Software Center doesn't save settings on Saucy

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

I also have this problem.

As a workaround, you can toggle those options by editing the file ~/.config/software-center/softwarecenter.cfg directly and changing the respective True/False values.

On another note, when that file is open in Gedit when I close the Ubuntu Software Center (USC), Gedit reports that the file was changed externally (but the contents remain the same).

I've been poking around in the code and here's what I found until now:

In file softwarecenter/config.py:

* In the write(self) method, the configuration properties always have the values that are read from the config file (at least for boolean properties) and, thus, the config file contents are not changed on save.
  The method works correctly though: If I call 'self._generic_setbool("recommender_opt_in_requested", True)' manually, it takes effect and that value is written to the config file.

* I added some LOG messages to the methods _generic_get, _generic_set, _generic_getbool and _generic_setbool to see if they are called.
  The get methods are called several times, while the set methods are NEVER called! This here may be the problem!

I've looked at the code again and I finally found what causes this bug!

From Raring to Saucy, there were these changes to the file softwarecenter/config.py:

33c33
< class SoftwareCenterConfig(object, SafeConfigParser):
---
> class SoftwareCenterConfig(SafeConfigParser):
38d37
< object.__init__(self)

The Software Center is executed using Python 2 (still?), so this changes the class from a "new style class" to an "old style class", I think. It seems Python properties don't work correctly in "old style classes".
Reverting these changes fixes the issue.

I've attached a patch that fixes the issue by reverting the changes.
I've tested this by editing the installed code directly and running software-center. The settings are now saved correctly and I haven't noticed any other new issues.
(By the way, I don't know if the line "object.__init__(self)" is really needed.)

---

However, I researched a bit to find why this change was made and, apparently, it was to fix a bug.
The changes were introduced in revision 3308 of lp:software-center by Rodney Dawes to fix bug LP:1038429 .
Software Center hasn't crashed for me, but I have apport disabled (the large number of crash reports in the first weeks of Saucy were too annoying).

So, someone with more knowledge about the code should look into this.

Oh, I forgot.
I created and tested the patch in Saucy.
But, as the code of softwarecenter/config.py hasn't changed in trusty/development, it should work for trusty as well.

The attachment "fix_settings_not_saved.patch" seems to be a patch. If it isn't, please remove the "patch" flag from the attachment, remove the "patch" tag, and if you are a member of the ~ubuntu-reviewers, unsubscribe the team.

[This is an automated message performed by a Launchpad user owned by ~brian-murray, for any issues please contact him.]

I tested the patch in Trusty and it definitely solves the problem. Until now, everything works without crashing.

This bug was fixed in the package software-center - 13.10-0ubuntu3

---------------
software-center (13.10-0ubuntu3) trusty; urgency=medium

  * debian/patches/03_bzr-save-settings.patch:
    - Fix parent object initialization chaining. (LP: #1244493)
 -- Rodney Dawes <email address hidden> Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:06:18 -0400