Installing process too messed up without software manager

[esperanto_saurio]

So, I am trying to install something (anything!) without the software manager, because it refuses to work, as posted elsewhere... So I'm currently trying to install wine from the tar ball... I swear, first it tells me 'you are trying to install wine as root, this is not advisable... please try again as user'... OK, cool... I do, and guess what? Now it tells me: 'We need to install Wine as the root user. '... !!!! (< this contradiction alone is insane!!!)

Compare that to Windows... All you have to do is run an .exe installer, and it will do the job, associated libraries and all... I'm not saying I prefer Windows, I have XP in my main desktop and 7 in my laptop in a dual boot with Mint 14, previously Ubuntu... But I wish Mint could install the damn thing (any program) without coming up with so many error messages. With the software manager crippled by the Linux ghosts in the machine, it is very frustrating...

And I am sure I won't be able to install wine because of the dependencies not met, obsolete libraries, packages not found, no such file or directory etc etc... Very frustrating

Linux distros should be user friendly... Well, they aren't.

[TheDynamicHamza21]

So, I am trying to install something (anything!) without the software manager, because it refuses to work, as posted elsewhere... So I'm currently trying to install wine from the tar ball... I swear, first it tells me 'you are trying to install wine as root, this is not advisable... please try again as user'... OK, cool... I do, and guess what? Now it tells me: 'We need to install Wine as the root user. '... !!!! (< this contradiction alone is insane!!!)

Compare that to Windows... All you have to do is run an .exe installer, and it will do the job, associated libraries and all... I'm not saying I prefer Windows, I have XP in my main desktop and 7 in my laptop in a dual boot with Mint 14, previously Ubuntu... But I wish Mint could install the damn thing (any program) without coming up with so many error messages. With the software manager crippled by the Linux ghosts in the machine, it is very frustrating...

And I am sure I won't be able to install wine because of the dependencies not met, obsolete libraries, packages not found, no such file or directory etc etc... Very frustrating

Linux distros should be user friendly... Well, they aren't.

Have you tried installing with the package manager.

Usually problems like yours rarely happen. Something is definitely wrong with your install.Since you're having so much trouble with Mint 14 maybe you should reinstall or try LM 13 LTS.

[zerozero]

esperanto_saurio
everything (or almost ) is fixable.
you changed to a faster mirror following these instructions viewtopic.php?f=90&t=122213
if not yet, please do so

after that run

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apt update && apt upgrade

and share the output with us
share also the output of

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inxi -Sr

thanks a lot
we will fix this

[esperanto_saurio]

Like I predicted, I couldn't install wine:

"configure: error: no suitable flex found. Please install the 'flex' package." - And I am sure I wouldn't be able to install that flex package either, so I won't even try.

I tried a dozen different applications, error messages all the time...

Nothing works, software manager, package manager, synaptic, they load and hang. I can't change the repository sources either.

Yeah I should try Mint 13 better, maybe I will.

[zerozero]

in which way are you trying to install wine?
it is in the repos, as soon as you configure your system to use a faster mirror most of thses issues will go away and there's no need to compile anything (unless you want and know)

if you want to work-out to fix this fine, rant about something that is easily fixable not so fine.

[esperanto_saurio]

Yeah usually I'm not this negative, but I'm feeling very frustrated, as what is installed works fine, but I need more programs.

I was trying to install wine from a terminal, but it came up with error messages. I tried with other applications, it's not easy from a tar ball because it always says there's a missing dependency or library or package, so it won't install... And try getting the missing stuff... Often not even possible

Thanks for help. Software manager/update manager seem to be broken, when I tried to gain access to the repositories, they freeze on me, so I have to kill the process. Maybe I should reinstall the system, as was suggested elsewhere. Here's the outputs anyway:

apt update && apt upgrade
[sudo] password for frank:
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/apt/lists/lock - open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock directory /var/lib/apt/lists/
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

