TypeError: east_asian_width() argument must be a unicode character, not

[edgan]

I have "twice" seen this error from dnf on my Fedora 40 system. In the case from the traceback and output below it didn't cause a crash or really any problem. I say "twice", because until I cleaned up the first incident it was easily reproducible. Yet there have been two distinct cases of it on the same system.

A previous time I at the time thought it was an edge case related to the google-cloud-cli package. That incident caused a huge mess inside my rpm database. Where I had something like 50 packages with duplicate versions. Some of the packages included were systemd packages and some libraries. I was able to clean up the system manually with a fair amount of work. In the case the traceback looked the same. I removed the google-cloud-cli package and repository. I hadn't seen the issue since, till today. Both then and now I tried googling the error and didn't find much.

This isn't a edge case where I have a multi-language system, or that I am trying to worth with an asian language in some way.

As far as I can tell this desktop system was originally installed fresh as Fedora 38, and was upgraded from 38 to 39 via dnf system-upgrade. Then later upgraded again the same way to Fedora 40.

Versions:

dnf-4.21.1-1.fc40.noarch
fedora-release-identity-workstation-40-39.noarch
python3-3.12.6-1.fc40.x86_64

Environment variable:

LANG=en_US.UTF-8

Command used to find duplicates:

rpm -qa --queryformat '%{name}\n' | sort | uniq -c | sort -g | grep -Ev 'kernel|firmware' | grep ' [2-3]'

Traceback:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/yum/rpmtrans.py", line 294, in callback
    self._instProgress(amount, total, key)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/yum/rpmtrans.py", line 375, in _instProgress
    display.progress(pkg, action, amount, total, self.complete_actions, self.total_actions)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/cli/output.py", line 1999, in progress
    self._out_progress(ti_done, ti_total, ts_done, ts_total,
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/cli/output.py", line 2016, in _out_progress
    (fmt, wid1, wid2) = self._makefmt(percent, ts_done, ts_total,
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/cli/output.py", line 2040, in _makefmt
    pnl = exact_width(pkgname)
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/i18n.py", line 179, in exact_width
    return sum(_exact_width_char(c) for c in msg)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/i18n.py", line 179, in <genexpr>
    return sum(_exact_width_char(c) for c in msg)
               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/i18n.py", line 153, in _exact_width_char
    return 2 if unicodedata.east_asian_width(uchar) in ('W', 'F') else 1
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
TypeError: east_asian_width() argument must be a unicode character, not 

Full output:

Last metadata expiration check: 0:47:42 ago on Thu 26 Sep 2024 10:27:17 AM MST.
Dependencies resolved.
===============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
 Package                                                          Architecture                                       Version                                                        Repository                                            Size
===============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
Installing:
 kernel                                                           x86_64                                             6.10.11-200.fc40                                               updates                                              177 k
 kernel-core                                                      x86_64                                             6.10.11-200.fc40                                               updates                                               17 M
 kernel-devel                                                     x86_64                                             6.10.11-200.fc40                                               updates                                               20 M
 kernel-modules                                                   x86_64                                             6.10.11-200.fc40                                               updates                                               63 M
 kernel-modules-core                                              x86_64                                             6.10.11-200.fc40                                               updates                                               38 M
 kernel-modules-extra                                             x86_64                                             6.10.11-200.fc40                                               updates                                              2.9 M
Upgrading:
 kernel-devel-matched                                             x86_64                                             6.10.11-200.fc40                                               updates                                              177 k
 python3-paramiko                                                 noarch                                             3.5.0-1.fc40                                                   updates                                              403 k
Removing:
 kernel                                                           x86_64                                             6.10.9-200.fc40                                                @updates                                               0  
 kernel-core                                                      x86_64                                             6.10.9-200.fc40                                                @updates                                              69 M
 kernel-devel                                                     x86_64                                             6.10.9-200.fc40                                                @updates                                              71 M
 kernel-modules                                                   x86_64                                             6.10.9-200.fc40                                                @updates                                              62 M
 kernel-modules-core                                              x86_64                                             6.10.9-200.fc40                                                @updates                                              36 M
 kernel-modules-extra                                             x86_64                                             6.10.9-200.fc40                                                @updates                                             2.7 M

Transaction Summary
===============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
Install  6 Packages
Upgrade  2 Packages
Remove   6 Packages

