flash and fonts

[oldgeek]

I have a Lenovo netbook S!=-3s which is running both Windows 7 starter and Kubuntu 11.04 on a partitioned hard disk with plenty of space for both. My problem is the Flash player. I installed Flash-Aid on Firefox 5, but when I choose the Wizard option it goes to the terminal, sets things up, then tries unsuccessfully to download the program from updates.webgapps.org/flashplayer32. So I downloaded the program directly from Adobe using the tar.gz version. Trouble is, what do I do with this packet to get Flash installed? I've pored through a number of threads in hope of finding an answer, but so far have tried several methods without success. Flash-Aid worked fine on my Kubuntu desktop version, though I don't remember what I did. One thing I tried was to copy, then unzip the .so file into the root>/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins folder, but I couldn't paste it. I must be missing some step, but I don't know what it is.
The other--and really, the only other--problem with Kubuntu, and this is on both netbook and desktop versions, is that I cannot install ttf-mscorefonts-installer. When I use the terminal, it tries I don't know how many websites but cannot seem to download anything and gives up. I managed to install the program using the software management program, but even though it says the fonts are installed they do not show up on LibreOffice. Curiously, I had no problem at all installing the fonts on Ubuntu 11.04, which also uses LibreOffice (which looks and acts almost exactly like Open Office).
Any ideas? (Stupid question--this forum always has ideas.)

[oshunluvr]

Re: flash and fonts

Fonts: You should cut-and-paste the exact output from the terminal install attempt so we can see the error messages verbatim. Sounds like a repository problem.

I've never used (or needed) flash-aid, but I have had to install, remove, re-install flash several times before it works. I have no idea what isn't working with it. I've only ever used flashplugin64-installer.

[oldgeek]

Re: flash and fonts

Basically, this is what happens with the mscorefonts installer:

steve@steve-Ideapad-S10-3s:~$ sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer
[sudo] password for steve:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
ttf-mscorefonts-installer
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/34.9 kB of archives.
After this operation, 221 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously deselected package ttf-mscorefonts-installer.
(Reading database ... 91868 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking ttf-mscorefonts-installer (from .../ttf-mscorefonts-installer_3.3ubuntu3_all.deb) ...
mscorefonts-eula license has already been accepted
Processing triggers for fontconfig ...
Setting up ttf-mscorefonts-installer (3.3ubuntu3) ...

These fonts were provided by Microsoft "in the interest of cross-
platform compatibility". This is no longer the case, but they are
still available from third parties.

You are free to download these fonts and use them for your own use,
but you may not redistribute them in modified form, including changes
to the file name or packaging format.

--2011-08-02 19:48:11-- http://downloads.sourceforge.net/corefonts/andale32.exe
Resolving downloads.sourceforge.net... 1.0.0.0
Connecting to downloads.sourceforge.net|1.0.0.0|:80... failed: Connection timed out.
Giving up.

--2011-08-02 19:49:11-- http://switch.dl.sourceforge.net/sou...s/andale32.exe
Resolving switch.dl.sourceforge.net... 32.1.6.32, 2001:620:0:1b::21
Connecting to switch.dl.sourceforge.net|32.1.6.32|:80...

The last command is repeated up to 20 times and then it gives up. When I use the package software program, it seems to install perfectly, yet the fonts do not appear in LibreOffice. That is the situation.

[oshunluvr]

Re: flash and fonts

Well, it looks like you've discovered a bug. If you look in /usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts you might see a lone file named README. It will contain the instruction to re-install ttf-mscorefonts-installer. When you do that, it will work up to the proxy screen and then lock up.

The "package software program" (you don't say which one) seems to install perfectly, "seems" being the key word. The installer appears to be broken.

Here's what I had to do to get this to work - Open a terminal and type these commands (commands are in bold):

sudo apt-get install --reinstall ttf-mscorefonts-installer

At this point, the installer will appear to work. When you get to the proxy info page, it will freeze. Open a second terminal or tab in konsole and enter:

sudo killall dpkg

You should now have a message in the first terminal that the process was terminated. Now enter:

sudo killall whiptail

This should kill the final process related to the frozen dpkg program. Enter:

sudo dpkg --configue -a

and the install process should continue as normal. You should see the download progress and install process complete normally ending with

All done, no errors.
All fonts downloaded and installed.
Updating fontconfig cache for /usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts

If you run into a message about a locked file, look in /var/lib and /var/cache for files named lock.

Let me know if you run into trouble. Sorry I couldn't find a more elegant solution. I'm going to report this bug.

[oldgeek]

Re: flash and fonts

I tried what you said, but something keeps locking the process up. I tried again, and here's what I got after the first step:

steve@steve-Ideapad-S10-3s:~$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall ttf-mscorefonts-installer
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 5 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
Setting up ttf-mscorefonts-installer (3.3ubuntu3) ...
debconf: DbDriver "config": /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked by another process: Resource temporarily unavailable
dpkg: error processing ttf-mscorefonts-installer (--configure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
ttf-mscorefonts-installer
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
steve@steve-Ideapad-S10-3s:~$

Eh?

