apt error

[akrobert]

Hello
I have noticed that I have 2 different computers running Ubuntu 10.04 and both of them have the same problem. When the internet is off at the router and it checks for updates it throws the following error.

an internal system error has occured
a problem that we were not expecting has occured

Error Type: <type 'exceptions.TypeError'>
Error Value: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, exceptions.SystemError found
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2216, in <module>
main()
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2213, in main
run(args, options.single)
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 2175, in run
backend.dispatcher(args)
File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 710, in dispatcher
self.dispatch_command(args[0], args[1:])
File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 606, in dispatch_command
self.refresh_cache(force)
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 202, in _locked_cache
func(*args, **kwargs)
File : /usr/share/PackageKit/helpers/apt/aptBackend.py, line 1498, in refresh_cache
format_string(error.message))
File : /usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/packagekit/backend.py, line 723, in format_string
txt = unicode(text, encoding, errors='replace')

I reinstalled the aptbackend but that didnt seem to help. I looked for an aptbacked.py but cant find that to update or reinstall. Can someone tell me how to fix this?

thanks
Robert

[SlidingHorn]

Doesn't apt require an internet connection?

[lolzwut]

apt uses internet to check for updates/install software. Internet connection is a must.

[akrobert]

but shouldnt it simply see that one isnt present and check again later until one is active? I never started getting this error until 10.04. In the past it would simply check, no connection it would check again later and when one was present it would go through the checking process...

Robert