This bug is fixed in the current code, however its not fully able to deal with the breakage it caused earlier.
The bug itself got fixed in 3.1.25: --- software-center-3.1.23.1/softwarecenter/db/update.py 2011-03-07 10:15:24.000000000 +0100 +++ software-center-3.1.26.6/softwarecenter/db/update.py 2011-04-14 13:53:17.000000000 +0200 @@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ import time import urllib import xapian -import softwarecenter.log from ConfigParser import RawConfigParser, NoOptionError from gettext import gettext as _ The import had caused a subsequent import for softwarecenter.paths and that has created the dir. There is a check there for os.getuid() == 0. Then HOME is unset, but xdg.BaseDirectory.xdg_cache_home was already created so the updated HOME was not taken into account. -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/688682 Title: software-center crashed with IOError in _open() -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs