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Being that hapless user who straggled with "bash-shell" (I finally decided to install tshell instead -- too much trouble fixing all the old scripts), I run into another trouble: my ubuntu-14 doesn't have acroread, ratfor90, latex, and many others commands. I first was looking for them by using

dpkg -s <command>

and after getting a negative result (which as I know by now, doesn't mean much), was still trying to install a package by using

sudo apt-get install <command>

-- with negative results for the command I've mentioned. I was successful for some commands (such as "gv", "gfortran", and some others).

What am I to do now? I never was good on installing commands by package downloading from the internet. Besides, there will be too many of them.

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    If you want help solving your errors, you need to mention what they error as precisely as possible. Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 4:00
  • $ sudo apt-get install acroread Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done E: Unable to locate package acroread Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 4:31
  • Try following: askubuntu.com/a/89129 Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 4:48
  • The packages sometimes do not have names that corresponds to actual commands. "latex" may be found in "texlive-latex-base", for example. Others may be found in non-standard repositories. Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 15:39
  • @Kusalananda : as it was time, you put your finger right on the right point -- extended name. Furthermore, following your lead , I found that i can actually use even a wild card, in this case it was like dpkg-query -l 'latex' Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 23:25

2 Answers 2

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dpkg -S will only tell you about files in packages that are already installed. You need something that will tell you about files in packages that you do not have installed. apt-file is such a tool.

You need to install it, apt-get install apt-file, then apt-file update, then apt-file search latex.

apt-file search /usr/bin/latex 
latex-mk: /usr/bin/latex-mk
latex209-bin: /usr/bin/latex209
latex2html: /usr/bin/latex2html
latex2rtf: /usr/bin/latex2png
latex2rtf: /usr/bin/latex2rtf
latexdiff: /usr/bin/latexdiff
latexdiff: /usr/bin/latexdiff-cvs
latexdiff: /usr/bin/latexdiff-fast
latexdiff: /usr/bin/latexdiff-git
latexdiff: /usr/bin/latexdiff-hg
latexdiff: /usr/bin/latexdiff-rcs
latexdiff: /usr/bin/latexdiff-svn
latexdiff: /usr/bin/latexdiff-vc
latexdiff: /usr/bin/latexrevise
latexdraw: /usr/bin/latexdraw
latexila: /usr/bin/latexila
latexmk: /usr/bin/latexmk
latexml: /usr/bin/latexml
latexml: /usr/bin/latexmlc
latexml: /usr/bin/latexmlfind
latexml: /usr/bin/latexmlmath
latexml: /usr/bin/latexmlpost
liblatex-decode-perl: /usr/bin/latex2utf8
liblatex-driver-perl: /usr/bin/latex2dvi
liblatex-driver-perl: /usr/bin/latex2pdf
liblatex-driver-perl: /usr/bin/latex2ps
liblatex-encode-perl: /usr/bin/latex-encode
texlive-extra-utils: /usr/bin/latex-git-log
texlive-extra-utils: /usr/bin/latex2man
texlive-extra-utils: /usr/bin/latexdef
texlive-extra-utils: /usr/bin/latexfileversion
texlive-extra-utils: /usr/bin/latexindent
texlive-extra-utils: /usr/bin/latexpand
texlive-latex-base: /usr/bin/latex
tth-common: /usr/bin/latex2gif

The package you are looking for is second to last in this list, namely texlive-latex-base. Then you just need to do apt-get install texlive-latex-base. This is one of the TeX Live packages. Though for TeX Live, you're probably better off just installing the texlive metapackage. Namely apt-get install texlive.

I don't think ratfor90 is available on Debian, at least. I'm not sure about Ubuntu. And as far as acroread goes, give either okular or evince a try. I use okular.

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  • my great thanks! It was hugely helpful! I did it, and now I've got latex installed. About ratfor90: I do have it on my old computer running ubuntu (issue 12); my friend installed it, but he moved by now. Is there any way how I can transfer ratfor90 from my old comp to my new laptop? (be aware please that I am a dumb user; but I see clearly that you have experience talking to the guys like me..:-) Commented Aug 3, 2016 at 10:12
  • Dear Faheem -- I just installed okular, it works, but keeps reporting a lot of errors or some differences, although the output seems to be OK. Still, acroread was nice, and I always prefer to have some backup tools... Commented Aug 3, 2016 at 10:35
  • @AlKap It looks like acroread is still available on www.deb-multimedia.org, if you really want to install it. Though I don't recommend it - it's unmaintained. Commented Aug 3, 2016 at 18:48
  • Is launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ratfor the ratfor you had in mind? Commented Aug 3, 2016 at 18:50
  • Faheem, no, not that one (the one you pointed out is an "old" ratfor that worked for fortran77, What I am looking for, is usually called ratfor90, designed specifically for the fortran90 (and beyond), in particular with gfortran. Most of all, it knows how to do dynamic allocations, and how to work with "objects". It is a great tool, and used by now by many people who use contemporary fortrans... Commented Aug 4, 2016 at 11:18
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To install acroread , Download the latest version from here and install it :

wget ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/unix/9.x/9.5.5/enu/AdbeRdr9.5.5-1_i386linux_enu.deb
sudo apt-get install gdebi
sudo gdebi AdbeRdr9.5.5-1_i386linux_enu.deb

Install the missing libraries:

sudo apt-get install libgtk2.0-0:i386 libnss3-1d:i386 libnspr4-0d:i386 lib32nss-mdns libxml2:i386 libxslt1.1:i386 libstdc++6:i386

NB Acroread is marked as deprecated:

As of mid-2014, Adobe no longer publishes any GNU/Linux version of Adobe Reader, and has pulled the latest version (Adobe Reader 9) from its download sites.

Edit

Enable the Canonical Partner:

sed -i "/^# deb .*partner/ s/^# //" /etc/apt/sources.list 
apt-get update
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  • thanks. Is there a sort of integral solution to my problem (too many commands are missing...)? Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 12:22
  • Please edit you answer by adding the output of failed commands. Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 12:32
  • I am a bit confused; the site you are citing is on Chinese Adobe Fonts... Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 12:45
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    @AlKap: You are not forced to try anything you are advised to but don't be surprised if no one magically installs the programs on your computer. This answer looks very valid and quite resembles the link I referred you to in my comment. The note on the fact that it is deprecated should also tell you to look for an alternate solution. Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 16:42
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    @GAD3R: I've just Installed the missing libraries proposed by you in your last update. and now acroread works beautifully,, without any hitches. Thanks a lot! Commented Aug 4, 2016 at 20:01

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