[SOLVED] Ubuntu Software Center doesn't offer commercial applications

DaneM · 01-07-2013, 03:57 PM

Hello.

I've recently installed software-center (Ubuntu Software Center), and am having trouble browsing/installing commercial software and other software (apparently) specific to the USC. Here are the things I've been trying to install:

cave-story-plus
legend-of-grimrock
offspring-fling
fullcircle-issue-61
plexmediaserver
tiberiumalliances
muktware-ubuntu-manual
master-pdf-editor

Note that I purchased the first three via humblebundle.com and have "claimed" them as appropriate.

So, I guess my question is this:
Are these packages simply not available on Precise/Mint 13/Ubuntu 12.04? Are they available but not working/available on my computer for some reason? If the latter, how can I fix it?

I'm using Linux Mint 13 AMD64 with backports enabled.

Thanks.

--Dane

unSpawn · 01-08-2013, 09:22 AM

Installing Humble Bundle games via Ubuntu Software Centre ... Basically Just click on the "Download for Ubuntu" at the top of the download page for whichever bundle you've purchased. If you see a "Not found" message, Ubuntu Software Center is working in the background to update the list of available apps. (and no need to wonder Do I buy a game twice if I bought it from humblebundle.com?). All I could find in 3 seconds.

DaneM · 01-08-2013, 11:56 AM

Thanks for the reply, unSpawn. I've actually read and re-read this, but alas, I haven't gotten relief therefrom. :-)

The only part of the above that I don't understand (and haven't tried, I guess) is, "If you see a 'Not found' message, Ubuntu Software Center is working in the background to update the list of available apps." I suspect that this doesn't mean "working in the background on my computer," since I've given it plenty of time to complete whatever it was doing. Does this mean that Canonical is busy adding the software? I kind-of doubt that this is still the case this long after release...

Also, much of the software I can't find (as above) isn't from the Humble Indie Bundle, at all. Some of it is free! So, I guess my question remains: where is it, and is it my fault that I can't install it, or is it just not available on Mint 13?

Thanks.

unSpawn · 01-08-2013, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneM

The only part of the above that I don't understand (and haven't tried, I guess) is, "If you see a 'Not found' message, Ubuntu Software Center is working in the background to update the list of available apps." I suspect that this doesn't mean "working in the background on my computer," since I've given it plenty of time to complete whatever it was doing. Does this mean that Canonical is busy adding the software? I kind-of doubt that this is still the case this long after release...

The way some Humblebundle and Canonical web log posts have been written I suspect it may involve some manual effort on the part of Canonical to add the software to their repo. It shouldn't take them ages to if they said they would but the web log posts mention only select games. Did you try the "download for Ubuntu" links for the games you bought?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneM

Also, much of the software I can't find (as above) isn't from the Humble Indie Bundle, at all. Some of it is free! So, I guess my question remains: where is it, and is it my fault that I can't install it, or is it just not available on Mint 13?

Installing software the Ubuntu Software Center doesn't know about may depend on the way the software is packaged. If it's .deb files then the standard apt-.*(-like) package management tools may work (don't know about UI stuff, I only run Ubuntu LTS and CLI-wise), if it's .tar or .tar.{gz,bz2,xz} archives then you need to unpack, compile and install the software yourself. After you unpack the archive search the directory for README.* and INSTALL.* files as they contain easy to follow instructions how to proceed.

DaneM · 01-08-2013, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Did you try the "download for Ubuntu" links for the games you bought?

This prompted my search for the problem's cause (and its solution) when I got an error by clicking that link. Using apturl from the command line produces the same error as clicking the button in Firefox. I tried an about:config fix for apturl, but this didn't change anything.

As for compiling from source, I know that the software I seek is available to some people via the USC:

http://steamforlinux.com/?q=en/node/119

Sadly, I can't seem to get it that way, which makes me suspect I've screwed something up--or that it's only available in the very latest (stable) version of Ubuntu. Likewise, apt-get and Synaptic can't acquire most of the items on the linked lists.

Thanks for your continued interest!

--Dane

unSpawn · 01-08-2013, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneM

This prompted my search for the problem's cause (and its solution) when I got an error by clicking that link. Using apturl from the command line produces the same error as clicking the button in Firefox. I tried an about:config fix for apturl, but this didn't change anything.

What exact error message and what fix?

DaneM · 01-09-2013, 02:34 PM

Error when clicking on the "Download for Ubuntu" link:
"Could not find package 'snapshot'."

(The name changes depending on the program.)

The error is the same if I do:
apturl <url>
...though for some reason it's not giving me the url in the status bar like it was a few days, ago.

The fix I tried:
Add:
network.protocol-handler.expose.apturl;true
...to about:config. This seemed to be unneeded, and had no effect at all.

