< SOLVED > Problem when Adding PPA's

[gold_finger]

Earlier today I did a fresh install of LL 1.0.8 with no problems.  I then went to add a PPA for installing a command line utility "inxi" following directions on there site here:  http://smxi.org/site/install.htm#inxi.  I got an error message when trying to add the PPA.  Figured it might just be some kind of temporary problem so I reversed what I did and installed it manually.  Didn't think any more about it.

Now (an hour or so later), I just tried adding the PPA for the Plank dock application and got the same error message -- so apparently it wasn't an isolated one-off error caused by the last PPA source I tried.  Must be something I'm missing or set-up wrong on the LL system, but I don't know how to fix it.  Anyone else have an idea of what the following error message is indicating as the problem?

Code:

bill@Kitchen:~$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ricotz/docky
[sudo] password for bill:
You are about to add the following PPA to your system:
Docky/Plank testing packages


More info: https://launchpad.net/~ricotz/+archive/docky
Press [ENTER] to continue or ctrl-c to cancel adding it

Exception in thread Thread-1:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/threading.py", line 551, in __bootstrap_inner
    self.run()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/softwareproperties/ppa.py", line 99, in run
    self.add_ppa_signing_key(self.ppa_path)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/softwareproperties/ppa.py", line 132, in add_ppa_signing_key
    tmp_keyring_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/tempfile.py", line 322, in mkdtemp
    name = names.next()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/tempfile.py", line 141, in next
    letters = [choose(c) for dummy in "123456"]
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/random.py", line 274, in choice
    return seq[int(self.random() * len(seq))]  # raises IndexError if seq is empty
ValueError: cannot convert float NaN to integer

[Valtam]

Looks to be a bug in older machines - https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sourc...ug/1063350 have a look through there in particular post #9, and #16 re. cpu flags. I take it this is on that old pc from the youtube thread?

[gold_finger]

Thanks Valtam.

Problem solved with solution on post #4 of that bug report -- just downgraded package to "python-software-properties=0.82.7" from current "0.82.7.7".  Will probably just upgrade back to original now that I'm done adding PPA's.

I take it this is on that old pc from the youtube thread?

Yes -- I guess this is another thing to keep in mind for these older CPU's.


EDIT:  For anyone facing same problem on older computer when trying to add PPA's, here is the command to downgrade the package which will allow you to add PPA's without error.

Code:

sudo apt-get install python-software-properties=0.82.7

A few posts down from here you'll see that I reverted back to the newer package after adding PPA was successfully completed.  So, if you want to do that also here is command that will upgrade to the newest version again.

Code:

sudo apt-get install python-software-properties

Unless something else goes wrong, my personal plan is to just temporarily downgrade while adding a PPA; then revert back to the updated package afterwards.  I have no idea whether keeping the downgraded version will affect anything else in the system, so I think it's better to just put everything back the way it was just in case.

[Scott(0)]

Gold_Finger, Valtam -
Thanks for doing the work on this, it's good info to know when upgrading computers.

Gold_Finder

Will probably just upgrade back to original now that I'm done adding PPA's.

Time permitting, it would be appreciated if you can confirm going back to the original package doesn't cause any problems. Thanks.

[gold_finger]

Time permitting, it would be appreciated if you can confirm going back to the original package doesn't cause any problems. Thanks.

Just reverted back to the newer version of python-software-properties and ran updates afterward to see if any error messages would result when looking to the PPA I added.  No errors.  Seems the only time that problems arise are when first adding a PPA when importing the authentication keys.  So, my plan is to just downgrade temporarily if I need to add any more PPA's; then just revert back to the new version after the addition is complete.

If I run into any more problems later on, I'll update this post.

[N4RPS]

I have an ANCIENT laptop (Compaq Evo N600c) that balks at adding PPAs, also.

I just run this in a terminal:

Code:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys <key to be added>

Don't know if this is related to your issue or not; just adding my $.02 worth...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

[gold_finger]

It's possible that might be a way around the problem too.  I'll see if there is another PPA that I might like to add and try what you suggested.  May be a few days or more before I get around to it, but I'll try it out and post back to let you and everyone else know.  If it works, that would be simpler than downgrading and upgrading back again.

Thanks for suggestion.

[N4RPS]

Hello!

Happy to help...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob