Installing additional software on Ubuntu Linux (Sun Java, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Flash plug-in for Mozilla Firefox)

I have recently installed the latest version of Ubuntu Linux. This is Ubuntu version 5.10 Breezy Badger.

One of the things with Linux is that some distributions, including Ubuntu only install “Free” software. Whilst this is commendable and in an ideal world is desirable, it is sometimes worth using none open source software to gain some additional benefits. The following list the steps that I took to install the following applications:

• Sun Java runtime environment (version 1.5)
• The Flash Plug-in for Mozilla Firefox
• Adobe Acrobat Reader

I can’t take credit for working out the steps required, as most of this came from Linux Format magazine. For full details of what the steps you need to take I recommend you get a copy of Linux Format February 2007 (LXF76). See: The Linux format website, to purchase a back issue.

The following is only a brief summary of the steps:

Add additional repositories

This is required to add some of the additional software using the Debian package management tools.

sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.lst

change the entries
#deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu breezy universe
#deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu breezy universe
#deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu breezy-security universe
#deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu breezy-security universe

to:
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu breezy universe multiverse
deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu breezy universe multiverse
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu breezy-security universe multiverse
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu breezy-security universe multiverse

(note removal of the # to activate the entries, and addition of multiverse to include non-GPL software).

sudo apt-get update
(to refresh the repositories lists).

Sun Java

Download the Java Package from (in this case the JRE, alternatively you could downoad the JDK)http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/download.jsp

sudo apt-get install java-package fakeroot

fakeroot make-jpkg jre-1_5_0_05-linux-i586.bin
sudo dpkg -i sun-j2re1.5_1.5.0+update05_i386.deb
sudo apt-get remove java-gcj-compat

Flash Player Plug-in for Mozilla Firefox

sudo apt-get install flashplayer-mozilla

Adobe Acrobat Reader

sudo apt-get install acroread
sudo apt-get install mozilla-acroread
sudo apt-get install acroread-plugins

Conclusion

This will provide additional functionality for Ubuntu, but to understand what is happening (especially how to deal with the fact that there are now two Java Runtime Enivronments installed), then get LXF76 (February 2006 of LinuxFormat).

See future blogs where I add the Macromedia Flash Player (Projector) for Linux.