GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 331031
gnome-dictionary doesn't start since upgrade to 2.13.x
Last modified: 2006-03-18 15:59:43 UTC
--- gjc@spectrum:~$ gnome-dictionary ** (process:28133): WARNING **: Unable to create the data directory '/home/gjc/.gnome2/gnome-dictionary': there already is a file with the same name. You should move the file and re-run gnome-dictionary. --- Two problems with this: 1. The error message is printed in stderr, which normally the user doesn't see. At the very least a dialog should be displayed; 2. _I_ certainly didn't create that file, so why is gdict bothering me? A simple upgrade should not require the users to remove weird files.
the file is cruft left over from early 2.0.0 days; I could simply unlink() it, but it seems to affect only us old farts (see bug #329126), so I deemed a warning (even if printed on the console) more appropriate. since I really cannot track down in which version it ceased to be used, I'll remove the file and the warning.
One important small detail I forgot to mention: gnome-dictionary _does not start_ if that file exists. I hope that makes you realise the severity of the problem.
I realize quite well: I explicitely coded it that way. that is why a put a big fat warning and an error exit code. if there's a file in the way, I can't create the data directory; and if I can't create a directory, all the "add/remove source" stuff can't work, since it can't create/remove the source files. the file name "gnome-dictionary" is a left-over from 2.0-ish versions of the old dictionary code; it surely has not being used in years. I can unlink() the "gnome-dictionary" file and get over it, since you are the second one with that file in his gnome data directory - albeit you evidently have upgraded gnome and you are not a "new user" for sure.
Of _course_ I've been using gnome since 2.0; actually, I've been using gnome since 1.0; yeah, I'm an old fart, and proudly so ;-) IMHO, you should never have selected that file name in the first place, since it clearly conflicts with gnome 2.0. Can't you just rename the old file to something else, like .gnome-dictionary.old? Or change the name of the new file? In any case, silent failure is not admissible for a GUI app, and stderr of course doesn't count; normal users don't run apps in terminal. Like I said, at the very least you should show an error dialog; bonus points if it contains 'delete file' and 'quit' buttons.
I did use gnome since 2.0 days, but I've never noticed that file, and I would have chosen anther name for the directory if I ever had been hit by the clash; unfortunately, on my devel box I installed gnome since 2.8, so the file was not created. since it's a file in the gnome data directory, and since it won't be used anyway, as I said I'll delete it if it's found.
Fine; just be careful to not delete the _new_ file (that you're trying to create) by accident the next time gnome-dict is run ;-)
The issue was raised at https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/gnome-utils/+bug/31794 too.
I had that issue on upgrade too
I've created a fix for HEAD similar to the one proposed by gustavo in comment #4; since it adds and changes translatable strings, I'll have to request a break to the translation teams before committing it to the gnome-2-14 branch. I've attached the patch below: could someone please comment on the error message? on a sidenote: the fix works for the application, but it doesn't for the applet - it just dies after showing the error dialog, and I can't recover from there.
Created attachment 59645 [details] [review] the patch against HEAD
Created attachment 59765 [details] [review] revised patch new patch, with the option for moving the stale file.
it's fixed in gnome-utils HEAD. still waiting for the freeze break request to backport it to the gnome-2-14 stable branch.
fixed in gnome-2-14. I'm closing this bug.