apt-get failing to find upgrades

[David M. Carney]

On Mon, 08 Nov 2004 00:34:28 -0500, David Coventry <dc at davec.uklinux.net> wrote:
> Okay, David, I apologise if I sound a little tetchy.
> 
> The fact is that I wrote my first progam in FORTRAN back in 1972 on
> punch cards at Wits University.
> 
> Quite often I get young guys assuming that if I'm over 40, I know
> nothing about computers. Generally, these guys assume that if they can
> negotiate Windows, then they are experts.
> 
> Honestly, though, Ubuntu seems to be throwing up a whole lot of
> unnecessary dificulties in the face of their users.
> 
> Why would you need to comment out the sources.list file, for example?
> 
> In any case, I can't install anything onto my machine: well, that's not
> strictly true, I can download the tarball, untar and ./configure, make
> and make install.
> 
> But I'm used to apt-get doing it all for me. And I don't see why it
> needs to be such a chore.
> 
> Dave
> 
> 
> 
> 
> David M. Carney wrote:
> 
> >On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 23:37:48 -0500, David Coventry <dc at davec.uklinux.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>David M. Carney wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 16:54:41 -0500, David Coventry <dc at davec.uklinux.net> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>Hi,
> >>>>
> >>>>I'm a reasonably experienced linux user having started with SUSe some
> >>>>years back, and ended up with Ubuntu by way of Mandrake 6, Corel Linux,
> >>>>Gentoo and Knoppix, so I know my way around apt-get.
> >>>>
> >>>>However, on my install of Ubuntu, apt-get fails.
> >>>>
> >>>>I have used apt-spy to get mirrors, but am no closer to installing
> >>>>anything on my system.
> >>>>
> >>>>I have tried (for example) to install wine.
> >>>>
> >>>>The error message I get is 'E: Package wine has no installation candidate'
> >>>>
> >>>>Also 'W: You might want to run apt-get update to correct these problems'
> >>>>
> >>>>Replacing the original sources.list file (AFTER uncommenting out all the
> >>>>entries: what's the matter; are you deliberately laying down gotchas?),
> >>>>well that still produced the same errors.
> >>>>
> >>>>Dave
> >>>>
> >>>>--
> >>>>ubuntu-users mailing list
> >>>>ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
> >>>>http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>Have you uncommented the "Universe" repository in your apt sources list?
> >>>
> >>>David
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>David:
> >>
> >>You see, I'm looking at your reply and I see somebody poking fun at how
> >>pathetic I am.
> >>
> >>As I tried to explain, I am not a newbie.
> >>
> >>As I tried to explain, I know enough to go into the sources.list file in
> >>/etc/apt/ and uncomment out the comments (why do you have to make it so
> >>difficult, are you trying to trip all the newbies up?).
> >>
> >>If that's how you guys get your kicks, that's fine.
> >>
> >>I'll just go and find another 64 bit distro.....
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >You did make it sound as if you had maybe done that, but I wanted to
> >be sure. It's a simple thing to miss; I did at first.
> >
> >People on this list, including me, don't try to make people feel
> >pathetic. I was only trying to help.
> >
> >David
> >
> >
> >
> 
> --
> ubuntu-users mailing list
> ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
> http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users
> 
David,

While I'm not the programmer you are, I'm 51 and I can sympathize with
you on this.

It seems really strange that you can't get apt to work for you. Though
I have several years operating many various Linux distributions, I'm
completely 64 bit unknowledgable.

Could that have something to do with all this, that there aren't any
64 bit packages for what you're looking for, or does it matter 64 bit
vs. 32 bit?

I tried to apt-get wine (simulated apt-get) and except for wanting to
also add libwine, there appeared to be no problem.

Have you also tried Ubuntu's bugzilla page or the Ubuntu IRC channel?

Best of luck to you.

David

-- 
Registered Linux User #297958