having trouble installing Java

[ginahoy]

I'm trying to install Java (so I can access Google maps) and as a new Linux user, I've encountered several problems I don't understand. First, the Java download page (https://java.com/en/download/linux_manual.jsp), gives me a choice of .gz or .rpm. I checked the installation instructions and there's no guidance on which version to use so I arbitrarily started with rpm.

Second, the download link doesn't work. I get the "open or save" dialogue box, but when I click "OK", nothing happens. I thought there was a problem with the java website but I had no problem downloading the file on my old XP machine. So I grabbed it and copied it over.

Next, according to the java installation instructions, I need to 'become root', "by running su". I recall from a previous thread I need to type "sudo su" from the terminal and enter my p/w to become root. Done.

Following the example in the installation instructions, I created the directory /usr/java and attempted to copy the installation file to that directory. The "paste" option on the File Manager was grayed out when I navigated to the new directory. I figured out I needed to use the "Open as root" option in File Manager. With that, I was able to paste the installation file into the new /usr/java directory.

But when I attempted to install (rpm -ivh jre-8u144-linux-x64.rpm), I was prompted to install rpm by typing "apt install rpm". Once I installed rpm, I ran the rpm command again. I get the following error. Now I'm stuck. Since I clearly don't know what I'm doing, and I have no idea what Alien is or how to use it, I thought I'd better stop by here for help.

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rpm: RPM should not be used directly install RPM packages, use Alien instead!
rpm: However assuming you know what you are doing...
error: Failed dependencies:
	/bin/basename is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/cat is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/cp is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/gawk is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/grep is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/ln is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/ls is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/mkdir is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/mv is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/pwd is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/rm is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/sed is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/sort is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/touch is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/usr/bin/cut is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/usr/bin/dirname is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/usr/bin/expr is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/usr/bin/find is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/usr/bin/tail is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/usr/bin/tr is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/usr/bin/wc is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64
	/bin/sh is needed by jre1.8.0_144-1.8.0_144-fcs.x86_64

[Pjotr]

Try this:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/java

But before you install: you don't need Java for using Google Maps. Javascript: probably yes, but you already have that enabled by default in your web browsers. But not Java.

[ginahoy]

Ok. I see now that the message I was getting when I navigated to google maps refers to javascript, not java. Turns out it was a errant setting in my scriptblocker add-on. Thanks.

[karlchen]

Hi, ginahoy.

One piece of advice for the future:
+ Software packages in .rpm format are not meant for Linux Mint.
+ Software packages in .deb format are meant for Linux Mint, LMDE 2, Ubuntu, Debian.

To cut it short:
You might like to read xenopeek's article on "How to install software on Linux Mint" carefully.

Regards,
Karl

[ginahoy]

Thanks for that link, Karl. Very helpful.

Since RPM is not intended for LM, I should remove it, no? How do I do that? According to the article you linked, using 'apt install program' adds that program to the Update Manager. Will removing the program also remove it from Update Manager?

[karlchen]

Hello, ginahoy.

The error messages which you posted in your initial message suggest to me that the package rpm has not been installed. In order to examine what the installation status of "rpm" is, you may e.g. use the terminal command

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dpkg --list rpm

Post the screen output, in case you need help in interpreting what dpkg tells.

Regards,
Karl

[ginahoy]

Code: Select all

Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name           Version      Architecture Description
+++-==============-============-============-=================================
ii  rpm            4.12.0.1+dfs amd64        package manager for RPM

[karlchen]

Hello, ginahoy.

dpkg tells that rpm has been installed on your system. This in itself should do no harm.
In case you wish to uninstall it, you might

• either use Synaptic package manager in the Mint Menu, locate the package named rpm in Synaptic, right click it, select mark for removal and apply.
• or you might use the terminal command

  Code: Select all

  sudo apt-get remove rpm

  and confirm that you really want to remove rpm.

--
P.S.:
I had misinterpreted the error messages in your first post. They had been the result of the commandline rpm -ivh jre-8u144-linux-x64.rpm So rpm itself had to be present your system. Only rpm had failed to install the software package jre-8u144-linux-x64.rpm.

Regards,
Karl

[ginahoy]

Thanks for all!