UnicodeDecodeError: 'ascii' codec can't decode byte 0xe2 in position 0: ordinal not in range(128) Ubuntu Software Center 5.3.11 won't start

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

Here is a patch, but I need to figure out a bit more what the issue is.

=== modified file 'softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/widgets/labels.py'
--- softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/widgets/labels.py 2012-06-11 14:50:53 +0000
+++ softwarecenter/ui/gtk3/widgets/labels.py 2012-09-10 12:05:26 +0000
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@

     SUPPORTED_SYM = {
         # TRANSLATORS: symbol for "hardware-supported"
- 'yes': _(u'\u2713'),
+ 'yes': _('\u2713'),
         # TRANSLATORS: symbol for hardware "not-supported"
- 'no': u'<span foreground="red">%s</span>' % _(u'\u2718'),
+ 'no': '<span foreground="red">%s</span>' % _('\u2718'),
     }

     # TRANSLATORS: this is a substring that used to build the

Ok, turns out the problem is that _() returns a string instead of a unicode object. This makes the this a unicode + str conversion.

I also have a problem with USC, here is my my error when started with terminal, maybe will through more light on the subject. I expect same bug is troubling me.

~$ software-center
2012-09-11 10:04:24,452 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - setting up proxy 'None'
2012-09-11 10:04:24,461 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - open() database: path=None use_axi=True use_agent=True

(software-center:13842): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:34:20: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.

(software-center:13842): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:34:22: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.

(software-center:13842): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:56:20: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.

(software-center:13842): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:56:22: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.

(software-center:13842): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:60:20: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.

(software-center:13842): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:60:22: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.
2012-09-11 10:04:24,520 - softwarecenter.region - WARNING - failed to use geoclue: 'org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.freedesktop.Geoclue.Master was not provided by any .service files'
2012-09-11 10:04:24,758 - softwarecenter.backend.reviews - WARNING - Could not get usefulness from server, no username in config file

2012-09-11 10:04:24,765 - softwarecenter.fixme - WARNING - logs to the root logger: '('/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gi/importer.py', 51, 'find_module')'
2012-09-11 10:04:24,764 - root - ERROR - Could not find any typelib for LaunchpadIntegration
2012-09-11 10:04:24,882 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - show_available_packages: search_text is '', app is None.
2012-09-11 10:04:24,884 - softwarecenter.db.pkginfo_impl.aptcache - INFO - aptcache.open()
2012-09-11 10:04:26,082 - softwarecenter.fixme - WARNING - logs to the root logger: '('/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gi/importer.py', 51, 'find_module')'
2012-09-11 10:04:26,081 - root - ERROR - Could not find any typelib for Gst
2012-09-11 10:04:29,841 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - software-center-agent finished with status 0
2012-09-11 10:04:29,842 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - reopen() database
2012-09-11 10:04:29,842 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - open() database: path=None use_axi=True use_agent=True

This bug was fixed in the package software-center - 5.3.12

---------------
software-center (5.3.12) quantal; urgency=low

  [ Michael Vogt ]
  * lp:~mvo/software-center/inspect-memleak:
    - fix two memory leaks when the cache is re-opened after
      a package has been installed/removed (LP: #1003466), add
      memory usage test/monitoring utilities and a set of new
      unit tests
  * lp:~mvo/software-center/lp1047281:
    - fix crashing bug due to a unicode decode error and add
      a regression unit test (LP: #1047281)
  * lp:~mvo/software-center/region-whitelist-lp1006570:
    - fix missing region whitelist support that is used by
      the software-center-agent (LP: #1006570)
  * debian/test/run-tests:
    - unset TMPDIR and do not run with sh -x, thanks to Martin Pitt
    - fix when run from the binary Package, thanks to
      Jean-Baptiste Lallement

  [ Gary Lasker ]
  * lp:~gary-lasker/software-center/recommender-test-fix:
    - update the recommender feedback unit test to work on systems
      that are not opted-in
 -- Michael Vogt <email address hidden> Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:37:43 +0200

Distribution:- Ubuntustudio 12.10 quantal.

I have updated to "package software-center (5.3.12) quantal", but having the same problem as before.
All other updates as to this time and date installed.
here is my output from terminal:-

~$ software-center
2012-09-12 13:04:16,871 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - setting up proxy 'None'
2012-09-12 13:04:16,880 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - open() database: path=None use_axi=True use_agent=True

(software-center:7410): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:34:20: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.

(software-center:7410): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:34:22: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.

(software-center:7410): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:56:20: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.

(software-center:7410): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:56:22: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.

(software-center:7410): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:60:20: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.

(software-center:7410): Gtk-WARNING **: Theme parsing error: softwarecenter.css:60:22: Not using units is deprecated. Assuming 'px'.
2012-09-12 13:04:16,940 - softwarecenter.region - WARNING - failed to use geoclue: 'org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.freedesktop.Geoclue.Master was not provided by any .service files'
2012-09-12 13:04:17,184 - softwarecenter.backend.reviews - WARNING - Could not get usefulness from server, no username in config file
2012-09-12 13:04:17,191 - softwarecenter.fixme - WARNING - logs to the root logger: '('/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gi/importer.py', 51, 'find_module')'
2012-09-12 13:04:17,191 - root - ERROR - Could not find any typelib for LaunchpadIntegration
2012-09-12 13:04:17,308 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - show_available_packages: search_text is '', app is None.
2012-09-12 13:04:17,310 - softwarecenter.db.pkginfo_impl.aptcache - INFO - aptcache.open()
2012-09-12 13:04:18,920 - softwarecenter.fixme - WARNING - logs to the root logger: '('/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/gi/importer.py', 51, 'find_module')'
2012-09-12 13:04:18,920 - root - ERROR - Could not find any typelib for Gst
2012-09-12 13:04:23,814 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - software-center-agent finished with status 0
2012-09-12 13:04:23,815 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - reopen() database
2012-09-12 13:04:23,815 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - open() database: path=None use_axi=True use_agent=True
I hope this helps to resolve this bug.

Maybe I should just mention that this was a clean install and that it worked previously, but an update some where along the line broke it.