Beginner Q2: Installing software

[Amedee Van Gasse]

On 14-01-10 17:05, Thomas Blasejewicz wrote:
> I do have great difficulties installing software!
> When I tried Synaptic, I get for each and every software package I tried
> the error message:
> "Package operation failed. The installation or removal of a software
> package failed."
>
> AND there are quite a number of software packages I actually downloaded
> before, but which Synaptic apparently does not know (the search function
> does not find them, although they are already right here on my computer)
>
> Yet, a guide book (quoted below) says, you should NOT install anything
> manually:
> Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference
> Keir Thomas
> page 124
>
> "Manually installing a package
> It is inadvisable you attempt to manually download a package and install
> it. The process is fraught with problems, the most significant being the
> potential difficulty in manually sourcing dependencies. "
>
> So, what can I do to avoid the above mentioned error messages
> AND
> install software that Synaptic does not recognize
> (a search within Synaptic for example shows, that it does not find
> "Flash Player", which is definitely available in a version for Ubuntu.
>
> Since I installed Ubuntu, I was not yet able to install ANY software -
> and the guidebooks and documentation did not help me so far.
>
Go to a command prompt and give the following commands:

sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude safe-upgrade
sudo aptitude full-upgrade

If you get *ANY* errors, STOP what you are doing.
Copy the errors to http://pastebin.com and send a reply to this list 
with the link to your pasted errors.

If you didn't get any errors, give the following command:

sudo aptitude install flashplugin-installer

Again, if you got any errors, put them on pastebin and report back to 
the list.


I'm asking you to use aptitude because then it is very easy to 
copy/paste the output. It is a lot harder to do that when you are using 
Synaptic.


Please ignore Bob (accessys), his reply may be well intended but it does 
not help you in your particular situation. And please, no grovelling 
like in your other question.

-- 
Amedee Van Gasse