installing software through deb files without using terminal

raphtor · 02-11-2009, 01:08 PM

recently i installed hardy in my laptop.but because of having little knowledge about the post installation procedure for installing media players like vlc,mplayer i have run into a lot of trouble.after toiling a while,i was told by a friend that first build essential was to be installed.now since i do not have a net connection,i have to download the packages as deb files and install then using synaptic.but the package was asking for some other pre installed file!!!what i want to know is the exact order and names of installing preliminary software so that i can install all the media files using deb files without having a direct terminal installation.

jedi_sith_fears · 02-11-2009, 02:38 PM

http://www.newlinuxuser.com/howto-us...all-deb-files/

see this

Quote:

I’ve written about using apt-get to get and install debian packages. However, a recent comment by a reader brought the fact that I hadn’t written anything on what to do with a .deb file that exists on your system already either by download or other media.

Using the apt-get application is the quickest way to find and install debian packages. The installation part is done by an application named dpkg. Dpkg doesn’t have to be used by apt-get, you can use it manually as well.

From the man dpkg command:

dpkg - a medium-level package manager for Debian

Whatever that means.

In keeping with GNU/Linux system security, only the superuser can use the dpkg application. Dpkg is a typical GNU/Linux application that is controlled by command-line switches. Possibly the most common use of dpkg is to install a local .deb file.

To install a .deb file, become root and use the command:

dpkg -i filename.deb

Dpkg can also be used to:

* dpkg –unpack: unpacks the file but does not install it
* dpkg –configure: presents whatever configuration options are available for the package
* dpkg –remove: removes a package

Some of the package manipulation commands are actually carried out by an application called dpkg-deb. In those cases, dpkg just acts as a front end to dpkg-deb and passes the commands to it.

Dpkg-deb can also be used to manipulate .deb files. Some of the more useful commands of dpkg-deb are:

dpkg-deb –show filename.deb

This will display the information for filename.deb. Normally, this is boring information like the application version (which is normally evident from the filename), but in some cases more interesting and useful information is displayed.

Consult the dpkg man page for information on the more arcane uses for dpkg.

digerati1338 · 02-11-2009, 03:39 PM

Quote:

i was told by a friend that first build essential was to be installed

No. Build essential is only necessary to compile packages from source. You don't want to do that. You want binary packages.

Quote:

i have to download the packages as deb files and install then using synaptic.but the package was asking for some other pre installed file!!!

That means that the deb file you downloaded has a dependency. A dependency means that that packages requires other packages to be installed (like shared libraries) before it will work. Normally, apt-get will automatically resolve these dependencies, but since you don't have an internet connection it can't do that.

The only solution I can think of is do solve the dependencies yourself. You can look up a package online at http://packages.ubuntu.com/. Find the package you want, and then look at its dependencies. You need to install all of those first. And their dependencies before them. Good luck. Maybe someone else has a better solution.

raphtor · 02-12-2009, 11:18 AM

then why was package manager showing a dependency while installing the build essential package?

digerati1338 · 02-12-2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

then why was package manager showing a dependency while installing the build essential package?

Because build essential is a virtual package that is made up entirely of dependencies. There are no actual programs in the build essential package itself. Build essential installs tools like makefile support, compilers, and the tools to package applications as deb files. Build essential is for developers. You are not a developer so you do not need it. Your friend was wrong when he told you to install it.

Quote:

what i want to know is the exact order and names of installing preliminary software so that i can install all the media files using deb files without having a direct terminal installation

For any package you want to install (ie. vlc), begin by going to http://packages.ubuntu.com. Running a simple search for VLC in Hardy gets you to the VLC package page: http://packages.ubuntu.com/hardy/vlc. There is a list of related packages on that page. Any with a red dot must be installed before VLC will install. As I said, apt-get or synaptic usually solves these problems for you by automatically downloading dependencies through your internet connection, but you don't have one. So installing yourself requires you to install all the dependencies yourself as well.