SparkleUpdateInfoProvider crashes with "AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'decode'"

[workflowsguy]

Describe the problem
When running the recipe com.github.autopkg.hjuutilainen-recipes/CodeRunner/CodeRunner2.munki.recipe, SparkleUpdateInfoProvider crashes autopkg.

AutoPkg output

SparkleUpdateInfoProvider
{'Input': {'appcast_url': 'https://coderunnerapp.com/appcast.xml',
           'pkginfo_keys_to_copy_from_sparkle_feed': ['description']}}
SparkleUpdateInfoProvider: Curl command: ['/opt/local/bin/curl', '--compressed', '--location', 'https://coderunnerapp.com/appcast.xml']
SparkleUpdateInfoProvider: Items in feed: 22
SparkleUpdateInfoProvider: Items in default channel: 22
SparkleUpdateInfoProvider: Version retrieved from appcast: 67365
SparkleUpdateInfoProvider: User-facing version retrieved from appcast: 4.3
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Library/AutoPkg/autopkglib/__init__.py", line 878, in process
    self.env = processor.process()
  File "/Library/AutoPkg/autopkglib/__init__.py", line 661, in process
    self.main()
  File "/Library/AutoPkg/autopkglib/SparkleUpdateInfoProvider.py", line 354, in main
    pkginfo = self.handle_pkginfo(latest)
  File "/Library/AutoPkg/autopkglib/SparkleUpdateInfoProvider.py", line 301, in handle_pkginfo
    pkginfo["description"] = description.decode("UTF-8")
AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'decode'
  File "/Library/AutoPkg/autopkglib/__init__.py", line 878, in process
    self.env = processor.process()
'str' object has no attribute 'decode'
Failed.

Expected behavior
Recipe should download the new app release successfully. In case of an error in the XML file, autopkg should exit gracefully, pointing out the issue that it encounterd.

Version (please complete the following information):

• OS version: 10.13.6
• AutoPkg Version: 3.0RC2

[homebysix]

I'm not able to reproduce this on macOS 14.2 with 3.0RC2:

SparkleUpdateInfoProvider
{'Input': {'appcast_url': 'https://coderunnerapp.com/appcast.xml'}}
SparkleUpdateInfoProvider: Items in feed: 22
SparkleUpdateInfoProvider: Items in default channel: 22
SparkleUpdateInfoProvider: Version retrieved from appcast: 67365
SparkleUpdateInfoProvider: User-facing version retrieved from appcast: 4.3
SparkleUpdateInfoProvider: Found URL https://coderunnerapp.com/download/update/CodeRunner-4.3.zip

@workflowsguy What version of the included Python do you have?

% /usr/local/autopkg/python --version
Python 3.10.4

[workflowsguy]

I have tested this on two different Macs, with maOS 10.13.6 and 13.6.3. Both have AutoPkg 3.0RC2, and both give

❯ /usr/local/autopkg/python --version
Python 3.10.4

On both machines execution of the recipe fails.

I deduct from this SO answer that the 'decode' part of the statement

pkginfo["description"] = description.decode("UTF-8")

is not necessary because the string is already UTF8-encoded.
But then I wonder why it does not fail when you tried it.

[nmcspadden]

I also can't reproduce this, on two different devices. The error is that it is trying to decode information from the Sparkle feed's description, and what it is getting back is not a string (which is probably something we could fix to force cast it as a string). I would verify if the value you are getting from the sparkle feed matches what you expect, or if there is some kind of proxy in the way that is returning unexpected values.

…

On Mon, Dec 18, 2023 at 12:26 AM workflowsguy ***@***.***> wrote: I have tested this on two different Macs, with maOS 10.13.6 and 13.6.3. Both have AutoPkg 3.0RC2, and both give ❯ /usr/local/autopkg/python --version Python 3.10.4 On both machines execution of the recipe fails. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#920 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAJFTX3XDJQZCEYI4KFWOXLYJ742FAVCNFSM6AAAAABAVEDTMCVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMYTQNJZG43DENJZG4> . You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

-- -- Nick McSpadden ***@***.***

[workflowsguy]

So my tests show this:

SparkleUpdateInfoProvider.py on line 301 has the statement

                pkginfo["description"] = description.decode("UTF-8")

description is of type str. Since Python 3, the str class no longer has a decode method, the string data is already utf-8-encoded. So the .decode("UTF-8") part of the line will cause an error. Maybe this line was overlooked in a code update?

Thus, when the line is changed to

                pkginfo["description"] = description

the recipe executes correctly.

As to why the recipe fails on our machines but not on yours, this might be caused by the fact that I am actually running an override of the original recipe. It seems that a change I have made in the override triggers this issue.

Can you please verify this?

[workflowsguy]

So my tests show this:

SparkleUpdateInfoProvider.py on line 301 has the statement

                pkginfo["description"] = description.decode("UTF-8")

description is of type str. Since Python 3, the str class no longer has a decode method, the string data is already utf-8-encoded. So the .decode("UTF-8") part of the line will cause an error. Maybe this line was overlooked in a code update?

Thus, when the line is changed to

                pkginfo["description"] = description

the recipe executes correctly.

As to why the recipe fails on our machines but not on yours, this was caused by the fact that I am actually running an override of the original recipe.
It contained an unnecessary

		</dict>
		<key>pkginfo_keys_to_copy_from_sparkle_feed</key>
		<array>
			<string>description</string>
		</array>

entry that triggered this issue.

Can you please verify the decode problem?

[nmcspadden]

Given that two of us can't reproduce the problem, and no one else has mentioned or filed an issue on this, this doesn't sound like a code change is warranted. I understand the issue, but it seems to be unique to your setup. Does this problem exist if you create a new override? Can you post the override that you are using now so we can test the exact same thing you are using?

…

On Tue, Dec 19, 2023 at 1:56 AM workflowsguy ***@***.***> wrote: So my tests show this: SparkleUpdateInfoProvider.py on line 301 has the statement pkginfo["description"] = description.decode("UTF-8") description is of type str. Since Python 3, the str class no longer has a decode method, the string data is already utf-8-encoded. So the .decode("UTF-8") part of the line will cause an error. Maybe this line was overlooked in a code update? Thus, when the line is changed to pkginfo["description"] = description the recipe executes correctly. As to why the recipe fails on our machines but not on yours, this was caused by the fact that I am actually running an override of the original recipe. It contained an unnecessary </dict> <key>pkginfo_keys_to_copy_from_sparkle_feed</key> <array> <string>description</string> </array> entry that triggered this issue. Can you please verify the decode problem? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#920 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAJFTX3P7MOVDQMYIEXI22TYKFQFJAVCNFSM6AAAAABAVEDTMCVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMYTQNRSGQ2TCMRXGM> . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>

-- -- Nick McSpadden ***@***.***

[workflowsguy]

Here is an override to the original recipe that only adds the key that crashes SparkleUpdateInfoProvider.
(Had to add a txtextension, otherwise GitHub refuses to upload)

CodeRunner2-Override.munki.recipe.txt

[macmule]

I can confirm that dropping the .decode(utf-8) resolves the errors... BUT the resulting PkgInfo isn't using the description from the sparkle feed anyways.. is that intentional @workflowsguy?

[workflowsguy]

@macmule

BUT the resulting PkgInfo isn't using the description from the sparkle feed anyways.. is that intentional @workflowsguy?

I don't know how and why this part got into the actual override in the first place. I only discovered that it was there while investigating the exception it triggered. As you correctly observed, it does not have any purpose in the override.