I'll note that when I click the arrow next to "All Software" in USC and then "For Purchase," nothing at all shows up.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

--Dane

273 · 01-09-2013, 03:25 PM

Does Mint have the Ubuntu non-free repositories enabled by default? Do Canonical have another repository that's used for Steam and the like?
Apologies if I'm exhibiting cluelessness but can it be assumed that just installing Ubuntu Software Centre will turn Mint into Ubuntu or, at least, give it all the relevant repositories?

DaneM · 01-10-2013, 11:33 AM

Installing USC won't turn Mint into Ubuntu. It allows a different way to install software, and (supposedly) access to commercial software offered by other companies. I don't think it changes repositories, but I'm not entirely sure about that.

unSpawn · 01-10-2013, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneM

Any ideas?

No, sorry. I strongly suggest opening a ticket in the Mint or Ubuntu bug tracker.

273 · 01-10-2013, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneM

Installing USC won't turn Mint into Ubuntu. It allows a different way to install software, and (supposedly) access to commercial software offered by other companies. I don't think it changes repositories, but I'm not entirely sure about that.

What I was asking is how can it give access to new programs without adding a repository? Are the commercial listing in a format not known to apt but known to Software Centre?
Seems to me that if you want to install Ubuntu Software Centre commercial applications under another distro it might be an idea to know whether it is possible even and, if so, how Software Centre gives access to new applications that apt does not.

DaneM · 01-10-2013, 10:57 PM

273, I guess this is at the center of the problem: I don't entirely know how it gives access to new software--but I do know that it does. I've just installed Ubuntu 12.10 on a different PC, and the sources.list file doesn't have anything not included in my Mint sources.list file (though it's using "quantal" instead of "precise"). It's worth noting that installing purchased software causes USC to generate a customized, encrypted repository for each program you buy/download--so I know it's doing something "different" from what we're used to with Debian-based repositories.

Previously, I've gotten this working on Mint, but recently it's not working. I just tried the following fix, which has worked for others, but which isn't working for me.

Step one: back up all files involved!

Edit /usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/backend/channel.py and add the following before the line, "# set them in order".

Code:

# always display the partner channel, even if its source is not enabled                                                       
        if not partner_channel:
            partner_channel = SoftwareChannel(self.icons, 
                                              "Partner archive",
                                              "Canonical",
                                              "partner", 
                                              only_packages_without_applications=True,
                                              installed_only=installed_only)
 
        # create a "magic" channel to display items available for purchase                                              
        for_purchase_query = xapian.Query("AH" + AVAILABLE_FOR_PURCHASE_MAGIC_CHANNEL_NAME)
        for_purchase_channel = SoftwareChannel(self.icons, 
                                               "For Purchase", None, None, 
                                               channel_icon=None,   # FIXME:  need an icon
                                               channel_query=for_purchase_query)

Then edit /etc/lsb-release and change everything to match this:

Code:

DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=12.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=Precise
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 12.04"

(Change the values to match your version of mint, such that it corresponds with the version of Ubuntu it's based on.)

Finally, edit /etc/issue and make it look like this:

Code:

Ubuntu 12.04 \n \l

Backup the new versions of these files, since various software packages will overwrite them, forcing you to re-copy them to restore your customizations.

Sources:
http://rbose.org/wiki/Ubuntu_Softwar...eskin=monobook
http://askubuntu.com/questions/81263...t-mate-desktop

Sadly, this hasn't helped. :-(

Running the Ubuntu Software Center from the command-line produces this:

Code:

dane@orchestrator ~ $ software-center
2013-01-10 20:53:14,027 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - setting up proxy 'None'
2013-01-10 20:53:14,031 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - open() database: path=None use_axi=True use_agent=True
2013-01-10 20:53:14,442 - softwarecenter.backend.reviews - WARNING - Could not get usefulness from server, no username in config file
2013-01-10 20:53:14,503 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - show_available_packages: search_text is '', app is None.
2013-01-10 20:53:14,505 - softwarecenter.db.pkginfo_impl.aptcache - INFO - aptcache.open()
2013-01-10 20:53:19,191 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - software-center-agent finished with status 0
2013-01-10 20:53:19,191 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - reopen() database
2013-01-10 20:53:19,192 - softwarecenter.db.database - INFO - open() database: path=None use_axi=True use_agent=True

It's worth noting that when I click "Help > Ubuntu Software Center Help" it still sends me to Linux Mint's web page. :-p

Thoughts?

273 · 01-11-2013, 12:31 AM

Ah, sorry, I may be barking up the wrong tree then. The customized, encrypted, repository grneration being what USC does that apt doesn't.

DaneM · 01-11-2013, 01:03 AM

Indeed it does, but it only *seems* to mess with that AFTER you install purchased software--not before. So, unless it uses that for simply listing the software, I suspect that the problem lies elsewhere (but I could be wrong).

273 · 01-11-2013, 03:50 AM

I suspect the USC itself communicates with Canonical's servers independently of the apt process and logic at their end creates a repository for you based upon a private key unique to you in some way whenever you buy a piece of commercial software.