# 
# 
# patch "tracvc/mtn/automate.py"
#  from [f68419b8a6d34829c44c017fbb7f440b65531d3c]
#    to [3a6fd378274704dc490d493ade8877863a68174b]
# 
============================================================
--- tracvc/mtn/automate.py	f68419b8a6d34829c44c017fbb7f440b65531d3c
+++ tracvc/mtn/automate.py	3a6fd378274704dc490d493ade8877863a68174b
@@ -221,12 +221,13 @@
         self.manifest_cache[rev] = manifest
         return manifest
 
-    def _u(self, x):
+    @staticmethod
+    def _u(x):
         """
         Convert x from utf-8 to unicode, thereby replacing unknown
-        characters with the unicode replace char
+        characters with the unicode replace char.
         """
-        return unicode(x,"utf-8", "replace")
+        return unicode(x, "utf-8", "replace")
 
     def certs(self, rev):
         """
@@ -280,7 +281,7 @@
         if rev in self.changeset_cache:
             return self.changeset_cache[rev]
         status, result = self.automate.command("get_revision", rev)
-        if status != 0: return []
+        if status != 0: return {}
         changeset = {}
         
         def add_slash(path): return '/' + path