apt-get wont work! PLS HELP

[edb500]

Hi there,

Im running the ubuntu 8 OS. I try running the following command as root;

#INPUT
apt-get install vidalia
#OUTPUT
Reading Package Lists... Done
apt-get: rpmds.c:518: rpmdsDupArgv: Assertion `argv[ac] != ((void *)0)' failed.
Aborted

i have tried installing vidalia with YUM but it does not exisit in the repository. So
I have to get apt-get working.

I have tried using YUM to resinstall apt-get but even then I still get the same error.

By the way whats the difference between apt-get, aptitude, and YUM?

thanks#

hope someone can help

[jayd512]

I'm no pro on *buntu systems, but as far as the question about yum and aptitude/apt-get, here goes...

yum is the package manager for Fedora and CentOS. They can be made to work on other systems, but I would advise against it.
apt-get, on the other hand, is the package manager for Ubuntu. It's the CLI back-end for aptitude/synaptic. Some info on it:
apt-get man page
I'll look at the errors and see what I can find out.

*EDIT*

Try opening Synaptic from your menu, and see if the software you're looking for is located there.

[cousinlucky]

First let me say that I am not a linux expert by a long shot.
In the Synaptic package manager there are numerous apt files that you can add.

You can use: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get safe-upgrade

or: sudo apt-get update

or: sudo apt-get upgrade

in your terminal after you have established an internet connection. Good Luck!

[edb500]

wow thanks for the fast reply!

So apt-get is specifically for use with unbuntu?

Well thats strange since I had to use yum to install apt-get in the first place.
Synaptic is the GUI for apt-get, again I had to install this using YUM but the same errors
occur.

#Running synpatic (by typing it at my command line while logged in as root)

#OUTPUT
[root@localhost edb3]# synaptic
Freeing locks for locker 0x68: 4710/3087382304
Freeing locks for locker 0x69: 4710/3087382304
Freeing locks for locker 0x6a: 4710/3087382304

(synaptic:5149): Gtk-CRITICAL **: gtk_widget_hide: assertion `GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed
synaptic: rpmds.c:518: rpmdsDupArgv: Assertion `argv[ac] != ((void *)0)' failed.
43391292-7b42-1161-75682732-3d437bb4 is dumped

[edb500]

Oh and running apt-get update while logged in as root I get

[root@localhost edb3]# apt-get update
Freeing locks for locker 0x6f: 5149/3087554336
Freeing locks for locker 0x70: 5149/3087554336
Freeing locks for locker 0x71: 5149/3087554336
Get:1 Fedora Project fedora/linux/updates/10/i386/ repomd.xml [2391B]
Get:2 Fedora Project fedora/linux/releases/10/Everything/i386/os/ repomd.xml [2849B]
Fetched 5240B in 1s (4928B/s)
Get:1 Fedora Project fedora/linux/updates/10/i386/ primary.sqlite [3081kB]
Get:2 Fedora Project fedora/linux/updates/10/i386/ filelists.sqlite [6215kB]
Get:3 Fedora Project fedora/linux/releases/10/Everything/i386/os/ 04da721e41b80b2a003de83f73387a6d7d30833f-primary.sqlite [6892kB]
Get:4 Fedora Project fedora/linux/releases/10/Everything/i386/os/ 848f002818e918fb0dc1e258342c63c3587683bf-filelists.sqlite [11.6MB]
Fetched 27.8MB in 1m58s (235kB/s)
Reading Package Lists... Done
apt-get: rpmds.c:518: rpmdsDupArgv: Assertion `argv[ac] != ((void *)0)' failed.
Aborted

[cousinlucky]

I have never logged in as root before using any of those terminal commands. I open the terminal and then put in the commands and my computer asks me for my password and I type that in and then I hit enter and the download appears in the terminal..

If you just installed Ubuntu there are a lot of files that you have to download from Ubuntu's website before to os is complete.

Try gksu synaptic in your terminsl and then sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get safe-upgrade.

I'll show you what it looks like.

[cousinlucky]

I just ran this:

cousinlucky@cousinlucky-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get safe-upgrade
[sudo] password for cousinlucky:
Hit Index of / hardy Release.gpg
Hit Index of / hardy-updates Release.gpg
Hit Ubuntu Security Notices | Ubuntu hardy-security Release.gpg
Get:1 Medibuntu -- Medibuntu packages hardy Release.gpg [197B]
Hit Index of / hardy Release.gpg
Hit Index of / hardy Release
Hit Ubuntu Security Notices | Ubuntu hardy-security Release
Get:2 Medibuntu -- Medibuntu packages hardy Release [11.7kB]
Hit Index of / hardy Release
Hit Index of / hardy-updates Release
Hit Ubuntu Security Notices | Ubuntu hardy-security/main Packages
Hit Index of / hardy/main Packages
Hit Index of / hardy/restricted Packages
Hit Index of / hardy/main Sources
Hit Index of / hardy/partner Packages
Hit Ubuntu Security Notices | Ubuntu hardy-security/restricted Packages
Hit Ubuntu Security Notices | Ubuntu hardy-security/main Sources
Hit Index of / hardy/restricted Sources
Hit Index of / hardy/universe Packages
Hit Index of / hardy/universe Sources
Hit Index of / hardy/multiverse Packages
Hit Index of / hardy/multiverse Sources
Hit Index of / hardy-updates/main Packages
Hit Index of / hardy-updates/restricted Packages
Hit Index of / hardy-updates/main Sources
Hit Ubuntu Security Notices | Ubuntu hardy-security/restricted Sources
Hit Ubuntu Security Notices | Ubuntu hardy-security/universe Packages
Hit Ubuntu Security Notices | Ubuntu hardy-security/universe Sources
Hit Ubuntu Security Notices | Ubuntu hardy-security/multiverse Packages
Hit Ubuntu Security Notices | Ubuntu hardy-security/multiverse Sources
Hit Index of / hardy/partner Sources
Hit Medibuntu -- Medibuntu packages hardy/free Packages
Hit Index of / hardy-updates/restricted Sources
Hit Index of / hardy-updates/universe Packages
Hit Index of / hardy-updates/universe Sources
Hit Index of / hardy-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit Index of / hardy-updates/multiverse Sources
Get:3 Medibuntu -- Medibuntu packages hardy/non-free Packages [8556B]
Hit Medibuntu -- Medibuntu packages hardy/free Sources
Hit Medibuntu -- Medibuntu packages hardy/non-free Sources
Fetched 20.5kB in 5s (3952B/s)
Reading package lists... Done
E: Invalid operation safe-upgrade
cousinlucky@cousinlucky-desktop:~$

[cousinlucky]

At the top left of your computer screen are these words:
Applications - Places - System.

If you click system then administration then synaptic package manager you will be asked for your password when you have put in your password the synaptic package manager will open up listing some 25,000 software programs. Scroll down to apt and mark it for installation. Other apt files will be added. If you are online all you have to do is to click apply and the apt program will be loaded onto your computer.

I do not see Vidalia among those 25,000 programs.

[jayd512]

I do not see Vidalia among those 25,000 programs.

After looking at what vidalia is, I'm not the least bit surprised!

edb500, it doesn't look like there is a .deb package for this program. You should either look to convert the package, or install from source.

[cousinlucky]

Ok JD , not to hijack this thread but what exactly does Vidalia do? What is iceweasel used for?