installing deb downloads

[wenall]

I have tried to use apt-get install to install the deb files with no luck. Not sure i am writing it correctly or just having problems. I typed in:
" apt-get install gdebi_0.7.1_all.deb" but after that I get:
Reading package lists...Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information..Done
E: Unable to locate package gdebi_0.7.1_all.deb
E: Couldn't find any package by regex 'gdebi_0.7.1_all.deb'

and yet it is in my Downloads file. the full address is; debianJames:/home/jim and the Downloads file is after that

[rokytnji]

try as root in terminal> make sure to open the terminal where gdebi is sitting

dpkg -i gdebi_0.7.1_all.deb

after typing in the g for gdebi. You can hit the tab key to auto complete the command.

I don't know why you don't use your package manager to install gdebi though instead of using a download.

[wenall]

My mistake for not saying but I was in root and again I apologize for not stating that I was using the gdebi install as an example. I also tried installing google earth using the "apt-get install googleearth.....deb" The full address was; root@debianJames:/home/jim/"

[rokytnji]

Ok. You can still use the dpkg -i command as root (when in the directory where .deb sits like /home/Downloads)

@biker:~$ apt-cache policy dpkg
dpkg:
  Installed: 1.15.8.10
  Candidate: 1.15.8.10
  Version table:
 *** 1.15.8.10 0
        901 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ testing/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Use above command to make sure it is installed (it probably is by default)

Edit: If wanting to install Gdebi. Look in your syanptic package manager or

harry@biker:~$ apt-cache policy gdebi
gdebi:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 0.7.0
  Version table:
     0.7.0 0
        901 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ testing/main i386 Packages

For Debian. To install Gdebi through terminal

sudo aptitude install gdebi

Picasa, Google Earth on Debian 6 (AMD64) | Linuxgeek1 Blog

Don't know if you are running 64 bit or 32 bit Debian. Don't use the 64bit download on a 32bit install.

[sgosnell]

ISTM that dpkg is the correct app to use for installing downloaded .deb files. I use apt-get when I need to download them, and dpkg for files I've downloaded separately.

In your example, my impression is that you aren't in the Download directory when you run apt-get, and if not, you need to provide the complete path to the .deb file. If you're in your default home directory, you would need to use "apt-get install Downloads/gdebi.deb", if Downloads is a directory directly underneath the current directory. This is the same for apt-get or dpkg or anything else. Bash won't search subdirectories unless given the specific path to them. I apologize if I'm misunderstanding what you're doing/asking.