Problem with installing the kde package, x-window is not available

[adaykin]

Hey, I have been trying to install the debian gui on my system, and when I enter the command into the command prompt apt-get install x-window-system kde kdm, I get a message that says:

"Package x-window-system is not available, but is referred to by another package. This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or is only available from another source
E: Package x-window-system has no installation candidate"

I am not sure where to go from there. The apt-get update command worked fine.

[Vergil83]

what version are you running (sarge, etch)? Can you post your /etc/apt/sources.list

[boggy]

If using sarge, apt-get install x-window-system then apt-get install kde

[adaykin]

ok I have my laptop next to me now, I opened my sources.list file in VI here's what it says:

#
# deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux testing _Etch_ - Official Snapshot i386 Binary-1(
20060314)]/ etch main


deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux testing _Etch_ - Official Snapshot i386 Binary-1(20060314)]/ etch main

# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
#deb http://security.debian.org/ etch/updates main
# Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
#deb-src http://security.debian.org/ etch/updates main

[eraker]

It looks like you only have the first etch cd in your sources list. To add a GUI, you'll need to add other discs to your sources list (if you have them), or you'll need to add online repositories (and this is preferred method because stuff is more up-to-date).

Check out this doc on your apt sources.list.

You can add other cds by entering:

apt-cdrom add

and following the prompts.

You can add debian repositories by editing them directly into your sources.list. You could try these, for starters:

deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian testing main
deb-src http://ftp.debian.org/debian testing main
deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian testing main contrib non-free
deb http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US testing/non-US main contrib non-free

Here's a place where you can search for any package and it'll give you the repository line to add to your sources.list to get that package. You want entries that say "testing". Try "KDE" and see what it spits out (probably a long list where only one entry is necessary for what you need).

(Question for other debian users: Isn't there a way to get back to that initial apt-configuration tool used in the installer by entering "dpkg-reconfigure apt"? I can't remember and I can't test it right now, but that might be an easy solution also.)

[adaykin]

do I have to be connected to the internet to access those repositories? I am behind a bluesocket which blocks all incoming and outgoing connections until I login by opening a browser where I am redirected to a bluesocket login page.

[eraker]

Yes. They're internet repositories.

[jens]

You can add other cds by entering:

apt-cdrom add

and following the prompts.

You can add debian repositories by editing them directly into your sources.list. You could try these, for starters:

deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian testing main
deb-src http://ftp.debian.org/debian testing main
deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian testing main contrib non-free
deb http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US testing/non-US main contrib non-free

Please don't.
The default repos are already occupied enough (why would you try to connect with main twice?).

Instead of the above, start with this:
deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ etch main contrib non-free
deb-src http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ etch main contrib non-free


next do:
#apt-get install netselect-apt
#netselect-apt

Replace http://http.us.debian.org with your best repo and continue...

I am behind a bluesocket which blocks all incoming and outgoing connections until I login by opening a browser where I am redirected to a bluesocket login page.

Do fix your connection before anything else.

[eraker]

ooops. My mistake. That makes me realize I should be less lazy about apt-get sources. I'll go fix that right now.

[adaykin]

I don't understand what you mean by this. Am I supposed to type:
deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ etch main contrib non-free
into the command prompt? I tried doing that and it said deb or deb-src command not found.