Saturday, May 14, 2011

Install Boxee on Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal

The Ubuntu package for the current version of Boxee as of this writing, 0.9.22.13692M, does not install on the latest version of Ubuntu.  It throws an error "Dependency is not satisfiable: libxmlrpc-c3"  The problem arises because libxmlrpc-c3 has been renamed to libxmlprc-c3-0.  The solution is to modify the debian package and change its dependencies.  This is easier than it sounds, but you have to know how.  Download the debian installer from the Boxee website, and place it in your home directory and then open up a terminal
dpkg-deb -x boxee-0.9.22.13692.i486.modfied.deb boxee
dpkg-deb --control boxee-0.9.22.13692.i486.modfied.deb boxee/DEBIAN
Now we need to edit the file that lists the dependencies.  Run the first command to do it with a GUI, or the second to use vim.
gedit boxee/DEBIAN/control
vi boxee/DEBIAN/control
Find libxmlrpc-c3 in this file and append -0 to the end of it so that is read "libxmlrpc-c3-0", and save the file.  Now we need to repackage our changes into a new debian package file.
dpkg -b boxee boxee-works.deb
When it is done simply double-click the newly created boxee-works.deb file and install it with Software Center.  Hopefully it will not be too long before the peeps over at Boxee fix the package so that it Just Works™.
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49 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 15, 2011 at 1:08 PM

    I followed your instructions (including saving) but when I went back and doubled clicked on the downloaded file, I got the same error in the installation screen.

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  2. maxolasersquadMay 15, 2011 at 2:05 PM

    This does not fix the original file you downloaded. It creates a new working file. I have edited the post to make this more clear.

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  3. AnonymousMay 15, 2011 at 2:29 PM

    I've installed the new file. However, Boxee does not launch. It starts to (I can see the icon on the Unity bar on the left) but the icon disappears after a few seconds with nothing launched. I assume it's crashing on launch.

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  4. AnonymousMay 16, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    Followed the directions and it worked perfectly. My gf was hating her HTPC after I updated, now all is good again. Thanks a bunch man, you saved me from a lot of hair pulling (in the bad way).

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  5. AnonymousMay 16, 2011 at 11:34 PM

    Now I'm not looking for support with my issue just seeing if anyone can relate. Does anyone else notice how slow Boxee operates? scanning for files takes an age.

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  6. maxolasersquadMay 17, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    @HackersBeware: Yes. I thought about including instructions on how to clean up the package so that the error wouldn't be thrown, but got lazy. The package installs just fine despite the errors.

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  7. AnonymousMay 17, 2011 at 10:21 PM

    Thanks for this, Boxee is installing now. I appreciate people like you who not only figure stuff out but tell the rest of us how to do make it work as well.

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  8. AnonymousMay 18, 2011 at 12:40 AM

    Thanks for your solution. Although while installing it reported it as a bad package..... I ignored and proceeded with. Perhaps it reports because this version is not specifically made for Natty... But now it works as before... Thanks once again....

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  9. CarstenLMMay 18, 2011 at 5:05 PM

    I had to use Gdebi to be able to install the new package of Boxee. But now I have a problem getting Boxee conneted to the internet :-(

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  10. hadimMay 20, 2011 at 2:30 PM

    Thanks very much. It worked the first time.

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  11. Yorkshire BlokeMay 20, 2011 at 3:29 PM

    Thanks, I used your instructions to install Boxee on my Asus Netbook with 11.04 Natty, and it worked first time.

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  12. Yorkshire BlokeMay 20, 2011 at 3:32 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  13. AnonymousMay 21, 2011 at 1:28 PM

    Worked well for Ubuntu 32 bit natty. Thanks

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  14. SalgadoMay 22, 2011 at 5:44 PM

    worked just fine! ty so much!

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  15. Mrrix32May 26, 2011 at 5:40 PM

    Thank you! Got it installed on my PC now.

    Also planning to get a new HTPC, and this will save me from having to use an older version of Ubuntu

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  16. AnonymousMay 28, 2011 at 12:32 PM

    Perfectly worked for me!

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  17. AnonymousMay 30, 2011 at 10:35 PM

    In using Linux Mint 11.03 you have to use this command to make it package right: dpkg-deb -b boxee boxee-works.deb
    If I left out the -deb it would build a corrupt package.

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  18. Grand DaddyJune 8, 2011 at 5:54 PM

    Worked for me. I had to edit a couple of the commands because I am using the 64 bit version in Kubuntu.

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  19. VijayJune 13, 2011 at 8:25 AM

    Worked like a charm. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  20. UnknownJune 14, 2011 at 10:49 PM

    Thank you sir~ Worked perfectly!

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  21. king scorpioJune 17, 2011 at 8:34 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  22. AnonymousJune 19, 2011 at 1:02 AM

    Worked great, thank you. I came to this page, after reading a thread on ubuntuforums.com. That thread didn't help, but yours did

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  23. AnonymousJune 21, 2011 at 5:19 PM

    I got mine installed but I can not read any of the text once it is running. I would ask if anyone else had that problem but doesn't seem that way. Any suggestions?

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  24. pstacksJune 26, 2011 at 3:54 PM

    got it installed on 11.04. Got the bad package warning, installed anyway without any further problems. However when I launched the app, it repeatedly flashed and I was unable input any data. clicked esc and the flashing went away but the app died.

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  25. DavidJune 28, 2011 at 7:19 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  26. DavidJune 28, 2011 at 7:20 PM

    Worked perfectly for me! So simple...Thanks!!!

