Always fails to install 3rd party debs

[Roger Binns]

After a fresh reinstall of my system I downloaded various .deb files from places that don't have a repository. Examples are Chrome, Skype and the Google Music Manager. The browser brings up software centre but always fails to install the file.

A most recent example is trying to install the Google Music Manager. Software Centre says:

Internal Error

The file "/home/rogerb/Downloads/google-musicmanager-beta_current_amd64.deb" could not be opened.

However I just go to the command line and use dpkg -i on the same filename and it installs just fine.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: software-center 5.0.1.3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.19-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Oct 6 21:41:21 2011
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: software-center
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

Thanks for your bugreport.

The file in question is problematic, from the log:

softwarecenter.backend - ERROR - error in _on_trans_finished 'Error: The package is of bad quality
The installation of a package which violates the quality standards isn't allowed. This could cause serious problems on your computer. Please contact the person or organisation who provided this package file and include the details beneath.

Lintian check results for /home/rogerb/Downloads/Osmos_1.6.1.deb:
E: Osmos: wrong-file-owner-uid-or-gid opt/ 1000/1000
...

If you could provide a link to the file I'm happy to have a closer look.

[Roger Binns (ubuntu-rogerbinns)]

That isn't the file in question - Osmos is something I installed while the system was running natty a few months ago. I had to do a fresh install of oneiric but kept my home directory so you are seeing older detritus.

The file in question from this error message is Google Music Manager but it looks like you have to be part of their beta program. However this also happened with Chrome and Skype deb packages downloaded from their respective web sites. dpkg -i was quite happy to open and install the packages so their was nothing inherently wrong with them,

Chances are that was is happening is software centre getting upset with the packages for some reason like the one given above. But instead of saying that in the user display you just get Internal Error - couldn't open "filename".

[ruario (e-launchpad-ruari-com)]

Try this:

ar t /home/rogerb/Downloads/google-musicmanager-beta_current_amd64.deb

Is the data.tar inside lzma compressed? If yes then this is a dupe of 868188.

You can work around it in one of three ways

1. Installing with dpkg
2. Installing either the lzma or xz-lzma packages as they provide /usr/bin/lmza
3. setting up your own symlink such that /usr/bin/lmza points to /usr/bin/xz

Remember to mark this as a duplicate if it is your issue.

[ruario (e-launchpad-ruari-com)]

see also: http://my.opera.com/community/forums/findpost.pl?id=10564932