(Debian) Problems dealing with .deb local files

dedec0 · 03-05-2019, 01:46 PM

Synaptic is very handy, I like it since many years ago; aptitude is very good too, although it does things a bit different than synaptic (and I do not know exactly which). Using dpkg is sometimes necessary. Specific versions and abandoned packages are two examples that happened to me a good number of times. And aptitude and synaptic cannot install them from local files (I think).

But dpkg is not a simple command to master. When something more complex than "dpkg -i [file]" is needed, confusion comes to me.

In the last few days, I have been playing with dpkg and reading its man page. I found a very good argument: --no-act ! :D But it did not work as expected. I will give an example by copying the relevant part of my terminal session:

Code:

$  sudo ls
$   echo $LC_ALL


$   LC_ALL=C              # it must be an uppercase C

$   export LC_ALL

$   ls *deb
400K screenlets_0.1.6-0ubuntu2_all.deb

$   # not root!

$   dpkg --no-act -i screenlets_0.1.6-0ubuntu2_all.deb 
dpkg: warning: 'ldconfig' not found in PATH or not executable
dpkg: warning: 'start-stop-daemon' not found in PATH or not executable
dpkg: error: 2 expected programs not found in PATH or not executable
Note: root's PATH should usually contain /usr/local/sbin, /usr/sbin and /sbin

$  # the warnings about ldconfig and start-stop-daemon are dependency or access?

$  sudo  dpkg --no-act -i screenlets_0.1.6-0ubuntu2_all.deb 
(Reading database ... 185389 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack screenlets_0.1.6-0ubuntu2_all.deb ...

$  # just that? no dependency?? seems perfect to be installed! Lets do it:

$  sudo dpkg -i screenlets_0.1.6-0ubuntu2_all.deb
(Reading database ... 185389 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack screenlets_0.1.6-0ubuntu2_all.deb ...
Unpacking screenlets (0.1.6-0ubuntu2) over (0.1.6-0ubuntu2) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of screenlets:
 screenlets depends on python-support (>= 0.90.0); however:
  Package python-support is not installed.
 screenlets depends on python-gobject; however:
  Package python-gobject is not installed.
 screenlets depends on python-gnome2; however:
  Package python-gnome2 is not installed.
 screenlets depends on python-dbus; however:
  Package python-dbus is not installed.
 screenlets depends on python-wnck | python-gnome2-desktop; however:
  Package python-wnck is not installed.
  Package python-gnome2-desktop is not installed.
 screenlets depends on python-gst0.10; however:
  Package python-gst0.10 is not installed.
 screenlets depends on python-gconf; however:
  Package python-gconf is not installed.
 screenlets depends on python-beautifulsoup; however:
  Package python-beautifulsoup is not installed.

dpkg: error processing package screenlets (--install):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.15-1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.23-1) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.60) ...
Processing triggers for menu (2.1.47+b1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.6.1-2) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 screenlets

$   # With a few commands and a temporary folder, I discovered that the files

$  # (at least some of) the .deb contains were installed, although dpkg gave

$  # an error! ):<

$

Unfortunately, --no-act dpkg was muuuuuch different than the "yes-act".

What should I conclude at this point? How do I complete the installation of this package, or reach a conclusion where I can say it will not work on my system? In case you want to examine the package yourselves, it is newest file in a hidden Ubuntu folder, or in this disposable link, if you prefer:

https://nofile.io/f/Y36R0v71oJR/scre...buntu2_all.deb

That should be there for a long time ("as long as possible" was chosen).

hydrurga · 03-05-2019, 01:49 PM

Please note that prefixing a command in Linux with LC_ALL=c should provide output in English, e.g.

Code:

LC_ALL=c sudo dpkg -i screenlets_0.1.6-0ubuntu2_all.deb

You might be best to edit your original post, or add a new one, with the output in English so that others may better understand your issue.

dedec0 · 03-05-2019, 02:38 PM

LC_ALL was the variable! I changed only the LANG. I knew I have done it before, and people around here have said me about it... but I did not know what I would search to find it (not that I really tried that path, but I tried the $LANG changes that are disconsidered for this).

