I'm trying to install java virtual machine.

david:/home/david/ttt# dpkg -l java*virtual*machine
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Installed/Config-files/Unpacked/Failed-config/Half-installed
|/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version
+++-===============================================-============================
un java-virtual-machine <none>

It is not installed yet, as shown above. Hence I do a apt-get install...

david:/home/david/ttt# apt-get install java-virtual-machine
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Package java-virtual-machine is a virtual package provided by:
sablevm 1.1.0-5
java-virtual-machine-dummy 0.3
gij-3.3 1:3.3.3-6
You should explicitly select one to install.
E: Package java-virtual-machine has no installation candidate

What is meant by virtual package and how should I go about installing the java virtual machine with apt-get install?

Thanks

A virtual package is a "dummy" package which is provided by other packages. in your case there are three packages providing the java-virtual-machine functionality. I've never installed java vm with apt-get, but you should select one of the three candidates. java-virtual-machine-dummy sounds like a bad choice. =)

I've installed sablevm. However, Java-virtual-machine is still shown as not installed :


david:/etc/apt# dpkg -l java*machine
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Installed/Config-files/Unpacked/Failed-config/Half-installed
|/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Description
+++-==============-==============-============================================
un java-virtual-m <none> (no description available)
david:/etc/apt# dpkg -l java*machine
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Installed/Config-files/Unpacked/Failed-config/Half-installed
|/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version
+++-===============================================-============================
un java-virtual-machine <none>


david:/etc/apt# dpkg -l sablevm
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Installed/Config-files/Unpacked/Failed-config/Half-installed
|/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Description
+++-==============-==============-============================================
ii sablevm 1.1.0-5 Free implementation of Java Virtual Machine


And it prompts me with the same message again when I try to install java-virtual-machine package, even when sablevm is already installed:


david:/etc/apt# apt-get install java-virtual-machine
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Package java-virtual-machine is a virtual package provided by:
sablevm 1.1.0-5
java-virtual-machine-dummy 0.3
gij-3.3 1:3.3.3-6
You should explicitly select one to install.
E: Package java-virtual-machine has no installation candidate

Web pages that requires java virtual machine still request for the package.

Thanks !