Software Center is not opening on 11.10 after update from 11.04

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

cribari@edgeworth:~$ software-center
2011-11-04 13:24:11,965 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.em - INFO - EM's: 13 11 15
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/software-center", line 151, in <module>
    app = SoftwareCenterAppGtk3(datadir, xapian_base_path, options, args)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/app.py", line 220, in __init__
    self.db.open(use_axi = self._use_axi)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 200, in open
    self._axi_values = parse_axi_values_file()
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 48, in parse_axi_values_file
    for raw_line in open(filename):
IOError: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/var/lib/apt-xapian-index/values'
cribari@edgeworth:~$

I seem to have the same bug and software-center dies silently. I also upgraded from 11.04 to 11.10

When started from prompt, the following error message comes up:

michael@montreal:~$ software-center
2012-03-11 17:20:32,615 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.em - INFO - EM's: 17 14 19
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/software-center", line 151, in <module>
    app = SoftwareCenterAppGtk3(datadir, xapian_base_path, options, args)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/app.py", line 221, in __init__
    self.db.open(use_axi = self._use_axi)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 200, in open
    self._axi_values = parse_axi_values_file()
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 52, in parse_axi_values_file
    (key, value) = line.split()
ValueError: need more than 1 value to unpack

I just upgraded to 12.04 and the error still exists. Software-center cannot be used. Here is the output when started in debug mode:

michael@montreal:~$ software-center --debug
2012-05-05 21:40:54,991 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.em - DEBUG - EM's: 17 14 19
2012-05-05 21:40:55,092 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - setting up proxy 'None'
2012-05-05 21:40:55,095 - softwarecenter.performance - DEBUG - opening the pkginfo: 0.00320100784302
2012-05-05 21:40:55,095 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - open() database: path=None use_axi=True use_agent=True
2012-05-05 21:40:55,095 - softwarecenter.performance - DEBUG - opening the xapiandb: 0.000200033187866
2012-05-05 21:40:55,096 - softwarecenter.performance - DEBUG - create SoftwareCenterApp: 0.0271470546722
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/software-center", line 142, in <module>
    app = SoftwareCenterAppGtk3(datadir, xapian_base_path, options, args)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/app.py", line 199, in __init__
    self.db.open(use_axi=self._use_axi)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 226, in open
    self._axi_values = parse_axi_values_file()
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 57, in parse_axi_values_file
    (key, value) = line.split()
ValueError: need more than 1 value to unpack

I also posted this as Bug #995423 under apt.xapian.index. Maybe somebody there can help.

I found a work-around but am not sure which side-effects this may have. Obvoiusly the following files were corrupted during upgrade to 10.10:

/var/lib/apt-xapian-index/cataloged_times.p
/var/lib/apt-xapian-index/values

cataloged_times.p had just binary data and values looked more like a README file. After I deleted both files, I was able to start

root@montreal:/var/lib/apt-xapian-index# update-apt-xapian-index -v

which rebuild both files. Software-center now also works again.

cataloged_times.p contains now text information and values actually looks like a data-base. Not sure what caused the corruptions during upgrade to 10.10, but obviously it happened to others as well.

After remove both files and rebuild update-apt-xapian-index -v have error:

2012-05-11 11:16:18,627 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - setting up proxy 'None'
2012-05-11 11:16:18,633 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - open() database: path=None use_axi=True use_agent=True
2012-05-11 11:16:18,812 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - building local database
2012-05-11 11:16:18,813 - softwarecenter.db.pkginfo_impl.aptcache - INFO - aptcache.open()
2012-05-11 11:16:19,523 - softwarecenter.db.update - WARNING - Cannot write to '/var/cache/software-center/xapian'.
2012-05-11 11:16:19,523 - softwarecenter.db.update - WARNING - Please check you have the relevant permissions.
2012-05-11 11:16:19,523 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - open() database: path=None use_axi=True use_agent=True
2012-05-11 11:16:19,822 - softwarecenter.backend.reviews - WARNING - Could not get usefulness from server, no username in config file
2012-05-11 11:16:20,460 - softwarecenter.db.pkginfo_impl.aptcache - INFO - aptcache.open()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/software-center", line 176, in <module>
    app.run(args)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/app.py", line 1343, in run
    self.show_available_packages(args)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/app.py", line 1273, in show_available_packages
    self.view_manager.set_active_view(ViewPages.AVAILABLE)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/session/viewmanager.py", line 149, in set_active_view
    view_widget.init_view()
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/panes/availablepane.py", line 133, in init_view
    SoftwarePane.init_view(self)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/panes/softwarepane.py", line 214, in init_view
    self.icons, self.show_ratings)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/views/appview.py", line 69, in __init__
    self.helper = AppPropertiesHelper(db, cache, icons)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/models/appstore2.py", line 107, in __init__
    softwarecenter.paths.APP_INSTALL_PATH)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 255, in parse_applications_menu
    category = self._parse_menu_tag(child)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 444, in _parse_menu_tag
    query = self._parse_include_tag(element)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 402, in _parse_include_tag
    xapian.Query.OP_AND)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 341, in _parse_and_or_not_tag
    operator_elem, xapian.Query(), xapian.Query.OP_OR)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/categories.py", line 385, in _parse_and_or_not_tag
    q = self.db.xapian_parser.parse_query(s,
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 170, in xapian_parser
    xapian_parser = self._get_new_xapian_parser()
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/database.py", line 196, in _get_new_xapian_parser
    xapian_parser.set_database(self.xapiandb)
  File "/usr/share/software-center/softw...

After:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall software-center
...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf.index...
Konfigurowanie software-center (5.2.1) ...
Updating software catalog...this may take a moment.
INFO:softwarecenter.db.pkginfo_impl.aptcache:aptcache.open()
Software catalog update was successful.

Everything works great. THX