on my mint system the mint update manager is 'software manager' under the menu button while synaptic is the 'package manager'. On Sun, Dec 18, 2016 at 3:15 PM, wrote: > Thank you, Tom, for your very thorough response. > Now, if my aging mind can manage to sort through it all, > I believe you probably have provided valuable assistance. > > Joe > > > [endnotes follow .sig] > > > > Josef Lowder[1] > >> Every time I open the Synaptic update manager, > > > > Actually, no ... > > > >> Here are three successive screen shots of this problem: > > > >> From Nov 18: http://www.upquick.com/temp/updatemanager1.jpg > > > > That screenshot shows 3 problems, only one of which you discuss in your > > post. The first problem, which may seem "merely semantic"[2], is that > > your screenshot is of an application called "Update Manager," not > > Synaptic. This can be easily shown by launching the two apps via their > > commandlines. Goto your terminal of choice (I have no idea what that is > > in KDE, which appears to be problem 2, but we'll deal with that next), > > and therein utter the following commandlines[3] > > > > kdesudo mintupdate & > > > > kdesudo synaptic & > > > > The first commandline above should (after you type your password) launch > > the application that troubles you, which I claim is Update Manager, aka > > UM, aka mintupdate. The second will launch the application commonly known > > as Synaptic, about which you have no complaint (yet :-) > > > > Now that you're clear on that (hopefully), you can solve your first > > problem, which is being unclear about the etiology[4] of your problem. > > The second problem you must solve is, seek help from the appropriate > > community. Given the presence of the KDE icon in the above screenshot, > > and the appearance of your window frames in all 3, I'm guessing you're > > running one of the KDE Mints[5]. If that's false, ignore the following > > paragraph: > > > > Mint is not anymore a distro, it's an ecosystem including several varying > > distros as well as numerous associated applications and environments. > > E.g., I run mostly Cinnamon LMDE, which is somewhat different from MATE > > LMDE, and quite different from the Ubuntu-based Mints. The vast majority > > of all of those, however, are GNOME-based, and as such the vast majority > > of Mint users will have very little of use to say about a problem > > involving KDE (or, for that matter, LXDE or Xfce--but at least those > > desktops are based on GTK, which underlies GNOME). > > > > Which leaves the third problem, which is, what's wrong with your > > mintupdate? I dunno. Someone else on this forum might; if so, ignore the > > following recommendation. I recommend you goto the Mint forum='Software & > > Applications'[6] (on which I have several times gotten useful information > > in the past) and describe your problem with a subject line like > > > > mintupdate problems on KDE [your Mint version here] > > > > Use the term 'mintupdate' because it's generally understood and most > > exact. (For extra credit, goto Help>About and note which mintupdate > > version you're running.) Be sure to be clear about which version of Mint > > you're running, and about the fact (unless I'm completely wrong) that > > you're running KDE. This is mostly likely to get you performant and > > skillful help ... though, again, there may not be many folks running KDE > > on the forum--I dunno. If you *do* get responses: > > > > The verdict may very well be that mintupdate does not run well on KDE, in > > which case you should seek recommendations about alternate package > > managers to run. (Personally, I'd recommend one of the fine CLI dpkg/APT > > tools like `aptitude`, which also has a TUI[7], which kinda "splits the > > difference" between a GUI and a CLI.) Alternatively, there may be a > > problem with your host's current repositories, downloaded packages, or > > other parts of its current dpkg/APT configuration that is choking your > > host's mintupdate in a manner that has nothing to do with KDE. > > > > HTH, Tom Roche > > > > [1]: > > http://lists.phxlinux.org/lurker/message/20161215. > 191124.4beac47c.en.html > > [2]: Readers are encouraged to deliver verbal or physical dopeslaps to > > anyone uttering the phrase "merely semantic." "Semantics" are quite > > literally the meanings of words, and failures to agree on meanings of > > words usually lead quickly to failures to communicate. Which is usually > > bad. > > [3]: Note that as someone with extremely limited KDE usage, ICBW here, > > but I believe its equivalent of `gksudo` is `kdesudo`. > > [4]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aetiology#English > > [5]: latest being (IIUC) https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=224 > > (since I can't find reference to a KDE for Serena yet) > > [6]: https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewforum.php?f=47 > > [7]: For TUI screenshots, see > > https://askubuntu.com/questions/821164/how-do-i-access-the-aptitude-why- > functionality-through-aptitude-s-interactive > > and ignore the answer that describes it as a GUI--it's not. > > --------------------------------------------------- > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > > http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > -- :-)~MIKE~(-: