Software Manager - Where in the menu is xinv3d?

[Reddep]

I download from the software manager but some software is not to be found !!

e.g. just downloaded and installed from Software Manager xind3d but cannot find where it is

Sorry if this is a dumb question

[karlchen]

Hello, Reddep.

Kindly tell us briefly what xind3d is and does, cannot find it inside Synaptic package manager on Ubuntu 14.04. - Is it a commandline programme? In this case there will be no entry in the menu, because you have to execute it in a terminal window.

Kind regards,
Karl

[nomko]

Not a dumb question!

But we need more info (read forum rule #5 please).

[Reddep]

Hi

xinv3d is a space invaders game

]“there will be no entry in the menu, because you have to execute it in a terminal window.”

I suspected it might be but how do you know what to execute i.e. what is the command ?

[Mute Ant]

''how do you know what to execute i.e. what is the command?''
Often, it's the name of the package, like lame, flac, audacious, picasa.
Sometimes, GNU will have a guess on your behalf...

• > suso
  No command 'suso' found, did you mean:
  Command 'sumo' from package 'sumo' (main)
  Command 'sudo' from package 'sudo' (main)

If that doesn't work, or even give you a guess, try apropos...

• > apropos "mp3"
  id3convert (1) - Converts between id3v1 and id3v2 tags of an mp3 file.
  id3tag (1) - Tags an mp3 file with id3v1 and/or id3v2 tags.
  lame (1) - create mp3 audio files
  mp3gain (1) - lossless mp3 normalizer

If it was a .deb package, you can look inside it from the desktop. It will be in /var/cache/apt/archives/ and read-only.

[octathlon]

So it isn't in the Games menu? You can press Alt-F2 and type xinv3d at the prompt, or enter it in the terminal. If you run it in the terminal and there is a problem, you will see what the error is.

If that isn't the correct command, you can look in Synaptic Package Manager (@karlchen, I do see it in my Mint 17 repo).
Enter xinv3d in Synaptic's search box, then right-click on the line for xinv3d and pick Properties. One of the tabs is Installed Files, and you should see the correct command in there.

After you know the command you can add it to your menu, but first things first.

[karlchen]

Hello, octathlon.

Provided you do not misspell the package name as xind3d, but correctly as xinv3d, you will find it in the Trusty repos and hence in Synaptic, too. If I had had the hint that we are talking about "Space Invaders" even the search term "invaders" might have allowed to find it.
As it is an X Windows game, I am pretty certain it brings along a .desktop file (launcher) and it will be in the menus somewhere.

How about using the pseduo "All" category in the menu and go through it item per item till you find something like "space invaders".
How about using the menu application finder and search for "space invaders"?
---
Hm. No longer sure it will. The .deb package does not hold a .desktop file which the installer might put in /usr/share/applications. But the postinst script seems to hold an instruction to create a menu entry. Not sure it will work. The whole package dates back to 2009. Shockingly old.
Anyway, the executable file should be located inside the folder /usr/games and named - guess how - xinv3d.
So executing

Code: Select all

/usr/games/xinv3d

might launch the game.

So, Reddep, have fun playing Space Invaders.

Cheers,
Karl

[Reddep]

Hey

Thanks guys, simply putting name in terminal worked I guess that seemed just a bit to obvious for my brain Doh!!

Anyway FYI a load of what you wrote went over my head as I am not as yet used to the glossary of terms you use but with your help I am at least moving in the right direction.

cheers