Total download size: 142 M
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
(1/8): kernel-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64.rpm                                                                                                                                                                      291 kB/s | 177 kB     00:00    
(2/8): kernel-core-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64.rpm                                                                                                                                                                  12 MB/s |  17 MB     00:01    
(3/8): kernel-devel-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64.rpm                                                                                                                                                                 13 MB/s |  20 MB     00:01    
(4/8): kernel-modules-extra-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64.rpm                                                                                                                                                         15 MB/s | 2.9 MB     00:00    
(5/8): kernel-devel-matched-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64.rpm                                                                                                                                                        1.8 MB/s | 177 kB     00:00    
(6/8): python3-paramiko-3.5.0-1.fc40.noarch.rpm                                                                                                                                                                3.6 MB/s | 403 kB     00:00    
(7/8): kernel-modules-core-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64.rpm                                                                                                                                                          27 MB/s |  38 MB     00:01    
(8/8): kernel-modules-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64.rpm                                                                                                                                                               25 MB/s |  63 MB     00:02    
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total                                                                                                                                                                                                           42 MB/s | 142 MB     00:03     
Running transaction check
Transaction check succeeded.
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded.
Running transaction
  Preparing        :                                                                                                                                                                                                                       1/1 
  Installing       : kernel-modules-core-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                          1/16 
  Installing       : kernel-core-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                  2/16 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-core-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                  2/16 
  Installing       : kernel-modules-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                               3/16 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-modules-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                               3/16 
  Installing       : kernel-devel-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64 [=================================================                                                                                                                           ]  4/16Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/yum/rpmtrans.py", line 294, in callback
    self._instProgress(amount, total, key)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/yum/rpmtrans.py", line 375, in _instProgress
    display.progress(pkg, action, amount, total, self.complete_actions, self.total_actions)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/cli/output.py", line 1999, in progress
    self._out_progress(ti_done, ti_total, ts_done, ts_total,
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/cli/output.py", line 2016, in _out_progress
    (fmt, wid1, wid2) = self._makefmt(percent, ts_done, ts_total,
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/cli/output.py", line 2040, in _makefmt
    pnl = exact_width(pkgname)
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/i18n.py", line 179, in exact_width
    return sum(_exact_width_char(c) for c in msg)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/i18n.py", line 179, in <genexpr>
    return sum(_exact_width_char(c) for c in msg)
               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/i18n.py", line 153, in _exact_width_char
    return 2 if unicodedata.east_asian_width(uchar) in ('W', 'F') else 1
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
TypeError: east_asian_width() argument must be a unicode character, not 

  Installing       : kernel-devel-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                 4/16 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-devel-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                 4/16 
  Upgrading        : kernel-devel-matched-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                         5/16 
  Installing       : kernel-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                       6/16 
  Installing       : kernel-modules-extra-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                         7/16 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-modules-extra-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                         7/16 
  Upgrading        : python3-paramiko-3.5.0-1.fc40.noarch                                                                                                                                                                                 8/16 
  Erasing          : kernel-modules-extra-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                          9/16 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-modules-extra-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                          9/16 
  Erasing          : kernel-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                       10/16 
  Erasing          : kernel-modules-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                               11/16 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-modules-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                               11/16 
  Erasing          : kernel-modules-core-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                          12/16 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-core-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                  13/16 
  Erasing          : kernel-core-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                  13/16 
  Erasing          : kernel-devel-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                 14/16 
  Cleanup          : python3-paramiko-3.4.0-3.fc40.noarch                                                                                                                                                                                15/16 
  Cleanup          : kernel-devel-matched-6.10.10-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                        16/16 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-modules-core-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                         16/16 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-core-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                                 16/16 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-modules-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                              16/16 
  Running scriptlet: kernel-devel-matched-6.10.10-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                                                                                                                        16/16 

Upgraded:
  kernel-devel-matched-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64                                                                               python3-paramiko-3.5.0-1.fc40.noarch                                                                              
Installed:
  kernel-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64  kernel-core-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64  kernel-devel-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64  kernel-modules-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64  kernel-modules-core-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64  kernel-modules-extra-6.10.11-200.fc40.x86_64 
Removed:
  kernel-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64   kernel-core-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64   kernel-devel-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64   kernel-modules-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64   kernel-modules-core-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64   kernel-modules-extra-6.10.9-200.fc40.x86_64  

Complete!

[ppisar]

It seems that your RPM database contains a broken package name (UTF-8-invalid string) and DNF attempts to print it. Before printing it DNF tries to interpret it as UTF-8 in progress() function with ucd() call and that call fails to provide a valid UTF-8 string.

We would like to know what kind of object is and what content has pkgname variable in progress() method in /usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/dnf/cli/output.py file before line 1993 and after line 1993 when your problem happens. Are you able to debug it?

[edgan]

I think this was a hardware issue. I am closing it.