I will redo those commmands and edit my post now. (:

After that, I will create an alias and/or a function to make this language change. If the result is good for me, I will put it here for others taking the idea. (: I find that very useful to discuss IT things over the Internet.

dedec0 · 03-09-2019, 11:53 AM

Done editing post #1. Now the commands' output is in english, as preferred here.

hydrurga · 03-10-2019, 07:28 AM

Thanks dedec0.

First of all, thanks for the heads-up on the capitalisation of the "C". I have given that hint to quite a few folk on here and no-one's pointed it out to me before, despite getting it to work. I've changed my notes accordingly.

--no-act is just a synonym for the --simulate: option (it also has the synonym --dry-run). All it does is simulate the dpkg action, whatever it might be, without actually carrying out the operation. It shouldn't have produced those warnings and errors that you experienced. However, given that dpkg needs to access the package manager, I would recommend that you run the command with root privileges so that --no-act can give as precise a simulation as possible.

For info and comparison with what you experienced, here is what I get when I simulate installation as an ordinary user:

Code:

$ dpkg --no-act -i clamtk_5.27-1_all.deb 
dpkg: could not open log '/var/log/dpkg.log': Permission denied
(Reading database ... 395307 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack clamtk_5.27-1_all.deb ...
$

The only visible difference with running that with sudo is that I don't get the permission-related error message.

Which is obviously not what you're experiencing.

So, let's pull back and look at the screenlets package. You obviously don't have a lot of its dependencies on your system, hence the dpkg dependency error messages. Please let me know which distro and version you are running. For info, that directory you pointed to in your post is called "old releases" - you can't just mix and match old programs and newer versions of Ubuntu and expect that to work.

ondoho · 03-10-2019, 07:57 AM

screenlets 0.1.6 was released in 2012.
wouldn't you rather try 0.1.7 from 2017?

but debian stable has 0.1.2 in the repos...

hydrurga · 03-10-2019, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ondoho

screenlets 0.1.6 was released in 2012.
wouldn't you rather try 0.1.7 from 2017?

but debian stable has 0.1.2 in the repos...

Maybe we should wait until the OP tells us which distro and version they are using.

dedec0 · 03-10-2019, 10:23 AM

I have a Debian 9 here.

I got that old screenlets version from Ubuntu because this application have changed its compatibility with Gnome 2 in newers versions. I am using Mate Desktop as my window manager - and Mate is a Gnome 2 fork, i want something that works in Gnome 2. And that is exactly what screenlets in Ubuntu 10.04 is.

Differently from what you said, I did not find screenlets in Debian, using aptitude or synaptic. I have difficulty with the configuration and "checking what I have now" correspondence of it. I was able to find screenlets 1.2 for stretch (which is debian 9, as my motd note always remember me easily) in packages.debian.org.

But I have no clue on how to put together and working two facts: packages.debian.org has screenlets for my Debian version; but my computer does not have it for some setting. For myself, I would manually download the screenlets[...].deb file and install it manually.

Just a final note: for what I want, the Ubuntu 10.04 version works perfectly, so I have no interest in any feature improvement that newer versions may have.

hydrurga · 03-10-2019, 10:57 AM

So not only are you trying to load a really old version of software onto your Debian distro but you're getting that software from the out-of-date repositories of another distro, Ubuntu?

Simply put, you're going to have to find another way of doing things.

I know it's an older version, but did you try the simple:

Code:

sudo apt-get install screenlets

dedec0 · 03-10-2019, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga

So not only are you trying to load a really old version of software onto your Debian distro but you're getting that software from the out-of-date repositories of another distro, Ubuntu?

Simply put, you're going to have to find another way of doing things.

