software & update app not opening

Question

After installing Python3.7, the software-properties-gtk is not opening. When calling it from terminal, the following error is shown:

ERROR:dbus.proxies:Introspect error on :1.171:/: dbus.exceptions.DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NoReply: Message recipient disconnected from message bus without replying
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/software-properties-gtk", line 100, in <module>
    app = SoftwarePropertiesGtk(datadir=options.data_dir, options=options, file=file)
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/gtk/SoftwarePropertiesGtk.py", line 173, in __init__
    self.backend.Reload();
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/dbus/proxies.py", line 70, in __call__
    return self._proxy_method(*args, **keywords)
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/dbus/proxies.py", line 145, in __call__
    **keywords)
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/dbus/connection.py", line 651, in call_blocking
    message, timeout)
dbus.exceptions.DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name :1.171 was not provided by any .service files

I am running UBUNTU 18.04. I checked this post, but all answers were not working. I hope someone came by this problem and was able to solve it. Thanks

Edit: Upon request, here is the command output:

#which python; ls -l $(which python); echo =; which python3; ls -l $(which python3)
/usr/bin/python
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 24 Nov  4 20:51 /usr/bin/python -> /etc/alternatives/python
=
/usr/bin/python3
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 25 Nov  4 20:54 /usr/bin/python3 -> /etc/alternatives/python3

Another debugging request

#ls -al /usr/bin/ | grep python
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root -rwxr-xr-x  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root -rwxr-xr-x  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root -rwxr-xr-x  2 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root -rwxr-xr-x  2 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root -rwxr-xr-x  2 root root -rwxr-xr-x  2 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root -rwxr-xr-x  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root

26 Mar 26  2018 dh_pypy -> ../share/dh-python/dh_pypy 1056 Apr 16  2018 dh_python2 29 Mar 26  2018 dh_python3 -> ../share/dh-python/dh_python3 23 Sep 30 15:38 pdb2.7 -> ../lib/python2.7/pdb.py 23 Oct  8 14:12 pdb3.6 -> ../lib/python3.6/pdb.py 23 Aug 18 08:22 pdb3.7 -> ../lib/python3.7/pdb.py 31 Oct 25  2018 py3versions -> ../share/python3/py3versions.py 26 Mar 26  2018 pybuild -> ../share/dh-python/pybuild 9 Apr 16  2018 python -> python2.7 9 Apr 16  2018 python2 -> python2.7 3628976 Sep 30 15:38 python2.7 25 Nov  6 13:38 python3 -> /etc/alternatives/python3 4526456 Oct  8 14:12 python3.6 33 Oct  8 14:12 python3.6-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6-config 4526456 Oct  8 14:12 python3.6m 34 Oct  8 14:12 python3.6m-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6m-config 5316432 Aug 18 08:22 python3.7 5316432 Aug 18 08:22 python3.7m 16 Oct 25  2018 python3-config -> python3.6-config 10 Oct 25  2018 python3m -> python3.6m 17 Oct 25  2018 python3m-config -> python3.6m-config 29 Apr 16  2018 pyversions -> ../share/python/pyversions.py 34 Oct  8 14:12 x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6m-config 3283 Oct  8 14:12 x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6m-config 33 Oct 25  2018 x86_64-linux-gnu-python3-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6-config 34 Oct 25  2018 x86_64-linux-gnu-python3m-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6m-config
#readlink -f /usr/bin/python
/usr/bin/python2.7
#ls -al /usr/bin/ | grep python3
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           29 Mar 26  2018 dh_python3 -> ../share/dh-python/dh_python3
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           23 Oct  8 14:12 pdb3.6 -> ../lib/python3.6/pdb.py
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           23 Aug 18 08:22 pdb3.7 -> ../lib/python3.7/pdb.py
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           31 Oct 25  2018 py3versions -> ../share/python3/py3versions.py
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           25 Nov  6 13:38 python3 -> /etc/alternatives/python3
-rwxr-xr-x  2 root root      4526456 Oct  8 14:12 python3.6
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           33 Oct  8 14:12 python3.6-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6-config
-rwxr-xr-x  2 root root      4526456 Oct  8 14:12 python3.6m
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           34 Oct  8 14:12 python3.6m-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6m-config
-rwxr-xr-x  2 root root      5316432 Aug 18 08:22 python3.7
-rwxr-xr-x  2 root root      5316432 Aug 18 08:22 python3.7m
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           16 Oct 25  2018 python3-config -> python3.6-config
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           10 Oct 25  2018 python3m -> python3.6m
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           17 Oct 25  2018 python3m-config -> python3.6m-config
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           34 Oct  8 14:12 x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6m-config
-rwxr-xr-x  1 root root         3283 Oct  8 14:12 x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6m-config
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           33 Oct 25  2018 x86_64-linux-gnu-python3-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6-config
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root           34 Oct 25  2018 x86_64-linux-gnu-python3m-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.6m-config