====

inxi -Sr
System: Host: frank-Compaq-Mini-CQ10-100 Kernel: 3.5.0-17-generic i686 (32 bit)
Desktop: Gnome Distro: Linux Mint 14 Nadia
Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal restricted main multiverse universe
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal-updates restricted main multiverse universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ quantal partner
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ quantal free non-free
deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu quantal-getdeb apps
deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu quantal-getdeb games
deb http://linuxmint.mirrorcatalogs.com/packages quantal main upstream import backport romeo
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jtaylor-keepass-quantal.list
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/jtaylor/keepass/ubuntu quantal main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/jtaylor/keepass/ubuntu quantal main
Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/local-repository.list
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ quantal partner
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ quantal free non-free
deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu quantal-getdeb apps
deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu quantal-getdeb games
Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/peterlevi-ppa-quantal.list
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/peterlevi/ppa/ubuntu quantal main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/peterlevi/ppa/ubuntu quantal main

So I can't change to any mirrors since I can't access the repositories by means of a GUI, I think installation is corrupted by now. Is there a way to look for best mirrors from a terminal?

Or should I reinstall system better, maybe Mint 13 instead?

[wayne128]

I was trying to install wine from a terminal, but it came up with error messages. I tried with other applications, it's not easy from a tar ball because it always says there's a missing dependency or library or package, so it won't install... And try getting the missing stuff... Often not even possible


Or should I reinstall system better, maybe Mint 13 instead?

Seriously..

choose a distros ( many available), that had already preinstall with working wine.
save lots of trouble..

[esperanto_saurio]

I was trying to install wine from a terminal, but it came up with error messages. I tried with other applications, it's not easy from a tar ball because it always says there's a missing dependency or library or package, so it won't install... And try getting the missing stuff... Often not even possible


Or should I reinstall system better, maybe Mint 13 instead?

Seriously..

choose a distros ( many available), that had already preinstall with working wine.
save lots of trouble..

Thanks. Maybe I should do that, yeah. Just want to know if I can switch mirrors from a terminal, if not, maybe I will go for a fresh install, instead.

[zerozero]

Seriously..

choose a distros ( many available), that had already preinstall with working wine.
save lots of trouble..

really? is that your contribution to the OP problem?
"i'm not going to bother help you fix your problem, my advise is to run away from it"
way to go wayne128
wait, and when esperanto_saurio finds a new problem in that new miraculous distro what is he going to do?
ahh, yes, install a new one to solve the old problem.

in the meantime we have an user that will never be at ease with linux because someone somewhere told him that the best approach to solve the problems was running away from them.

i had the impression you could do better than this.

[esperanto_saurio]

Alright, zerozero, what do you suggest? I would like to know of a way to look for better mirrors from a terminal, is this possible? Or what can I do to salvage the system, given that the GUI software managers are now broken? Like I said, trying to install from tar balls is a nightmare, there will always be some missing dependence, that I can't get anyway...

[zerozero]

let's see what we can do.
your sources.list are all messed up
this is what you have (copy&past from your previous post
inxi -Sr

System: Host: frank-Compaq-Mini-CQ10-100 Kernel: 3.5.0-17-generic i686 (32 bit)
Desktop: Gnome Distro: Linux Mint 14 Nadia
Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal restricted main multiverse universe
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal-updates restricted main multiverse universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ quantal partner
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ quantal free non-free
deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu quantal-getdeb apps
deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu quantal-getdeb games
deb http://linuxmint.mirrorcatalogs.com/packages quantal main upstream import backport romeo
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jtaylor-keepass-quantal.list
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/jtaylor/keepass/ubuntu quantal main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/jtaylor/keepass/ubuntu quantal main
Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/local-repository.list
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ quantal partner
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ quantal free non-free
deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu quantal-getdeb apps
deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu quantal-getdeb games
Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/peterlevi-ppa-quantal.list
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/peterlevi/ppa/ubuntu quantal main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/peterlevi/ppa/ubuntu quantal main

1- you have to navigate to /etc/apt and open sources.list as root with the default text editor and edit this line

deb http://linuxmint.mirrorcatalogs.com/packages quantal main upstream import backport romeo

to

deb http://linuxmint.mirrorcatalogs.com/packages nadia main upstream import backport romeo

while you have the file open (as root) you can also delete the following lines

deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu quantal-getdeb apps
deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu quantal-getdeb games

this repo is down for ages and there's no notice when it will be up again
save and close the file
we have step one done

2- navigate to /etc/apt/sources.list.d
inside that folder delete the file local-repository.list (you need to be root for this)
that file somehow is corrupted and holds duplicated sources.list that you already have elsewhere

finishing 1 and 2 try

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apt update

and post the output here