About a week ago I setup Ubuntu as my primary OS on an old machine. It is my first time trying a unix based OS (previously windows). It has been ok, but it seems like every time I try to install something I run into problems. The app has the wrong permissions or I don’t have the right packages or I need to change port settings ect… I was expecting a learning curve but I wanted to know if this is something I should expect to be a long term issue or if I will aquire the skills to side step stuff like this over time?
Update* I got it working. Last night I reinstalled it and figured it out. Two issues. On initial install I failed to update one of the packages needed. I also assigned the service to a group without the required permissions. On reinstall I rectified both of these issues and it works flawlessly. Thanks all for your help and input (and ignoring typos in the title)!
How are you installing apps?
Can you give an example of the issues you had with a specific app?
Last night I installed Sonarr through the built in snap store. It seemed to go well but when I tried to add a series it lacked the permissions to make the required directory. I am going to try to uninstall it and do it manually through the terminal as root unless someone can suggest a better way.
Well, that’s an example of something that actually takes some knowledge to run. Sonarr is not a native linux app, and is really meant to be run on a server by somebody who already knows what they are doing with it. Then there’s the issues with snap itself. On my plex server I manually installed sonarr and its dependencies and made my own systemd init file. Once running, updating through the webui seems to work ok, but I tend to use ansible to maintain everything.
I can only recommend you to look into using Flatpak to install graphical applications. It avoids the whole dependency or permission issues because it ships apps in their own well tested little sandbox. From a end user perspective its somewhat similar to how applications are bundled on macOS.
While I agree, definitely you need Flatseal to change permissions at times.
If there is a dependency problem in the upstream packages, then there is a bug in Ubuntu. This doesn’t happen often, and isn’t a good reason to go to Flatpak by itself. A bug should be filed upstream and it’ll likely get fixed quickly.
Try use Debian or Fedora Workstation… it’s better…
Debian is not really meant for end users, even less so for users who are new to Linux. Mint on the other hand is a Debian derivative that I’d recommend to beginners.
I’m still having flashbacks to previous Debian version and spending 4+ hours searching for packages that Debian decided to call differently, and compiling dependencies of dependencies to compile Emacs that wasn’t like 2 major versions out of date.
Recently I installed POPOS! and it comes with popshop app store. Its bit laggy especially on startup, but installations are like search -> press install button -> done. Its so freaking simple and intuitive
Im also new in desktop linux and still didnt decide what is my main OS, but POP OS made me not look further. Didnt try gaming yet tho
Ubuntu kinda sucks from my experience with it, but it will be a learning curve
You do learn to deal with those kinds of issues pretty quickly eventually but at least at the moment you’re realistically not going to have a completely seamless experience with desktop Linux for a while yet
You’re probably better off going with snaps/appimages/flatpaks than apt-get I think because they come with all their dependencies
I use Ubuntu and install the very little I use through the Snap store. My Linux PC is for gaming with steam.
I have downloaded the Steam deb package from the steam website and it seems to launch the install through the Snap store app when I click on it.
MakeMKV has an app.
TeamViewer had a deb package
Some of the tools I needed were in the snap store.I try to stick to the snap store if I can.
What were you trying to install?
I installed Sonarr. It was definitely through the graphical app manager
I haven’t heard of that but I found this install page.
How are you trying to install things? Use the graphical package manager or apt. Don’t just try to download things from wherever.
Also, maybe try Linux Mint (Cinnamon Edition) instead of Ubuntu. Things there “just work”, and the UI is more similar to what you are used to with windows.
I’m using MX Linux, I try to avoid snap and flatpak…nothing like a good old .deb installing right away
EDIT because someone wrote non-sense below, MX is the #1 distro on distrowatch for years and the latest MX23 is based on debian 12 “bookworm” which is a month old. It’s using 6.4.4 kernel from last week as of writing. This is a cutting edge distro.
Edit: nice to hear Debian bookworm and MX are actually up to date!
What are you talking about? MX23 is based on debian 12 “bookworm” which is a month old. It’s using 6.4.4 kernel from last week. Please edit your message.
Crazyyy. This must be because of the stable fixing phase. Now everything is set and the distros will diverge some more again. On Fedora I am on Kernel 6.4.x too
I downloaded this from the graphical package manager
What did you download?
Sonarr
What happens when you try to start it?
It starts just fine. When I try to add a series to it, it shoot up an error that it cannot create the required directory. Even if I sudo the directory in manually it cannot write the files. I assume that it doesn’t have write privileges but I lack the skills to find the appropriate service and change it’s privileges.
What directory is it trying to write to? Can you show us the full error, preferably as text and not a screenshot?
It is trying to create a new directory. I think it is under root but I am not sure. I will recreate the next time I am on it and post. Thanks for the help
Also, how are you starting it? I’m looking at the Arch package in the AUR (not your distro, but just looking), and I notice that it includes a .service file. This means that it would be started as a service, and not as a user, like you’re probably attempting to do.
It looks like sonarr is not in the official Ubuntu mirrors. The website mentions adding a new repo to apt. Is this what you did, or something else?
I guess thats “thw Ubuntu experience”. Ubuntu IS NOT general Linux. They do their own proprietary Snap thing, which may be liked by developers but is not the standard.
Flatpaks never have too little permissions, its more that they have too many.
Run unsnap from Github, its an awesome tool and actually makes Ubuntu usable
Thanks for the advice. I actually got it running last night.