DBUS service check

#systemctl status dbus.service
● dbus.service - D-Bus System Message Bus
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/dbus.service; static; vendor preset: enabled)
   Active: active (running) since Sun 2020-11-08 12:40:49 EET; 1h 22min ago
     Docs: man:dbus-daemon(1)
 Main PID: 763 (dbus-daemon)
    Tasks: 3 (limit: 4915)
   CGroup: /system.slice/dbus.service
           ├─  763 /usr/bin/dbus-daemon --system --address=systemd: --nofork --nopidfile --systemd-activation --syslog-only
           └─13887 /usr/bin/python3 /usr/share/usb-creator/usb-creator-helper
Nov 08 13:51:00 TTS-UBUNTU dbus-daemon[763]: [system] Activating via systemd: service name='org.freedesktop.hostname1' unit='dbus-org.freedesktop.hostname1.service'
Nov 08 13:51:00 TTS-UBUNTU dbus-daemon[763]: [system] Successfully activated service 'org.freedesktop.hostname1'
Nov 08 13:52:18 TTS-UBUNTU dbus-daemon[763]: [system] Activating via systemd: service name='org.freedesktop.hostname1' unit='dbus-org.freedesktop.hostname1.service'
Nov 08 13:52:18 TTS-UBUNTU dbus-daemon[763]: [system] Successfully activated service 'org.freedesktop.hostname1'
Nov 08 13:52:58 TTS-UBUNTU dbus-daemon[763]: [system] Activating via systemd: service name='org.freedesktop.hostname1' unit='dbus-org.freedesktop.hostname1.service'
Nov 08 13:52:58 TTS-UBUNTU dbus-daemon[763]: [system] Successfully activated service 'org.freedesktop.hostname1'
Nov 08 13:57:39 TTS-UBUNTU dbus-daemon[763]: [system] Activating via systemd: service name='org.freedesktop.hostname1' unit='dbus-org.freedesktop.hostname1.service'
Nov 08 13:57:39 TTS-UBUNTU dbus-daemon[763]: [system] Successfully activated service 'org.freedesktop.hostname1'
Nov 08 13:58:19 TTS-UBUNTU dbus-daemon[763]: [system] Activating via systemd: service name='org.freedesktop.hostname1' unit='dbus-org.freedesktop.hostname1.service'
Nov 08 13:58:19 TTS-UBUNTU dbus-daemon[763]: [system] Successfully activated service 'org.freedesktop.hostname1'

Appears that some python core files are missing. Have you tried uninstalling and then installing python again. This hopefully should resolve the problem. — aneesh_nair, Oct 18 '20 at 14:03
@aneesh_nair I don't think it's safe to uninstall Python since many packages will depend on it. It can mess up the system. — Random Person, Oct 18 '20 at 14:39
@technastic_tc I agree with you. It ended up before with fresh installation. It seems that having Python 3.7 is making an issue although python 3.6 is still the default. — wbadry, Oct 18 '20 at 20:12
@wbadry, Would you add the output of which python; ls -l $(which python); echo =; which python3; ls -l $(which python3) — user.dz, Oct 18 '20 at 22:01
@wbadry What are the steps you followed to install Python 3.7? Did you follow instructions from any website? If yes, please do share the link of the website. — Random Person, Oct 19 '20 at 07:12
ls -al /usr/bin/ | grep python and readlink -f /usr/bin/python and /usr/bin/ | grep python3 — nobody, Nov 06 '20 at 11:27

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 06 '20 at 12:13

1

sudo update-alternatives  --remove-all python3

from manpage

Remove all alternatives and all of their associated slave links. name is a name in the alternatives directory (in your case python3)

sudo rm /usr/bin/python3

Then create a new link.

sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3.6  /usr/bin/python3

answered Nov 06 '20 at 12:13

nobody

5,437

Thanks. I did the exact steps. The problem still exists. – wbadry Nov 07 '20 at 15:22
1

Bäh, systemctl status dbus.service please. – nobody Nov 07 '20 at 16:51
the post was updated. – wbadry Nov 08 '20 at 12:07
1

I'm sorry I running out of ideas. Something installed with python-pip or python3-pip? – nobody Nov 09 '20 at 10:07
Thanks @nobody. After an update today, it was fixed. I believe it was a bug and the UBUNTU team fixed it. Thank you so much for your time taken to solve this issue. – wbadry Nov 11 '20 at 14:59

Ubuntovative is here · Answer 2 · 2020-10-19T05:02:06.267

0

I also had the same problem.
I did sudo update-alternatives --config python3 and switched to python 3.6:

Good luck !!!

edited Oct 19 '20 at 05:02

answered Oct 19 '20 at 04:53

Ubuntovative is here

1,034

python2 and python3 normally not configured over alternativen system. Easiest way is to remove the distorbing python3.7 package. – nobody Oct 19 '20 at 09:54
Thank but the problem is still existing as python3 is already set as default for Python3 – wbadry Nov 04 '20 at 18:56

software & update app not opening

2 Answers2