[yocto] BitBake errors when building core-image-minimal

[Thomas Page]

Hi

Having installed the Yocto required packages and created a git branch of 
the project in a new installation of Ubuntu 12.04 LTS I have tried 
building the core-image-minimal image but continually have the process 
fail. Having gone through the installation process several times not I 
simply cannot seem to get this solved.

i must add that after a fresh install of the yocto project and set up of 
my host i find that Bitbake will not execute on first attempt and must 
be installed. I do not remember this having to be done in my previous 
use of the Yocto Project to successfully build an image.

The error i get is as follows:

tpage at ubuntu:~/poky/batmel$ bitbake core-image-minimal
Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/usr/bin/bitbake", line 234, in <module>
     ret = main()
   File "/usr/bin/bitbake", line 197, in main
     server = ProcessServer(server_channel, event_queue, configuration)
   File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/bb/server/process.py", line 78, in 
__init__
     self.cooker = BBCooker(configuration, self.register_idle_function)
   File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/bb/cooker.py", line 76, in __init__
     self.parseConfigurationFiles(self.configuration.file)
   File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/bb/cooker.py", line 510, in 
parseConfigurationFiles
     data = _parse(os.path.join("conf", "bitbake.conf"), data)
TypeError: getVar() takes exactly 3 arguments (2 given)
ERROR: Error evaluating 
'${TARGET_OS}:${TRANSLATED_TARGET_ARCH}:build-${BUILD_OS}:pn-${PN}:${MACHINEOVERRIDES}:${DISTROOVERRIDES}:${CLASSOVERRIDE}:forcevariable'
Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/bb/data_smart.py", line 116, in 
expandWithRefs
     s = __expand_var_regexp__.sub(varparse.var_sub, s)
   File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/bb/data_smart.py", line 60, in var_sub
     var = self.d.getVar(key, 1)
   File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/bb/data_smart.py", line 260, in getVar
     return self.expand(value, var)
   File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/bb/data_smart.py", line 132, in expand
     return self.expandWithRefs(s, varname).value
   File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/bb/data_smart.py", line 117, in 
expandWithRefs
     s = __expand_python_regexp__.sub(varparse.python_sub, s)
TypeError: getVar() takes exactly 3 arguments (2 given)

ERROR: Error evaluating 
'${@bb.parse.BBHandler.vars_from_file(d.getVar('FILE'),d)[0] or 
'defaultpkgname'}'
Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/bb/data_smart.py", line 117, in 
expandWithRefs
     s = __expand_python_regexp__.sub(varparse.python_sub, s)
   File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/bb/data_smart.py", line 76, in 
python_sub
     value = utils.better_eval(codeobj, DataContext(self.d))
   File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/bb/utils.py", line 387, in better_eval
     return eval(source, _context, locals)
   File "PN", line 1, in <module>
TypeError: getVar() takes exactly 3 arguments (2 given)

Any feedback will be appreciated even as to where I should look for the 
problem

Thomas