fails to start if HAL not installed

[sascha_silbe]

Read fails to start if HAL is not installed:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/sascha.silbe/sugar-jhbuild/install/bin/sugar-activity", line 21, in <module>
    main.main()
  File "/home/sascha.silbe/sugar-jhbuild/install/lib/python2.5/site-packages/sugar/activity/main.py", line 159, in main
    create_activity_instance(activity_constructor, activity_handle)
  File "/home/sascha.silbe/sugar-jhbuild/install/lib/python2.5/site-packages/sugar/activity/main.py", line 37, in create_activity_instance
    activity = constructor(handle)
  File "/home/sascha.silbe/sugar-jhbuild/install/share/sugar/activities/Read.activity/readactivity.py", line 257, in __init__
    self._topbar = TopBar()
  File "/home/sascha.silbe/sugar-jhbuild/install/share/sugar/activities/Read.activity/readtopbar.py", line 185, in __init__
    _TopBar.__init__(self)
  File "/home/sascha.silbe/sugar-jhbuild/install/share/sugar/activities/Read.activity/readtopbar.py", line 139, in __init__
    '/org/freedesktop/Hal/Manager')
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.5/dbus/bus.py", line 244, in get_object
    follow_name_owner_changes=follow_name_owner_changes)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.5/dbus/proxies.py", line 241, in __init__
    self._named_service = conn.activate_name_owner(bus_name)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.5/dbus/bus.py", line 183, in activate_name_owner
    self.start_service_by_name(bus_name)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.5/dbus/bus.py", line 281, in start_service_by_name
    'su', (bus_name, flags)))
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.5/dbus/connection.py", line 630, in call_blocking
    message, timeout)
dbus.exceptions.DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.freedesktop.Hal was not provided by any .service files

HAL has been  deprecated by its own authors so we shouldn't rely on it. It also won't be available in chroots which makes testing Read much harder.

[FrancisCofC]

I have confirmed this. I was running the sugar emulator and could not open Read. As soon as I installed Hal with the Synaptic Package Manager I could open Read.

[sascha_silbe]

There's a  patch to fix this, but the new Read maintainer is still too busy to review and merge it. A  code review by someone else might speed up the process.

[sascha_silbe]

Has been fixed as part of  5832d4df.