I just installed on 16.04, so files are available.
Get the same message "W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file" but I believe this is just a warning not an error message.
Code:
glen@Xenial:~$ sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
cabextract libmspack0
The following NEW packages will be installed:
cabextract libmspack0 ttf-mscorefonts-installer
0 to upgrade, 3 to newly install, 0 to remove and 0 not to upgrade.
Need to get 89.2 kB of archives.
After this operation, 362 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
Get:1 http://ftp.iinet.net.au/pub/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 libmspack0 amd64 0.5-1 [38.2 kB]
Get:2 http://ftp.iinet.net.au/pub/ubuntu xenial/universe amd64 cabextract amd64 1.6-1 [21.4 kB]
Get:3 http://ftp.iinet.net.au/pub/ubuntu xenial/multiverse amd64 ttf-mscorefonts-installer all 3.4+nmu1ubuntu2 [29.5 kB]
Fetched 89.2 kB in 0s (94.5 kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously unselected package libmspack0:amd64.
(Reading database ... 314959 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libmspack0_0.5-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libmspack0:amd64 (0.5-1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package cabextract.
Preparing to unpack .../cabextract_1.6-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking cabextract (1.6-1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package ttf-mscorefonts-installer.
Preparing to unpack .../ttf-mscorefonts-installer_3.4+nmu1ubuntu2_all.deb ...
Unpacking ttf-mscorefonts-installer (3.4+nmu1ubuntu2) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
Processing triggers for fontconfig (2.11.94-0ubuntu1.1) ...
Processing triggers for update-notifier-common (3.168.2) ...
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: processing...
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: downloading http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/andale32.exe
Get:1 http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/andale32.exe [198 kB]
Fetched 198 kB in 2s (80.3 kB/s)
W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file '/var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/andale32.exe' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: downloading http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/arial32.exe
Get:1 http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/arial32.exe [554 kB]
Fetched 554 kB in 3s (184 kB/s)
W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file '/var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/arial32.exe' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: downloading http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/arialb32.exe
Get:1 http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/arialb32.exe [168 kB]
Fetched 168 kB in 2s (71.3 kB/s)
W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file '/var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/arialb32.exe' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: downloading http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/comic32.exe
Get:1 http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/comic32.exe [246 kB]
Fetched 246 kB in 2s (105 kB/s)
W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file '/var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/comic32.exe' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: downloading http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/courie32.exe
Get:1 http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/courie32.exe [646 kB]
Fetched 646 kB in 3s (206 kB/s)
W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file '/var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/courie32.exe' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: downloading http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/georgi32.exe
Get:1 http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/georgi32.exe [392 kB]
Fetched 392 kB in 2s (148 kB/s)
W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file '/var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/georgi32.exe' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: downloading http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/impact32.exe
Get:1 http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/impact32.exe [173 kB]
Fetched 173 kB in 2s (79.9 kB/s)
W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file '/var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/impact32.exe' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: downloading http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/times32.exe
Get:1 http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/times32.exe [662 kB]
Fetched 662 kB in 3s (188 kB/s)
W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file '/var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/times32.exe' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: downloading http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/trebuc32.exe
Get:1 http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/trebuc32.exe [357 kB]
Fetched 357 kB in 2s (145 kB/s)
W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file '/var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/trebuc32.exe' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: downloading http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/verdan32.exe
Get:1 http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/verdan32.exe [352 kB]
Fetched 352 kB in 2s (142 kB/s)
W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file '/var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/verdan32.exe' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
ttf-mscorefonts-installer: downloading http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/webdin32.exe
Get:1 http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/webdin32.exe [185 kB]
Fetched 185 kB in 2s (83.5 kB/s)
W: Can't drop privileges for downloading as file '/var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/webdin32.exe' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
These fonts were provided by Microsoft "in the interest of cross-
platform compatibility". This is no longer the case, but they are
still available from third parties.
You are free to download these fonts and use them for your own use,
but you may not redistribute them in modified form, including changes
to the file name or packaging format.
Extracting cabinet: /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/andale32.exe
extracting fontinst.inf
extracting andale.inf
extracting fontinst.exe
extracting AndaleMo.TTF
extracting ADVPACK.DLL
extracting W95INF32.DLL
extracting W95INF16.DLL
All done, no errors.
Extracting cabinet: /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/arial32.exe
extracting FONTINST.EXE
extracting fontinst.inf
extracting Ariali.TTF
extracting Arialbd.TTF
extracting Arialbi.TTF
extracting Arial.TTF
All done, no errors.
Extracting cabinet: /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/arialb32.exe
extracting fontinst.exe
extracting fontinst.inf
extracting AriBlk.TTF
All done, no errors.
Extracting cabinet: /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/comic32.exe
extracting fontinst.inf
extracting Comicbd.TTF
extracting Comic.TTF
extracting fontinst.exe
All done, no errors.
Extracting cabinet: /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/courie32.exe
extracting cour.ttf
extracting courbd.ttf
extracting courbi.ttf
extracting fontinst.inf
extracting couri.ttf
extracting fontinst.exe
All done, no errors.
Extracting cabinet: /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/georgi32.exe
extracting fontinst.inf
extracting Georgiaz.TTF
extracting Georgiab.TTF
extracting Georgiai.TTF
extracting Georgia.TTF
extracting fontinst.exe
All done, no errors.
Extracting cabinet: /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/impact32.exe
extracting fontinst.exe
extracting Impact.TTF
extracting fontinst.inf
All done, no errors.
Extracting cabinet: /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/times32.exe
extracting fontinst.inf
extracting Times.TTF
extracting Timesbd.TTF
extracting Timesbi.TTF
extracting Timesi.TTF
extracting FONTINST.EXE
All done, no errors.
Extracting cabinet: /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/trebuc32.exe
extracting FONTINST.EXE
extracting trebuc.ttf
extracting Trebucbd.ttf
extracting trebucbi.ttf
extracting trebucit.ttf
extracting fontinst.inf
All done, no errors.
Extracting cabinet: /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/verdan32.exe
extracting fontinst.exe
extracting fontinst.inf
extracting Verdanab.TTF
extracting Verdanai.TTF
extracting Verdanaz.TTF
extracting Verdana.TTF
All done, no errors.
Extracting cabinet: /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/partial/webdin32.exe
extracting fontinst.exe
extracting Webdings.TTF
extracting fontinst.inf
extracting Licen.TXT
All done, no errors.
All fonts downloaded and installed.
Setting up libmspack0:amd64 (0.5-1) ...
Setting up cabextract (1.6-1) ...
Setting up ttf-mscorefonts-installer (3.4+nmu1ubuntu2) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.23-0ubuntu4) ...
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