[oshunluvr]

Re: flash and fonts

You have to go into ksysguard (or manually if you know how) and force-kill dpkg, apt-get, and whiptail. Then run dpkg --configure -a and it should continue the install.

I had to try a few combinations of launching/killing to get it to work.

[oldgeek]

Re: flash and fonts

You have to go into ksysguard (or manually if you know how) and force-kill dpkg, apt-get, and whiptail.


How do I do that?

[oshunluvr]

Re: flash and fonts

The best way is in a terminal: kdesudo ksysguard

That way you'll have root power to terminate the processes.

[oldgeek]

Re: flash and fonts

I ran the command on the terminal and this is what I got:

steve@steve-Ideapad-S10-3s:~$ kdesudo ksysguard
QInotifyFileSystemWatcherEngine::addPaths: inotify_add_watch failed: No such file or directory
QFileSystemWatcher: failed to add paths: /home/steve/.config/ibus/bus
QInotifyFileSystemWatcherEngine::addPaths: inotify_add_watch failed: No such file or directory
QFileSystemWatcher: failed to add paths: /root/.config/ibus/bus


Then there appeared a Systems Monitor window. I went through the list and couldn't find dpkg, apt-get or whiptail (??)--and if I had, I wouldn't have known how to force-kill them. I'm sorry I ever thought of trying to get the mscore fonts. Something has locked up the software management program which came with the distro (KPackageKit) and now it tries to update every 5 minutes or so and refuses to allow me to add any other software (can't unlock). What have I done? Is it fixable? Thanks for all your help, by the way.

[oshunluvr]

Re: flash and fonts

Well, it doesn't sound like I've given you much help, but there's always hope.

The Kpackagekit lock will be a file somewhere in /var/cache or /var/lib. The best way to find it will be, in a terminal type sudo updatedb and when that's done, locate lock. This will list all files with "lock" in their names. Lock files are 0 byte files named "lock."

Removing them, then running sudo dpkg --configure -a should fix it.

[oldgeek]

Re: flash and fonts

Well, I've located two lock files in dpkg, one of them in the sub-folder Triggers and the other among the loose files in dpkg. I opened up the root directory from Dolphin, went to the offending files, and gleefully clicked on the file to send it to the Trash. Bad luck--I was denied access to the Trash. So they're still there. How do I get rid of the two files from the terminal? I'm just starting to learn to work from the terminal but still find the commands somewhat unfamiliar. Contrary to what you've said, you've been of great help, as I'm learning about problems and possible solutions. I probably will forget about installing the ms fonts after all this and just use Word or Ubuntu (which installed the font set without a hitch) when I want to use them. But I do want to release dpkg from its prison so I can add more programs, so your help in getting me to do this is invaluable. Thanks again.

[oshunluvr]

Re: flash and fonts

Those lock files are usually root owned, so you'll have to use root access to delete them.

It's very odd that this won't install in Kubuntu but works in Ubuntu, since it's an Ubuntu package. Makes me wonder if there's some dependency not listed that's needed.

I'm going to do a side-by new install of Kubuntu and Ubuntu this evening in Vbox and see what happens.

[oldgeek]

Re: flash and fonts

Those lock files are usually root owned, so you'll have to use root access to delete them.

How do I do this? I suppose I have to use sudo, but I don't know the commands or syntax for deleting files, and wouldn't want to end up deleting some important root file.
By the way, both Kubuntu and Ubuntu are installed on the same computer. I have the same locked files on my Lenovo netbook, where I tried to do the same thing with msfonts, and I believe this is what is keeping me from using Flash-Aid, since it can't connect to the website to get the Adobe flash program. I remember when I used Kubuntu 10.04 there was an msfonts update which gave me the same problem--no fonts--so I had to delete it and go back to KPK to install the pre-update version, which worked fine. I suspect this version of msfonts is the same one as the I couldn't get to work on 10.04.

[oshunluvr]

Re: flash and fonts

Using a terminal, the delete command is rm and the command to remove a directory is rmdir as in;

sudo rm /pathto/somefile

and

sudo rmdir /path

[oldgeek]

Re: flash and fonts

Well, I tried to get rid of the offending lock files using these steps:

1st, I ran the updatedb command, then the locate lock command, and got a nice long list.
2nd, I deleted 3 files, using sudo rm and then copying and pasting the paths from the list, all from the var folder. One file was from cache/apt/archives, one from apt/lib/list, and the third from lib/dpkg. Then I ran dpkg --configure -a, and the thing started to try downloading the damn fonts again.
3rd, I checked the updatedb and locate lock lists, and only the cache was unlocked. I went through the steps a couple more times, with the same result.
4th, I tried this on the netbook, which doesn't try to download any fonts, but I still get the lock files reappearing in dpkg after deletion when I run updatedb/locate lock commands.
5th, I tried deleting again, then checked the lock list before dpkg --configure -a, and the locks were gone. I ran the configure -a command, then checked the lists again, and the locks were back!
6th, I still can't install any new software from KPG. And that's where things stand now.