Missing files

[Derek Broughton]

Neil Winchurst wrote:

> I am trying to install a package using a .deb file. When I try I am
> told that there are some necessary files missing.
> 
> It needs libss10.9.6 which puzzles me. When I check I have libss10.9.8
> already installed. OK, it is a later version but should that matter?

If you're trying to install a .deb, it implies you're not using an Ubuntu
repository, so there are no guarantees that it was properly packaged, but
in this case, I'd suggest your package is just excessively old.  Maybe it
really needs libssl > 0.9.6 (btw, it's libssL0.9.6, not libss10.9.6) - but
note that it's part of the package _name_, not a version of the same
package.  This tends to imply that there's a significant change in the API,
and there may not be any compatibility between the libraries.

> And anyway I do not have version 10.9.6 listed as available to install,
> so I can't replace the later version with the earlier one.

You wouldn't actually replace them - I have both libssl0.9.7 and libssl0.9.8
installed.
> 
> It also needs xlibs > 3.3.6. I can't find that one anywhere. Can anyone
> point me in the right direction please?

What package are you trying to install?  Check the package's actual
dependencies.  Sometimes a package will depend on "libssl0.9.6 | xyz" - in
which case if you have neither of libssl0.9.6 and xyz installed, it will
install libssl0.9.6, but if you ask it to install xyz instead, it won't
need libssl0.9.6.

Otherwise your choices are: get a newer package; or, get the source for this
package and recompile it.  
-- 
derek