Update fail

[gweloboy]

I have ubuntu on an elderly computer. I am a complete neophyte regarding Ubuntu.

Here is my problem. Whenever I try to update the software, I get a message about a broken package and to close programmes and try again. I have no open programmes!
The other issue is there is no flash player and if I try to download the apparent solution I get the broken package message!

Not trying to sound ugly but surely Ubuntu, as developed as it is, should be beyond this sort of problem? You cannot give this to a 70 year-old to use as an alternative to Windows to browse the web. Not even Windows expects you to type in code to solve the problem.

[mörgæs]

Which hardware and which version of Ubuntu?

[gweloboy]

12.04lts

dell inspiron intel centrino
alienware with amd dual core

no laughing!

[ibjsb4]

Which hardware and which version of Ubuntu?

Yes to this and *buntu can be neophyte friendly (this comming from a 70 year old) :)

[ibjsb4]

How much ram do you have?

[grahammechanical]

Ubuntu is fantastic especially when I remember that I got it free and it is still supported. You cannot say that about Windows, especially XP!

An operating system is stupid in many ways. The update manager does not know that you do not have any applications open. It does not need to know that kind of stuff. So, the designer of the message allows for the fact that the user, whatever their age, may not know of the need to close all applications. I am sure that the error message also offered suggestions on how to fix the problem. Is that not so?

You can show that 70 year old how to open the terminal and how to type in this command


sudo apt-get -f install

I hope you have given that 70 year old administrative privileges. Otherwise you will have to take responsibility for fixing things when they get broken. Ubuntu does have a software centre and from it we can install Adobe Flash Plugin installer. Just search for Flash.

Adobe Flash is proprietary software and it is not installed by default because the Ubuntu developers hold to the philosophy of Free and Open Source Software. It is that philosophy that allows us to download, install and use Ubuntu without paying for the privilege.

The developers do make it easy for us to install proprietary stuff if we are willing to take the legal responsibility. This is why the software centre only installs an installer that does the actual installation of Adobe Flash.

By the way if the 70 year old uses Firefox then there should be no problems watching videos. It gets a bit more complicated with other web browsers.

As a 66 year old I have one more thing to say. Old people are much more smarter than you give them credit for.

Regards.

[gweloboy]

Thank you all very much. Something is happening on my little inspiron terminal screen.

I really want Linux to be as good as every one says it is.

[ibjsb4]

Which hardware and which version of Ubuntu?


How much ram do you have?

Answers please :)

[gweloboy]

what is a 3rd party repository. How do I close them?

[gweloboy]

Memory 512mb on inspiron
1gb on alien

[mörgæs]

With only 512 MB Ubuntu will suffer. You will be better off with a fresh install of Lubuntu 14.04.
Please see the link in my signature for more information.