expunge-cache.py crashed with IOError in _cleanup_dir(): [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/home/username/.cache/software-center/piston-helper/rec.ubuntu.com,api,1.0,recommend_app,multiget,,2442bcf345374a73360143bd52431ab5'

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

FWIW, deleting a file related to the software center seemed to resolve the problem:

Dmesg output:
[36001.147151] Valid eCryptfs headers not found in file header region or xattr region, inode 26480627
[36001.147155] Either the lower file is not in a valid eCryptfs format, or the key could not be retrieved. Plaintext passthrough mode is not enabled; returning -EIO

nickfarr@Edwards:~$ find -inum 26480627
./.cache/software-center/rnrclient/reviews.ubuntu.com,reviews,api,1.0,reviews,filter,en,any,any,any,skype,page,3,helpful,,abad90c03c6324790656169a4909c053

Removing the file fixed the problem...

Hello Alex281078, or anyone else affected,

Accepted software-center into precise-proposed. The package will build now and be available at http://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/software-center/5.2.4 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed repository.

Please help us by testing this new package. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Your feedback will aid us getting this update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please change the bug tag from verification-needed to verification-done. If it does not, change the tag to verification-failed. In either case, details of your testing will help us make a better decision.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification . Thank you in advance!

I tested and have been unable to reproduce this error in software-center version 5.2.4 in precise-proposed.

Thanks!

This bug was fixed in the package software-center - 5.2.4

---------------
software-center (5.2.4) precise-proposed; urgency=low

  [ Michael Vogt ]
  * lp:~mvo/software-center/lp970627:
    - fix intermittent crash when expunging the cache (LP: #970627)
  * lp:~mvo/software-center/lp971776:
    - fix crash when a downloaded image is invalid for whatever
      reason (network issues, proxy issues, pay-wall in between)
      (LP: #971776)
  * lp:~mvo/software-center/lp967036-2:
    - fix unicode error crash for people running with the
      LANGUAGE=zh_CN.UTF-8 or zh_TW.UTF-8 (LP: #967036)
  * lp:~mvo/software-center/cookie-jar:
    - fix paypal support in the purchases window (LP: #1018347)

  [ Gary Lasker ]
  * debian/control:
    - update vcs link to point to the 5.2 branch
  * lp:~gary-lasker/software-center/previous-purchase-sorting-lp873104:
    - return correct results when sorting the list of previous
      purchases (LP: #873104)
  * lp:~gary-lasker/software-center/recommendations-string-change-lp986437-for-5.2:
    - switch to the updated recommendations opt-in string now that the
      corresponding language pack updates are released and available
      (LP: #986437)
  * lp:~gary-lasker/software-center/fix-lp920741:
    - fix UnicodeDecodeError when a commercial app's title contains
      a unicode character (LP: #920741)

  [ Natalia Bidart ]
  * lp:~nataliabidart/software-center/cant-stop-the-music:
    - Stop the video if user navigates away from an app details page
      (LP: #1003954).
 -- Michael Vogt <email address hidden> Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:35:55 +0200