Software Installation – Problem Installing Ubuntu-Restricted-Extras

microsoftsoftware installationubuntu-restricted-extras

First thing, I'm far from a Linux wiz…

Based on some questions and answers around playing mp4 files, I ran 

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras.

Things seemed to be going fine until I got a pop up with the Microsoft EULA and what appeared to be an OK button at the bottom. Unfortunately, the button did nothing. After waiting quite a while and trying whatever I could to accept the license, I killed the process… probably not the smartest thing do have done?

So now can anybody give me some help in either uninstalling what is there or doing a complete install?

TIA,

John

Best Answer

This is within a terminal window. Were you trying to click the button with the mouse?

It's slightly counter-intuitive, but often the only way to move to those kind of buttons in the terminal is to use the Tab key. I discovered this many years ago when I first started using Linux, and had trouble finding an answer to what must have been obvious to everyone else.

Anyways, open a terminal again. sudo apt-get -f install will likely resume the installation you were just trying to do, if not, sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras again. I'm not 100% sure that simply being unable to select the button was your actual problem.

So yeah, Tab to the button, Enter to select. Very few command-line applications are mouse-enabled for obvious reasons.

Related Question