multiarch is not aware

[Daniella]

My problem is that the multiarch support is not enabled. If I understand my version of MINT, it is more Debian than it is Ubuntu. In fact, I am not sure if there is any Ubuntu in it all all. The error code when I tried to run a program called wine. Terminal gave me a website to use:

http://wiki.debian.org/Multiarch/HOWTO

If you look under 'Availability' in that link first thing it tells you is:
You need a multiarch-aware dpkg and apt.

It goes on to tell you:
Check by seeing if dpkg --print-foreign-architectures is understood.

When I did that the command WAS NOT understood. So this is telling me that I do NOT have a multiarch-aware dpkg and apt. The section 'Availability' goes on to say this:
Apt is multiarch-aware if it supports -o APT::Architectures. This is available from version 0.8.13 onwards. However there are many multiarch-related improvements and bug-fixes in later apt versions (some required by Debian dpkg 1.16.2 to properly enable multiarch), such as apt-get build-dep -a cross-dependency support, so the later the better in general up to at least 0.9.4.
Prior to apt 0.9 in Debian, dpkg can get stuck (but only if multiach is enabled) during upgrades when it is not told which arch package it should be configuring by apt. (dpkg: error: --configure needs a valid package name but 'gcc-4.7-base' is not: ambiguous package name 'gcc-4.7-base' with more than one installed instance) dpkg --configure -a will unbung this.

This is where I start pulling my hair out and going 'what the . . .'

When I try to type in:
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
I get an error message saying:
dpkg: error: unknown option --add-architecture

Windows 8 was so bad it made me switch to Linux. So I am very new to Linux not so new to computers. A Commodore 64 was my first computer. Yet I am not having much luck with Linux so far. Any idea what I can try next to get this muti-arch working?

[xenopeek]

It would help to know for sure which Linux Mint edition and version you have installed. If you can't recall what you installed, please share the output of the command:

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inxi -S

[Daniella]

I am using "Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE)201204 MATE/Cinnamon 64-bit

[xenopeek]

Okay, I'm not sure about the cause then. Moving your topic to the LMDE section of the forum so you can get help from other LMDE users.

[zerozero]

Daniella,
is your system fully updated? what is the output of

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apt update && apt dist-upgrade

[Daniella]

Wow there is a lot of updates it needs, I am doing what you said but I ran into a problem.

When updating I get this message:

─────────────────────────┤ Configuring grub-pc ├──────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ The GRUB boot loader was previously installed to a disk that is no │
│ longer present, or whose unique identifier has changed for some reason. │
│ It is important to make sure that the installed GRUB core image stays in │
│ sync with GRUB modules and grub.cfg. Please check again to make sure │
│ that GRUB is written to the appropriate boot devices. │
│ │
│ If you're unsure which drive is designated as boot drive by your BIOS, │
│ it is often a good idea to install GRUB to all of them. │
│ │
│ Note: it is possible to install GRUB to partition boot records as well, │
│ and some appropriate partitions are offered here. However, this forces │
│ GRUB to use the blocklist mechanism, which makes it less reliable, and │
│ therefore is not recommended.

I then click OK and I get this:


┌──────────────┤ Configuring grub-pc ├──────────────┐
│ GRUB install devices: │
│ │
│ [ ] /dev/sda (320072 MB; TOSHIBA_MK3265GSXN) │
│ [ ] - /dev/sda3 (320071 MB; /) │
│ │
│

But it will not let me choose one. I tried many times it acts like it will select one but what ever one is selected, when I hit the Enter key is says this:



┌──────────────────────────┤ Configuring grub-pc ├──────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ You chose not to install GRUB to any devices. If you continue, the boot │
│ loader may not be properly configured, and when this computer next │
│ starts up it will use whatever was previously in the boot sector. If │
│ there is an earlier version of GRUB 2 in the boot sector, it may be │
│ unable to load modules or handle the current configuration file. │
│ │
│ If you are already using a different boot loader and want to carry on │
│ doing so, or if this is a special environment where you do not need a │
│ boot loader, then you should continue anyway. Otherwise, you should │
│ install GRUB somewhere. │
│ │
│ Continue without installing GRUB? │
│ │
│ <Yes> <No> │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘


When I click no it goes right back to where it started. There is no way past this section until I click YES.

