Adept Can't Handle Packages with Dialogs

[Matthew Kuiken]

Matt Endebrock wrote:
> Background: After reading the Kubuntu Desktop Guide section on programming, I 
> followed the desktop guide advice and attempted to install the Java Runtime 
> Environment Package "sun-java5-bin" *using Adept*. The installation appeared 
> to hang,  so I looked at the details and found what appeared to be an ncurses 
> dialog (that I couldn't do anything with). The package wouldn't install so I 
> had to quit Adept.
> As expected, this locked the package database, preventing me from using Adept 
> for further package management until I could fix it. I had to force a 
> reinstall of the package from the command line using dpkg (I did some reading 
> and muddled my way through this part. If someone knows the correct syntax and 
> arguments for performing this work, please reply to this post.)
> I understand that the jre package comes from the multiverse repositories and 
> is considered to be unsupported, but the Desktop Guide *does* recommend this 
> package and gives no warning about having to install it from the command 
> line.
>
>   
From:

https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/sun-java5/+bug/47273

----
It is required that you accept the license though (via debconf). If the 
debconf frontend is set to "noninteractive" it won't install.
----

I do not know how adept calls dpkg, but if it is not interactive it 
won't work.  There was a configuration bug that occurred ~2 weeks before 
release that had debconf set to non-interactive, so it is possible that 
you still have an old config file.  Since you seem to have managed to 
install from dpkg directly, I don't think this is your problem, but I 
wanted to note it as part of this thread for those who find it in the 
future.

-Matt