gcom Installation problems

Thanks for your question.

You're using the wrong package for your distribution. In opposite to windows, you don't need to install untrusted software. Just open a terminal (Accessories->Applications) and type "sudo apt-get install gcom". It will ask for your user password. After that, it will install the package on your computer.

It that does not work, you might need to allow your system to install software from universe package repository. To enable that, just open "System->Administration->Software Sources" and check "Community-maintained Open Source software (universe)". After that, you need to run "sudo apt-get update" once.

(I explained the fastest way. You might however use System->Administration->Synaptic Package Management, if you don't want to use the terminal application)

Thanks Markus,

This has not solved my problem. I have tried typing "sudo apt-get install gcom" in a terminal window and I get:

E: Couldn't find package gcom

I went to "System->Administration" but I don't have a "Software Sources" menu item. I selected: "Software Properties" instead.

Under this there was an installation media tab. I checked: "Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (binary), Community maintained (Universe)" and a second item exactly the same as the first except binary was replaced with (source)

My machine then dowloaded some stuff from the net.
I ran "sudo apt-get update" in the terminal window. Again there were some downloads.
I then ran "sudo apt-get install gcom" again and got the same error message.

I tried Synaptic Package Management but gcom is not listed there?

In the "Software Properties" tab discussed above there are still "Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Backport" items unchecked and there are community maintained security items unchecked.

Any further advice?

Thanks

Sneak Peak

I have just been to:

http://packages.ubuntu.com and it seems gcom is only available from Edgy onwards. There is no gcom for Dapper. Is there anything I can do about this?

Thanks

SneakPeak

Allright, didn't know you were on dapper.

There's a nice little howto on how to compile gcom (and other packages) on Dapper. You'll find it on http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=203342.

Compiling packages is not the typical task for a first time user, so I'm not sure if it's worth the efforts. You might also backup you data and do a Feisty reinstallation.

Howdy,

Ok progress but still not solved. I managed to download the source for gcom. It has now changed name to comgt. I tried to compile it but at first this didn't work. I first had to install build-essential package. The compilation worked fine.

comgt seems to be working alright. For example: comgt -d /dev/ttyUSB0 behaves as it should. I get asked for a pin which is accepted and I get a signal strength etc.

I then followed the advice posted here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=49056&highlight=Vodacom+3G+Howto

The author first describes a method using wvdial. In posting #4 he describes using gcom. I follow his instructions exactly

pon vodacom

seems to do what I expect but I don't get a connection. When I tail -f /var/log/messages. I can see that it doesn't find a remote IP address and assumes a default. It then seems to stop. The wvdial doesn't stop it goes further and lists a primary and secondary dns.

Any further suggestions?

Thanks

SneakPeak

Unfortunately I lack experience with gcom/comgt, so "I'm out". Maybe another supporter wants to step in?

It might be a good idea to append your relevant parts of /var/log/messages to this question.