Subject: software-properties-gtk crashes due to missing distribution template for Devuan [fix]

From: Richard Missenden <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2021 14:45:15 +0000

Package: python-apt-common
Version: 1.8.4.3

When launching software-properties-gtk via the command line, via "Xfce 
Menu > Settings > Software & Updates" or via "synaptic > Settings > 
Repositories", it crashes because it can't find a template for Devuan:

ERROR:root:Cannot import UbuntuDrivers: No module named 'UbuntuDrivers'
Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/usr/bin/software-properties-gtk", line 101, in <module>
     app = SoftwarePropertiesGtk(datadir=options.data_dir, 
options=options, file=file)
   File 
"/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/gtk/SoftwarePropertiesGtk.py", 
line 109, in __init__
     SoftwareProperties.__init__(self, options=options, datadir=datadir)
   File 
"/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py", 
line 109, in __init__
     self.reload_sourceslist()
   File 
"/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py", 
line 599, in reload_sourceslist
     self.distro.get_sources(self.sourceslist)
   File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/aptsources/distro.py", line 94, 
in get_sources
     (self.id, self.codename))
aptsources.distro.NoDistroTemplateException: Error: could not find a 
distribution template for Devuan/beowulf

Fix:

I created the files

/usr/share/python-apt/templates/Devuan.info:

ChangelogURI: 
http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/%s/%s/%s/%s_%s/changelog

Suite: beowulf
RepositoryType: deb
BaseURI: http://deb.devuan.org/merged/
MatchURI: ((http|ftp)[0-9]*\.([a-z]*\.){0,1}|deb\.|httpredir\.)devuan\.org
MirrorsFile: Devuan.mirrors
Description: Devuan 3 'Beowulf'
Component: main
CompDescription: Officially supported
Component: contrib
CompDescription: DFSG-compatible Software with Non-Free Dependencies
Component: non-free
CompDescription: Non-DFSG-compatible Software

Suite: beowulf-security
RepositoryType: deb
ParentSuite: beowulf
Description: Security updates

Suite: beowulf-updates
RepositoryType: deb
ParentSuite: beowulf
Description: Recommended updates

and /usr/share/python-apt/templates/Devuan.mirrors:

#LOC:GB
http://gb.deb.devuan.org/merged/

..and it works ok now. Seems like these files need to be added to 
python-apt. I couldn't find the proper ChangelogURI though, but 
otherwise it works.

Using Devuan 3/Beowulf.

Regards, Richard Missenden.