Easy Double Click Install of Deb Packages

[Nate53085]

Below is sorta irrelavant due to the program called gdebi.

packages available here: http://people.ubuntu.com/~mvo/backports/breezy/


The original content may offer some insite for someone about something, so I left it.
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This is nothing but a dirty hack, don't get to angry.

1) Open Applications>System Tools>Applications Menu Editor

2) Click System Tools then New Entry

3) Create the Entry as Follows

Name: dblclk123
Comment: (blank)
Command: sudo dpkg -i
Icon: No Icon
Check the box that says run in terminal

This created the necessary .desktop file we need

4) Right Click on a .deb file and select Properties. (If you do not have one handy, feel free to grab this one: http://www.natebourgoin.com/links/fcc.deb we will remove once we are finished)

5) Click Open With then Add. Select dblclk123 from the menu and click add.

6) Make sure that "Open With" now has dblclk123 selected (select it if it hasn't) then click close

7) Open Applications>System Tools>Applications Menu Editor again. Then System Tools. Uncheck the checkmark near dblclk123 (this will remove it from the visible menu while keeping the necessary .desktop file)

8) Test by double clicking the .deb package. A terminal will open, ask for your password, then install the package.

9) If you used the Firstclass .deb I linked to above and don't have any use for the program, open a terminal and type:
sudo apt-get remove fcc
to remove it.

Assuming it all went smoothly, you should be all set.


And now onto the discussion on why this is such a bad idea.

[Shin Natsume]

very nice, thanks for the how to :D

ciao

[benplaut]

i'm still waiting for a nice app that makes a local repo to solve dependencies, but this is nice, in the meantime :)

[cjm5229]

I would put this in my top ten handiest apps. Thank You

[rado_london]

Thanks a lot
I like it now

[donmayor]

Thanx, this is marvelous. It would save me a lot of time

[beaNN]

Thanks! This is really quick and easy.

[betamax]

Very Handy,

Cheers ;)

[hen3rz]

So smart and intuitive! thanks heaps.

[penguinmaster]

I followed the directions for this and when I double click on a .deb file, the terminal window pops up real quick and then disappears again. Any suggestions??

[Nate53085]

Did you check the checkbox that says "Run in terminal" when you created the entry in Application Menu editor?

[Nate53085]

Variations:

instead of sudo dpkg -i put sudo alien -di and set for RPMS and you can doubleclick install RPMs (though they won't always work once installed, RPM->DEB is not extremely reliable, dependency stuff)

This technique will also allow you to run any code with any type of file, just substitute in the code you want to run and set it to the filetype (right-click on the file and all that jazz)

One thing I'm seeing this would be useful for is allowing textfiles with different extentions to be handled differently (using some if statements that test for extention).

[quonsar]

Or you could get Debins (http://programmer-art.org/debins). Debins "aims to counter the difficulties of apt's commandline interface and the lack of obscure packages in Ubuntu's repositories while remaining integrated with apt."

[lex]

I followed the directions for this and when I double click on a .deb file, the terminal window pops up real quick and then disappears again. Any suggestions??

Yeah me too. I tried to remove the file to see if it worked,
"lex@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get remove fcc
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package fcc
lex@ubuntu:~$"

I tried it on another .dep file and the terminal window popped up and ask for password; when i tried to type nothing happened. I pressed enter and it disappeared.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Lex

[Jessehk]

KDE offers this by default.

*runs away quickly*

[Nate53085]

KDE offers this by default.

*runs away quickly*

lol



Again, was "Run in terminal" checked? If it asked for your password, it probably did install the package (unless it ran into an error?) but if "Run in terminal" is checked it should open a terminal, ask for a password, install the package outputting to the open terminal and then return to a prompt. If Run in Terminal isn't checked, the terminal will not open.

[BLTicklemonster]

Wow.



I like it.


now how to do targzses? :-k

[engla]

Me and another guy both had one try each at making this, but even nicer with a wrapper app in another thread.
You can read about it here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=691323#post691323

The script I wrote basically works, just double-click and go.

[Nate53085]

I just prefer not downloading someone's script. I would rather do it by hand, gives insite into how it works.

[self0]

nice tip
thanks

[Ghetto_Smurf]

KDE offers this by default.

*runs away quickly*

yeah you better

[cutOff]

What about gdebi (http://www.whiprush.org/2005/11/gdebi_arrives.html)? There are already packages (http://people.ubuntu.com/~mvo/backports/breezy/) for Breezy even.

[mattheweast]

What about gdebi (http://www.whiprush.org/2005/11/gdebi_arrives.html)? There are already packages (http://people.ubuntu.com/~mvo/backports/breezy/) for Breezy even.

Yes, that is a much better way. You could amend this guide to use that program?

Matt

[cutOff]

Yes, that is a much better way. You could amend this guide to use that program?

Matt
No, of course. I only wanted to report the existence of that program. If anyone is interested, look at this post (http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=723141&postcount=14).


Regards

[mattheweast]

No, I was serious, I think this howto should be amended to reflect gdebi. It's an excellent program.

M

[Nate53085]

Updated, kept the old stuff there just in case someone was interested in it.

[daredevil]

Lemme me try out. This definitely saves a lot of time

[taipan899]

Very nice. Thank you