below
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/software-center/+bug/785117/+subscriptions

This bug was fixed in the package software-center - 5.3.9

---------------
software-center (5.3.9) quantal; urgency=low

  * lp:~mvo/software-center/drive-by-update-terms:
    - small tweak to make update.py more data driven
  * lp:~mvo/software-center/fix-index-update-terms-bug:
    - fix bug in term indexer that caused lots of single char terms
      getting added to the xapian DB
  * lp:~mvo/software-center/polkit-lp785117:
    - use apports new recoverable error dialog feature for cases when there
      is a generic polkit error so that we can gather data on what
      might causing this issue(s) LP: #785117
  * lp:~mvo/software-center/unity-lens-plus-wildcard-fix:
    - add new "dash search plugin" category under "Themes & Tweaks" that
      shows unity-lens-* packages. Actually not as straightforward as it
      looks due to a problem with the xapian QueryParser and the "-" special
      charackter (LP: #1025579)
 -- Michael Vogt <email address hidden> Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:38:06 +0200

org.freedesktop.PolicyKit.Error.Failed: ('system-bus-name', {'name': ':1.466'}): org.debian.apt.install-or-remove-packages