Terminal won't install anything

Software & Operating Systems Linux
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1

I'm using Linux Mint 17.2 “Rafaela” Xfce, whenever I try to sudo apt-get install anything it says "reading package lists", gets to 20%, stops and leaves behind an 8% in the next command. Moreover Software Manager won't open, I click on it, it asks for my password (every damn time) and then does nothing, I don't think it even shows up in the task manager. Anyone have a solution?

2

That is how linux mint runs, it ask for a password for everything, every little update as well. This is why I don't use it. but have you done a 

sudo apt-get update
3

Start with - sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

after that try again - if it still wont work add --force to the install command (eg - sudo apt-get install leafpad --force)

As far as the password thing goes - thats mint for you. If you hate it try Fedora instead. Imsure there are others but I run Fedora 22 as an admin account with no password (Not at ALL Secure!!!!!) and i never get prompted for anything unless switching to SU

4

command line option --force is not understood

5

Try aptitude instead of apt-get

sudo aptitude install your-program-name

6

1.align your sources.
2.update your system.
3.install apt-file
4.update your system and establish some user preferences.

sudo apt-get install apt-file
sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-file update

sudo update-mime-database /usr/share/mime
sudo update-alternatives --set libgksu-gconf-defaults /usr/share/libgksu/debian/gconf-defaults.libgksu-sudo
sudo update-gconf-defaults

if at any point 1,2,3,4 - the system halts so should you. dont proceed until you fix the problem.

--force or -f will only create dependency problems if you actually manage to force an installation. if apt-install doesnt do its job, fix the environment so that you can install without dependency hell.

Aptitude or Apt-Get - pick one and be faithful. Explanation for another day. you have work to do.

7

I recently used Aptitude , found it to be the better option because it will actually try and find a install solution for you and do allot of the work for you if a program won't install because a series of packages is wrong version or something else.

8

it fails the same way I said in the topic post on the first command

9

I'm just guessing, but it sounds like you have some broken repo's. Have you added unofficial repo's? If so try disabling them.

10

For some reason whenever I install anything Ubuntu based I have to edit some config stuff to get it to update properly. Mine always hung at 0%, but this might work.

  1. Open terminal
  2. "sudo vi /etc/gai.conf"
  3. Scroll down to where it says something like "::ffff:0:0/96 100"
  4. Uncomment it (delete the #)
  5. type ":wq" and press enter

This might work. No guarantees that it will, but it won't hurt to do it either.