Following recommendation from 'sudo apt-get install apt-show-versions' breaks skype

[desconocido]

Skype is in the Partners repo. Instead of trying to reinstall those i386 libs I would just try to install Skype with synaptic.

I don't seem to be able to install synaptic either:

$ sudo apt-get install synaptic
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt-get -f install' to correct these:
The following packages have unmet dependencies.
 synaptic : Depends: libept1.4.12 but it is not going to be installed
            Depends: libvte9 (>= 1:0.24.0) but it is not going to be installed
            Recommends: rarian-compat but it is not going to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

And if I try Ubuntu Software Centre, I get the following two dialogue boxes:

[desconocido]

I think your sources.list is probably kind of messed up.

Here is /etc/apt/sources.list

# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS _Precise Pangolin_ - Release amd64 (20130820.1)]/ dists/precise/main/binary-i386/

# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS _Precise Pangolin_ - Release amd64 (20130820.1)]/ dists/precise/restricted/binary-i386/
# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS _Precise Pangolin_ - Release amd64 (20130820.1)]/ precise main restricted

# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.
deb http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise main restricted
deb-src http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team. Also, please note that software in universe WILL NOT receive any
## review or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
deb http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise universe
deb-src http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise universe

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu 
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to 
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in 
## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu
## security team.
deb http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise multiverse
deb-src http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise multiverse

## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as
## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes
## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.
## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review
## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu precise-security main restricted
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu precise-security main restricted
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu precise-security universe
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu precise-security universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu precise-security multiverse
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu precise-security multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical's
## 'partner' repository.
## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by Canonical and the
## respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu users.
# deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu precise partner
# deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu precise partner

## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by third-party
## developers who want to ship their latest software.
deb http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu precise main
deb-src http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu precise main

## Others added by BK
# deb http://deb.opera.com/opera/ stable non-free

[desconocido]

Well, I guess there was no way forward from there.

I have split my disk in two, moved /home to the new partition and re-installed Ubuntu 12.04.3 onto the original partition. It seems to be working again OK.

It looks like the advice from apt-get "The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required" is broken. See also
http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/inde...t-1203065.html
http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/inde...t-1132579.html

I should be able to get Skype working again, but I'm still going to have problems with third party applications like Google-Earth and Freewrl which seem to have impossible dependency problems.
And I haven't even started on Wine and LAMP yet.

[monkeybrain20122]

I suspect you may have some ppa's installed. Look into the directory /etc/sources.list.d and list the entries there. These are not in the main sources.list.

[Bucky Ball]

Install Skype from Software Centre or Synaptic. Shouldn't be a problem.

[deadflowr]

I suspect you may have some ppa's installed. Look into the directory /etc/sources.list.d and list the entries there. These are not in the main sources.list.

Does the skype.deb do that like google-chrome.deb does it, and add a ppa for further updating?

[desconocido]

I suspect you may have some ppa's installed. Look into the directory /etc/sources.list.d and list the entries there. These are not in the main sources.list.

The directory does not exist, perhaps because I have re-installed Ubuntu.