Unable to install DEBs since installing 23.10

**daj_uk** · October 23rd, 2023

I have just completed a install of 23.10. Clean install, not an upgrade. All appeared to go well but when I try to install apps nothing happens.

In the past, if the app was not in the App Centre, I would download the .DEB then right click on the file and "Open With App Centre". This used to work in earlier version (22.04). Now the App Centre loads and I get a spinning orange disk. I've tried a few downloads, all the same. I I find an App in the App Centre, it will install as expected.

I've read that there were changes to the App Centre -- is there a different way to load Apps outside the list now?

thanks

**LewisTM** · October 23rd, 2023

This has been lamented by others, see OMGUbuntu's article.

Basically you have to install Gdebi from the App Center or the command line to be able to install .deb files.

Cheers!

**daj_uk** · October 23rd, 2023

Awesome. Thanks for the response and the link.

Looks lie the new App Centre has taken a step back for the moment. At least I can not resolve my issue

**#&thj^%** · October 23rd, 2023

The terminal works as well, and as far as this gdebi:

Code:

apt policy gdebi
gdebi:
  Installed: 0.9.5.7+nmu7
  Candidate: 0.9.5.7+nmu7
  Version table:
 *** 0.9.5.7+nmu7 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu mantic/universe amd64 Packages
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu mantic/universe i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Easy to install:

Code:

sudo apt install gdebi

NOTE: I'm completey void of any snaps here.
If your still having problems show us a ".deb" you can't install.

**Frogs Hair** · October 24th, 2023

Also be sure your package is compatible with 23.10. Some apps are only updated for Ubuntu LTS releases.

**ian-weisser** · October 24th, 2023

Or even easier...

Code:

sudo apt install /path/to/package_name.deb

...but you're not using deb packages the way they are intended to be used (via a distro).
So you won't get updates for it. You won't get security patches for it.
Eventually it will be incompatible with a future release of Ubuntu. That means it will either break without warning...or it will mysteriously block the release-upgrade.

"I can't use Ubuntu Software to install it" is indeed a (temporary) problem. But it's not the biggest problem with that workflow.

**iamjiwjr** · October 25th, 2023

The Zoom client deb will not install on 23.10 due to dependency issues (the snap Zoom client had webcam crashes and virtual desktops didn't work for me). But if you go to ubuntuhandbook.org and search Zoom, there's an article walking you through getting the needed dependencies so install works. Then the Zoom deb client works great.