I know it's an older version, but did you try the simple:

Code:

sudo apt-get install screenlets

Yes, I think. Searching for "screenlets" with synaptic and with aptitude is as good as that? The problem is with which repositories I chose to have. It did not bring any results, and so I went searching for the package I have used before (was in that Ubuntu).

hydrurga · 03-10-2019, 05:14 PM

You're running Debian 9, i.e. Stable.

According to Debian, screenlets is in the Stable repos:

https://packages.debian.org/search?k...le&section=all

If you are not seeing it with apt-get then your software sources are set up incorrectly.

Please paste the output from:

Code:

for i in /etc/apt/sources.list{,.d/*}; do echo file: $i; cat $i; echo ====; done

dedec0 · 03-10-2019, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga

You're running Debian 9, i.e. Stable.

According to Debian, screenlets is in the Stable repos:

https://packages.debian.org/search?k...le&section=all

I would just like to note that this URL is what we get by:

1. Opening packages.debian.org

enters the package name in the "Search package directories" keyword box, not the subsequent keyword box

2. In the section "Search package directories", in the "Keywords" textfield, write "screenlets" (no quotes). Be careful to not use the "Search the contents of packages" section, that will have the same fields.

3. The rest should be the default: "package names only"; distribution "stable"; section "any"

4. Click on "search" button bellow these things

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga

If you are not seeing it with apt-get then your software sources are set up incorrectly.

Please paste the output from:

Code:

for i in /etc/apt/sources.list{,.d/*}; do echo file: $i; cat $i; echo ====; done

Here it is. There are some comments there, for some changes I made in it sometime ago. The information there should be enough, I think. If it is not clear, just ask. So:

Code:

$ for i in /etc/apt/sources.list{,.d/*}; do echo file: $i; cat $i; echo ====; done
file: /etc/apt/sources.list


# deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 9.0.0 _Stretch_ - Official amd64 NETINST 20170617-13:06]/ stretch main 

# deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 9.0.0 _Stretch_ - Official amd64 NETINST 20170617-13:06]/ stretch main 

# Mudanças feitas seguindo:
# " Debian 9 (stretch) - why 'apt-get update' cannot write tmp files? "
# https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?p=5794018#post5793944

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ stretch universe main multiverse 
# deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian/ stretch main 
deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ stretch main 
# deb-src http://httpredir.debian.org/debian/ stretch main 


deb http://security.debian.org/ stretch/updates main 
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ stretch/updates main 

# stretch-updates, previously known as 'volatile'
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main 
# deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main 
deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main 
# deb-src http://httpredir.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main 



====
file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/skype-stable.list
deb [arch=amd64] https://repo.skype.com/deb/ stable main  



====

$

hydrurga · 03-10-2019, 05:58 PM

I'll add a clarifying point to the first note in your post: one enters the package name in the "Search package directories" keyword box, not the subsequent "Search the contents of packages" keyword box.

It's interesting that you have multiverse and universe indicated for the main repo. Those are Ubuntu designations as far as I know, not Debian ones. It's also interesting that you didn't include contrib and non-free for any of the three sources, or their deb-src equivalents - was that intentional?

For pure info, here is a sample Debian sources.list: https://wiki.debian.org/SourcesList#...e_sources.list

Anyway, I would recommend that you delete the multiverse and universe keywords. Then please paste the results of the following commands (prepend by sudo if you're not root):

Code:

apt-get update

apt-get install screenlets

Many thanks.

dedec0 · 03-12-2019, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga

I'll add a clarifying point to the first note in your post: one enters the package name in the "Search package directories" keyword box, not the subsequent "Search the contents of packages" keyword box.

I have edited my previous post with this you pointed. It is an important detail I had not noted. Thank you for saying.

For the rest of your last post, I need more time to give it proper attention.

ondoho · 03-13-2019, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dedec0

I would just like to note that this URL is what we get by:

1. Opening packages.debian.org

enters the package name in the "Search package directories" keyword box

etc.

so what's wrong with

Code:

apt search keyword

???