migrate_favorites.py crashed with OSError in makedirs(): [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/home/aquarius/.local/share/unity'

The migration script uses the xdg library for custom xdg dirs, so I'm not really sure what went wrong here. This actually looks like the BaseDirectory.xdg_data_home field gave back an incorrect value. Does this happen reliably? Does .local/share not exist on your sytem?

Sadly, migrate_favourites.py does not reliably die every time I restart unity, but it's happened quite a few times. $HOME/.local/share does exist on my machine, although it should not, because of apps that hardcode it, so looking in there is a good way to find non-XDG-compliant apps ;-)

after discussing with Stuart, xdg_cache_home to use. I'll as well in case of "fail to open dir" (seems like it's racy as BaseDirectory python module doesn't take the env var in .gnomerc). In that case, we can shout (a warning) and print the log to stderr so that it at least ended on .xsession-errors

This bug was fixed in the package unity - 3.6.2-0ubuntu1

---------------
unity (3.6.2-0ubuntu1) natty; urgency=low

  * New upstream release:
    - unity-window-decorator crashed with SIGSEGV in
      g_cclosure_marshal_VOID__OBJECT() (LP: #724874)
    - blinking screen at searching "gn" (LP: #674022)
    - Top panel isn't multimonitor aware (LP: #675862)
    - Leaving fullscreen causes the launcher to rapidly appear and then
      disappear (LP: #718054)
    - migrate_favorites.py crashed with GError in __main__: Bad key or
      directory name: "/desktop/unity/launcher/favorites/app-Watch TV
      Shows.desktop/type": ` ' is an invalid character in key/directory names
      (LP: #722403)
    - does not display icons until hovered (LP: #726033)
    - Unintuative Application Matching (LP: #726711)
    - icons missing in the dash recent files and directory search returns
      (LP: #727824)
    - some result cache broke the dash search (LP: #728961)
    - Protect against conflicts with unity super keys (LP: #729166)
    - not installed apps sorting in global search (LP: #636996)
    - No 'safely remove' option is present in the unity menu when a usb disk
      is inserted (LP: #660010)
    - Dash - Implement new Dash design! (LP: #683762)
    - Expose or add missing nux functions for a11y support (LP: #701672)
    - Launcher - A single finger 'hold' on a Launcher app icon should open the
      quicklist (LP: #702486)
    - No "Search" default entry (LP: #710794)
    - Icon in Launcher should be home folder icon (LP: #721121)
    - Launcher bindings require Super to be held down to work (LP: #727580)
    - compiz crashed with SIGSEGV in nux::CairoGraphics::GetBitmap()
      (LP: #727636)
    - Unity "Lens" do not scroll to bottom (LP: #719616)
    - Double-click on panel to unmaximize only works in right half
      (LP: #725529)
    - clicking multiple time on the bfb makes the logo darker and darker
      (LP: #727146)
    - the launcher should go away if it has been open using the keyboard and
      the mouse is not moved while the cursor is on it (LP: #727746)
    - migrate_favorites.py crashed with OSError in makedirs(): [Errno 13]
      Permission denied: '/home/aquarius/.local/share/unity' (LP: #723656)
    - No feedback when unmounting busy device in Unity (LP: #730638)
 -- Didier Roche <email address hidden> Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:10:27 +0100