On Tue, 15 Jun 1999, Brian Servis wrote: > *- On 15 Jun, Barry Kauler wrote about "acroread --why can't package be > installed?" > > When I type > > # dpkg --list acroread > > The package lists with the letters "pn" at the start of the line. > > Such packages will not install, and there is an error message > > "no installation candidate" when I try to install it. > > > > Why, oh why is this? > > I don't have acroread currently installed, and there it is as a > > package, so why can't I install it? > > > > acroread is in the non-free section of the archives. Do you have the > non-free section specified as a section to search for packages?
Yes. Otherwise dpkg would not be able to find it. > > What does "pn" actually mean? > > Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge > | Status=Not/Installed/Config-files/Unpacked/Failed-config/Half-installed > |/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err: > uppercase=bad) > ||/ Name Version Description > +++-===============-==============-============================================ > pn gv <none> (no description available) > > Follow the vertical lines. > p: Purged(a.k.a. you don't want to try and installed(i.e. it is not > select for install in dselect), not even config configs) > n: Not Installed(a.k.a. it is not currently installed) This doesn't explain why it won't install though. I typed: # apt-get install acroread and got the error message "no installation candidate". Why? Regards, Barry Kauler
