cairo ImportError after upgrade to Ubuntu 18.04

[mtompkins]

Variety no longer starts with:

variety
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/variety", line 38, in <module>
    import variety
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/variety/__init__.py", line 111, in <module>
    from variety import VarietyWindow
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/variety/VarietyWindow.py", line 74, in <module>
    from variety.QuoteWriter import QuoteWriter
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/variety/QuoteWriter.py", line 17, in <module>
    import cairo
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/cairo/__init__.py", line 1, in <module>
    from ._cairo import *  # noqa: F401,F403
ImportError: /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/cairo/_cairo.x86_64-linux-gnu.so: undefined symbol: cairo_tee_surface_index

Installed by from generic and your PPA

[jlu5]

Hello,

Can you paste the output of this terminal command: apt-cache policy python-cairo libcairo2 variety

[mtompkins]

You bet:

apt-cache policy python-cairo libcairo2 variety
python-cairo:
  Installed: 1.16.2-1
  Candidate: 1.16.2-1
  Version table:
 *** 1.16.2-1 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
libcairo2:
  Installed: 1.15.10-2
  Candidate: 1.15.10-2
  Version table:
 *** 1.15.10-2 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
variety:
  Installed: 0.6.8~ppa646~ubuntu18.04.1
  Candidate: 0.6.8~ppa646~ubuntu18.04.1
  Version table:
 *** 0.6.8~ppa646~ubuntu18.04.1 500
        500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/peterlevi/ppa/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/peterlevi/ppa/ubuntu bionic/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     0.6.7-1 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 Packages
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe i386 Packages

[mtompkins]

Is there any additional information I can provide to get this resolved? I really miss this little utility!!

[mtompkins]

On a fluke, I tried to install Variety since opening the ticket. It seems some dependency that may have been the issue has been updated/resolved.

[mtompkins]

FWIW - this problem has reared its head again on an upgrade to 19.10

[mtompkins]

Workaround (on Ubuntu)
Delete any existing ~/.cache/pip
Reinstall with pip