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  27. TorchstoneJuly 17, 2011 at 12:19 PM

    Thank you very much. The install went great. But now I can't connect to the internet...at all. It is as if it uninstalled my wifi card (that is to say, I click on the network icon and "enable wireless" is gone altogether).

    I also realised that the update manager had worked on some stuff, so that might be the problem, but I had seen others have connectivity issues as a result of the Boxee install. I will look into it and get back to you.

    How do we help the Boxee team avoid all this confusion? Do you know if someone has posted a bug re: "-0"?

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  28. UnknownJuly 24, 2011 at 12:35 AM

    Great tutorial.
    Worked for me!
    Although, could you make the "append -0" bit a bit easier to understand?

    Otherwise, great tutorial!

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  29. KCJuly 24, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    My guess is it warned of a bad pacakge because we who edited the file were not the same as the original author (See the warning dialog box details which says "boxee: wrong-file-owner-uid-or-gid opt"). If this is the case and your original package can be trusted, then there should be no problem.

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  30. AnonymousJuly 25, 2011 at 1:58 AM

    very nice, thanks for sharing, worked well for me!

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  31. maxolasersquadJuly 25, 2011 at 8:04 AM

    @cjschris: I have updated that part for clarity. Let me know if you think it is better now.

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  32. Jim NatronAugust 6, 2011 at 4:52 AM

    I managed to get it installed but the login screen flickers like made and does'nt lett me do anything usefull!

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  33. maxolasersquadAugust 6, 2011 at 8:56 PM

    I ran into the same flickering problem others here reported on a machine I acquired from my job. I have posted a fix at http://maxolasersquad.blogspot.com/2011/08/fix-flickering-in-boxee-with-ati.html

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  34. AnonymousAugust 8, 2011 at 8:27 PM

    Thank you, I followed your instruction to the letter, and it worked. Thanks.

    pookito

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  35. AnonymousAugust 10, 2011 at 1:52 PM

    Thank you very much.

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  36. DanAugust 19, 2011 at 7:15 PM

    "Anonymous said...

    In using Linux Mint 11.03 you have to use this command to make it package right:

    dpkg-deb -b boxee boxee-works.deb

    If I left out the -deb it would build a corrupt package."


    I don't think I have Linux Mint (pretty sure its regular old Ubuntu 11.04 but then again I'm a newb), but hot damn! thank you for this suggestion. I was going crazy bc it wasn't working and none of the other commenters seemed to be having any trouble. Worked like a charm after your suggestion tho.

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  37. AnonymousAugust 22, 2011 at 10:53 PM

    thanks very much !

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  38. AnonymousAugust 26, 2011 at 9:38 PM

    you did it maaaaaan! thanks, maaaaaan!

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  39. AnonymousSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:55 AM

    Thanks! You would think they would have this fixed 6 months later.

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  40. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2011 at 10:48 PM

    Very nice post, easy and perfect, thanks man.

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  41. RobertoSeptember 14, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    Perfeito, 11.04, 32 bits. Tanks

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  42. AnonymousSeptember 15, 2011 at 1:53 PM

    This worked very well for me - thank you very much!

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  43. AnonymousSeptember 23, 2011 at 10:36 PM

    i get a message saying no such directory or file after i enter "boxee/DEBIAN"...i dont think i understand where to place the downloaded deb file...what do you mean "in the home directory"...i am not able to move anything into the "home" directory, i have placed it under "home/"

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  44. tim phillipsSeptember 25, 2011 at 12:59 AM

    This worked well, thanks. A quicker way (avoiding a text editor) is to use these commands - they can be cut and pasted straight in.....

    dpkg-deb -x ./boxee-0.9.22.13692.i486.modfied.deb ./boxee
    dpkg-deb --control boxee-0.9.22.13692.i486.modfied.deb ./boxee/DEBIAN
    sed -i 's|libxmlrpc-c3|libxmlrpc-c3-0|' ./boxee/DEBIAN/control
    dpkg -b ./boxee ./boxee-fixed.deb
    sudo dpkg -i ./boxee-fixed.deb
    sudo apt-get -f install
    sudo dpkg -i ./boxee-fixed.deb

    ReplyDelete
  45. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2011 at 7:12 AM

    The fix for the install was awesome, but NOOB that I am, Boxee doesn't start at all for me.

    Any help would be great!

    Thanx!

    Barry

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  46. AnonymousSeptember 25, 2011 at 12:55 PM

    Well, I found my owm solution.

    I had loaded the proprietary video drivers that weren't at all compatible with Boxee, or XBMC either.

    Uninstalled them, and everyhing is running snooth as silk.

    Yay me, eh?

    ReplyDelete
  47. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2011 at 10:45 AM

    Don't know what's up. I have tried the (3) different ways and everything seems to go well until trying to install via "software center". I receive: "Internal Error" The file home/....deb could not be opened

    Help please...I copied and pasted all commands? Modifies and Builds Package?

    ReplyDelete
  48. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2011 at 6:22 PM

    Forget the last post--please! Finally got it...Thanks to all. Boxee supposed to updated for pc's in October. I'm guessing they may fix this issue then?

    ReplyDelete
  49. ChristoFebruary 10, 2012 at 3:42 PM

    Here's a tutorial to install boxee on ubuntu 11.10 and solves the dependency problem:
    http://lauziere.net/how-to-install-boxee-ubuntu-11.10

    ReplyDelete

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