How to fix QGIS PyQGIS package?

I have a broken package that is preventing QGIS from loading python plugins, updating itself, or even un-installing.

The main symptom of this problem is the following message that appears when QGIS is booted:

QGIS works, but none of the python plugins do and I cannot update, reinstall or uninstall QGIS. The paths of action I have tried so far are:

• Reinstall PyQGIS (which I believe to be causing the problem) using Synaptic, which leads to this error:

• Updating the packages and reinstalling, using `sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade`,

This leads to the following error:

dpkg: error processing python-qgis (--configure): dependency problems - leaving unconfigured No apport report written because the error message indicates it's a follow-up error from a previous failure. Errors were encountered while processing: python-qgis-common python-qgis E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

• Following advice from here on broken packages, forced install sudo apt-get install -f and sudo dpkg --configure -a.

The latter option flags the following error, which tells me (more or less) what the problem is, but not how to solve it:

dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of python-qgis: python-qgis depends on python-qgis-common (= 1.9.0+git20121201+80fa7aa~precise1); however: Package python-qgis-common is not configured yet. dpkg: error processing python-qgis (--configure): dependency problems - leaving unconfigured Errors were encountered while processing: python-qgis-common python-qgis

How do I solve this so I can have a fully working version of QGIS again?

Answer

I had the same problem today, and maybe a solution that will work for you as well.

The error occurs in the file:

/usr/share/qgis/python/plugins/sextante/admintools/httplib2/__init__.py

(NOTE: I'm running on Linux, for me the qgis share is installed in /usr/hare, but it could be another directory for you).

As root or with sufficient privileges, open the file in an editor. Now move the following line:

from __future__ import generators

above the line starting with:

__author__

Save the file.

Now in Synaptic package manager I reinstalled python-qgis and python-qgis-common. Now the problem was solved.

I'll report this to the QGIs devs as well, but hope this helps for now.