So I will click yes to finish the updates but please help me make sure my GRUB is set up right.

[zerozero]

Daniella,
at this stage

┌──────────────┤ Configuring grub-pc ├──────────────┐
│ GRUB install devices: │
│ │
│ [ ] /dev/sda (320072 MB; TOSHIBA_MK3265GSXN) │
│ [ ] - /dev/sda3 (320071 MB; /) │
│ │
│

you can navigate through the options with the Tab key, select the option you want with space (and the option here is /dev/sda)

Note: if by chance you let the updates go without choosing the grub location you won't be able to boot into the system (but don't worry, the system is there, nothing is lost)
if that happens get the liveDVD/liveUSB that you used first to install mint and boot from the there
- once there open a terminal and

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sudo su

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mount /dev/sda3 /mnt

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grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda

couple notes:
- 2nd command is sda3 and 3rd command is sda
- there's some spaces that are very important (it's better to copy&paste the commands)

[Daniella]

I did install the updates without the GRUB. I will have to remember the space bar thing next time. I was worried about shutting off my computer so I left it on this whole time. So I did not need to boot up the Source Disk. Other than that I did what you said. Seemed to go off with no hitches.

zoey@zippy ~ $ sudo su
[sudo] password for zoey:
root@zippy:/home/zoey# mount /dev/sda3 /mnt
root@zippy:/home/zoey# grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda
Installation finished. No error reported.
root@zippy:/home/zoey#

OK . . . Now . . . back to what started it all (5 days ago) trying to run wine. This time it recognizes the "dpkg --add-architecture i386" command

I am now able to:
# dpkg --add-architecture i386
# sed -i 's/deb\ /deb\ [arch=amd64,i386]\ /g' /etc/apt/sources.list
# apt-get update
# apt-get install wine-bin:i386

It was such a simple fix. All I needed was to update my OS. I just installed the newest non-bata version so I did not think about an update.

As it was doing its thing I saw that is said:

Setting up wine-bin (1.4.1-1) ...
update-binfmts: warning: /usr/share/binfmts/wine: no executable /usr/bin/wine-auto found, but continuing anyway as you request
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/wine32 to provide /usr/bin/wine (wine) in auto mode.
update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/fr.UTF-8/man1/wine.1.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/fr.UTF-8/man1/wine32.1.gz (of link group wine) doesn't exist.
update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/de.UTF-8/man1/wine.1.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/de.UTF-8/man1/wine32.1.gz (of link group wine) doesn't exist.
update-alternatives: warning: skip creation of /usr/share/man/pl.UTF-8/man1/wine.1.gz because associated file /usr/share/man/pl.UTF-8/man1/wine32.1.gz (of link group wine) doesn't exist.

Not sure what all that is. Wine is there. See . . .

root@zippy:/home/zoey# wine &
[1] 14425
root@zippy:/home/zoey# Usage: wine PROGRAM [ARGUMENTS...] Run the specified program
wine --help Display this help and exit
wine --version Output version information and exit
root@zippy:/home/zoey# wine --help
Usage: wine PROGRAM [ARGUMENTS...] Run the specified program
wine --help Display this help and exit
wine --version Output version information and exit
[1]+ Exit 1 wine
root@zippy:/home/zoey# wine --version
wine-1.4.1
root@zippy:/home/zoey#

In any event it looks like it is there. Yea !!!

Thanks for all your help. Now I am going to see if my computer starts up LOL

-chow

[zerozero]

let's hope the computer boots up fine (if it doesn't you just have to run the (re)installation code for grub (from the liveDVD)

as for wine you might want to run its configuration tool; open a terminal and

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winecfg

[Daniella]

grub did not load I did it with the disk and that did the trick thanks again.