How to install .deb package with double click

grand aneww

2/13/24, 11:42 PM

I'd like to install .deb packages I download from the internet, (ie google chrome or discord) from nautilus by just double clicking (the way it works in windows). I used to use gdebi, but it opens a gui panel, which annoys me personally so I removed it. Is there any way to do this by shell script or install some package that does it for me?

To be clear, I have root access on my machine, I can change arbitrary files and can run any scripts as "sudo." I just want to be able to install .deb packages in nautilus by double-clicking, instead of having to open a terminal.

I realize the security implications of this, but I only download packages I trust and have nothing valuable on my computer so I would like a way to save the 30 seconds.

532

1 + 4

package-management

apt

deb

gdebi

Ray

2/13/24, 11:52 PM

I think you should keep in mind one difference between Windows and Ubuntu. With Windows, if you're able to install it "just by double clicking", most likely you have a system administrator's account. With Ubuntu, you have a normal account and you gain administrator's privilege by using `sudo` with your password. You never log into a Linux system with administrator's access already "on". Thus, with Linux, it's expected you'll need a few more steps compared to Windows.

grand aneww

2/13/24, 11:55 PM

Could I add a shell script with admin privileges that listens for my clicks in nautilus and runs dpkg -i <packagename> and then sudo apt -f though?

Ray

2/14/24, 12:49 AM

You're asking to bypass the authentication stage for `sudo`, but Linux is a multi-user system. Windows originally (and, in a way, still is) a single-user system -- it can assume whoever logs in is an admin, by default. So, I would say "no", but perhaps someone else knows more than me and can help you with this. I think it's better to understand that Linux and Windows are different, instead of trying to force one to "emulate" the other.

grand aneww

2/14/24, 4:58 AM

That's not needed, I can run sudo on the script just fine. Since it's possible for gdebi to do it, I thought there might be someone who'd be able to point me to some documentation for nautilus API or reflecting gdebi methods in python.

Score:0

Ubuntu

user535733

2/14/24, 12:59 AM

Apt can do it. Apt will figure out dependencies, too.

sudo apt install /path/to/downloaded.deb

Or dpkg can do it. Dpkg won't figure out dependencies.

sudo dpkg --install /path/to/downloaded.deb

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