Description of problem:

Yum crashes with errors relating to a Python library whenever I try to perform an update.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):

3.2.19

How reproducible:

It happens every time the command is run, even after full reboots, and both when logged in directly as root or using su from a regular user account.

Steps to Reproduce:
1.su
2.yum update
3.
  
Actual results:

Loaded plugins: fastestmirror
Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
 * base: mirror.cs.vt.edu
 * updates: mirrors.cmich.edu
 * addons: ftp.usf.edu
 * extras: holmes.umflint.edu
Setting up Update Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package ntp.i386 0:4.2.2p1-9.el5.centos.2 set to be updated
---> Package kexec-tools.i386 0:1.102pre-56.el5_3.2 set to be updated
---> Package libpurple.i386 0:2.5.5-3.el5 set to be updated
---> Package giflib.i386 0:4.1.3-7.1.el5_3.1 set to be updated
---> Package poppler.i386 0:0.5.4-4.4.el5_3.9 set to be updated
---> Package acpid.i386 0:1.0.4-7.el5_3.1 set to be updated
---> Package file.i386 0:4.17-15.el5_3.1 set to be updated
---> Package sos.noarch 0:1.7-9.16.el5_3.5 set to be updated
---> Package ghostscript.i386 0:8.15.2-9.4.el5_3.7 set to be updated
---> Package kernel.i686 0:2.6.18-128.1.10.el5 set to be installed
---> Package libvolume_id.i386 0:095-14.20.el5_3 set to be updated
---> Package cups-libs.i386 1:1.3.7-8.el5_3.4 set to be updated
---> Package freetype-devel.i386 0:2.2.1-21.el5_3 set to be updated
---> Package cups.i386 1:1.3.7-8.el5_3.4 set to be updated
---> Package kpartx.i386 0:0.4.7-23.el5_3.4 set to be updated
---> Package kernel-devel.i686 0:2.6.18-128.1.10.el5 set to be installed
---> Package pango.i386 0:1.14.9-5.el5.centos set to be updated
---> Package audit-libs-python.i386 0:1.7.7-6.el5_3.3 set to be updated
---> Package audit.i386 0:1.7.7-6.el5_3.3 set to be updated
---> Package xulrunner.i386 0:1.9.0.10-1.el5 set to be updated
---> Package audit-libs.i386 0:1.7.7-6.el5_3.3 set to be updated
---> Package ipsec-tools.i386 0:0.6.5-13.el5_3.1 set to be updated
---> Package device-mapper-multipath.i386 0:0.4.7-23.el5_3.4 set to be updated
---> Package kernel-headers.i386 0:2.6.18-128.1.10.el5 set to be updated
---> Package freetype.i386 0:2.2.1-21.el5_3 set to be updated
---> Package gnome-session.i386 0:2.16.0-6.el5.centos.2 set to be updated
---> Package tzdata.noarch 0:2009f-1.el5 set to be updated
---> Package firefox.i386 0:3.0.10-1.el5.centos set to be updated
---> Package udev.i386 0:095-14.20.el5_3 set to be updated
---> Package crash.i386 0:4.0-7.2.3.el5.centos.1 set to be updated
---> Package pango-devel.i386 0:1.14.9-5.el5.centos set to be updated
---> Package pidgin.i386 0:2.5.5-3.el5 set to be updated
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/yum", line 29, in ?
    yummain.user_main(sys.argv[1:], exit_code=True)
  File "/usr/share/yum-cli/yummain.py", line 229, in user_main
    errcode = main(args)
  File "/usr/share/yum-cli/yummain.py", line 145, in main
    (result, resultmsgs) = base.buildTransaction() 
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/__init__.py", line 647, in buildTransaction
    (rescode, restring) = self.resolveDeps()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/depsolve.py", line 704, in resolveDeps
    for po, dep in self._checkFileRequires():
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/depsolve.py", line 939, in _checkFileRequires
    if not self.tsInfo.getOldProvides(filename) and not self.tsInfo.getNewProvides(filename):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/transactioninfo.py", line 414, in getNewProvides
    for pkg, hits in self.pkgSack.getProvides(name, flag, version).iteritems():
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/packageSack.py", line 300, in getProvides
    return self._computeAggregateDictResult("getProvides", name, flags, version)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/packageSack.py", line 470, in _computeAggregateDictResult
    sackResult = apply(method, args)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/sqlitesack.py", line 861, in getProvides
    return self._search("provides", name, flags, version)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/sqlitesack.py", line 43, in newFunc
    return func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/sqlitesack.py", line 837, in _search
    for pkg in self.searchFiles(name, strict=True):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/sqlitesack.py", line 43, in newFunc
    return func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/sqlitesack.py", line 586, in searchFiles
    self._sql_pkgKey2po(rep, cur, pkgs)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/sqlitesack.py", line 470, in _sql_pkgKey2po
    pkg = self._packageByKey(repo, ob['pkgKey'])
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/sqlitesack.py", line 413, in _packageByKey
    po = self.pc(repo, cur.fetchone())
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/sqlitesack.py", line 68, in __init__
    self._read_db_obj(db_obj)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/sqlitesack.py", line 94, in _read_db_obj
    setattr(self, item, _share_data(db_obj[item]))
TypeError: unsubscriptable object


Expected results:

List of all packages to be updated, prompt to proceed.

Additional info:

GUI Software Updater fails in same way
System has previously been updated many times with no errors