[Pkg-utopia-maintainers] Bug#538961: dbus: inadequate error message when service is not running

[Yann Dirson]

Package: dbus
Version: 1.2.16-2

When eg. NetworkManager is not running, we get an error telling about no
.service files providing the service.  So the natural investigation way
would be to find why we do not have such a file - whereas the real problem
is only that the service is not currently running, and running it solves
the problem, without an apparent .service file being added, and stopping
it reinstate the error message.

Shouldn't the message read "The name org.freedesktop.NetworkManager is not
registered on the (system|session) bus" instead ?

$ dbus-send --system --print-reply --dest=org.freedesktop.NetworkManager
/org/freedesktop/NetworkManager org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties.GetAll
string:org.freedesktop.NetworkManager
Error org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name
org.freedesktop.NetworkManager was not provided by any .service files

# /etc/init.d/network-manager start
Starting network connection manager: NetworkManager.

$ dbus-send --system --print-reply --dest=org.freedesktop.NetworkManager
/org/freedesktop/NetworkManager org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties.GetAll
string:org.freedesktop.NetworkManager
method return sender=:1.45 -> dest=:1.48 reply_serial=2
[...]

# /etc/init.d/network-manager stop
Stopping network connection manager: NetworkManager.

$ dbus-send --system --print-reply --dest=org.freedesktop.NetworkManager
/org/freedesktop/NetworkManager org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties.GetAll
string:org.freedesktop.NetworkManager
Error org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name
org.freedesktop.NetworkManager was not provided by any .service files