[[!comment format=mdwn
 username="https://launchpad.net/~codex24"
 nickname="codex24"
 subject="Workaround"
 date="2016-02-14T23:12:10Z"
 content="""
With etckeeper installed in Ubuntu using git as its VCS, using the Ubuntu Software Center fails with errors 

    installArchives() failed: fatal: $HOME not set

Correct this by adding the following file, /etc/etckeeper/pre-install.d/20setenv:

    #!/bin/sh
    # /etc/etckeeper/pre-install.d/20setenv: set HOME dir due to 
    # unpassed environment in priviledge escallation of Ubuntu Software Center.
    # see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/etckeeper/+bug/1335391
    if \[[ -z \"$HOME\" ]]; then
        export HOME=$(getent passwd root | cut -d: -f6)
    fi

Also, ensure that the root account's git environment is properly initialized:

    root@janus:/etc# git config -l
    user.name=Root Janus
    user.email=codex24@gmail.com
"""]]