sdcv uses g_get_home_dir function to find home directory. That function uses passwd entry and this in turn breaks expectations of users and automatic tests inside sandbox where access behind some directory is not allowed (and thus tests are not allowed to write into /root/.stardict/dic...) The patch in attachment fixes this basically by using code from gnome manual:
http://library.gnome.org/devel/glib/stable/glib-Miscellaneous-Utility-Functions.html#g-get-home-dir
const char *homedir = g_getenv ("HOME");
if (!homedir)
homedir = g_get_home_dir ();