how do i install a meta package for a ubuntu desktop

Which meta package are you trying to install...?

Usual terminal way to install a package or a meta package...

Open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal and type:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install name_of_meta_package or package

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

Hope this helps

i am missing meta package for the desktop
ive tryed
apt-get instal ubuntu desktop
   " " " ed " "
    " " " k " "
     " " " x " "
an it wont find the packages

root@no2498-desktop:/home/no2498# lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 7.10
Release: 7.10
Codename: gutsy
root@no2498-desktop:/home/no2498# sudo apt-get update
Ign http://packages.thinkgos.com reloaded Release.gpg
Get:1 http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security Release.gpg [189B]
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://packages.thinkgos.com reloaded/main Translation-en_US
Get:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy Release.gpg [191B]
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://packages.thinkgos.com reloaded Release
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security Release
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Translation-en_US
Get:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates Release.gpg [189B]
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://packages.thinkgos.com reloaded/main Packages
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy Release
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Packages
Ign http://packages.thinkgos.com reloaded/main Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/restricted Sources
Err http://packages.thinkgos.com reloaded/main Packages
  302 Found
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/restricted Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/universe Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com gutsy-security/multiverse Sources
Err http://packages.thinkgos.com reloaded/main Sources
  302 Found
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/multiverse Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/universe Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/universe Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/multiverse Sources
Fetched 3B in 0s (3B/s)
Failed to fetch http://packages.thinkgos.com/gos/dists/reloaded/main/binary-i386/Packages.gz 302 Found
Failed to fetch http://packages.thinkgos.com/gos/dists/reloaded/main/source/Sources.gz 302 Found
Reading package lists... Done
E: Some index files failed to download, they have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
root@no2498-desktop:/home/no2498# sudo apt-get installsudo apt-get update
E: Invalid operation installsudo
root@no2498-desktop:/home/no2498# sudo apt-get install meta ubnutu desktop
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Couldn't find package meta
root@no2498-desktop:/home/no2498#

You must type:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

Hope this helps

Then please remove all the thinkgos related rows, that cause fetch error, from the /etc/apt/sources.list file or put a # at the start of all the thinkgos rows.

So please open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal and type:

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

Hope this helps

was it the E: Invalid operation installsudo
no space

root@no2498-desktop:/home/no2498# sudo apt-get install meta ubuntu desktop
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Couldn't find package meta
root@no2498-desktop:/home/no2498# sudo apt-get install ubuntu desktop
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Couldn't find package ubuntu
root@no2498-desktop:/home/no2498#

type:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop (You see the - in there..)

root@no2498-desktop:/home/no2498# sudo apt-get install ubuntu desktop
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Couldn't find package ubuntu
root@no2498-desktop:/home/no2498#

ok got it working on it now thanks

What is the correct name of the meta-package for installing the kernel upgrade 2.6.24.19 or 2.6.25-xx? And, is there precaution I should take when installing that package to avoid crashing the whole system?

Try to simple do an update upgrade of your system...
Open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal and type:

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get clean all
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get clean all

then to reboot your pc, type:

sudo reboot

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

Hope this helps

marcobra, Thanks. I'll give it a try.

marcobra,

That worked nicely.

The only heads-up I would offer to someone upgrading like this is when it comes down to when it updates GRUB (or LILO). Since I modified my GRUB config, the script gave me a bunch of options about what to do. If you are using the out-of-the box config, then you would probably be ok to just have it replaced with the new one, otherwise, I would tell it to leave the one you already have and update it manually BEFORE rebooting. In case you're wondering, the previous kernel is not erased, which is good in case something depends on that.