Ubuntu release info: 18.04.6 LTS
Computer: ASUS K50i Laptop
Configuration: Single private user and no network
I am trying to install "Visual Studio Code " from the OEM website and have worked from the same website using it's install webpage. I am selecting the "Setting up Visual Studio Code" webpge instructions for the Debian and Ubuntu distributions. There are three methods offered and I have tried all of them today. I get various errors and the automatic method posts several messages to the terminal window. Since I am quite new to Ubuntu I am in need of help working through questions I'm sure seasoned users may find trivial. For that I apologize.
I can determin by one or two of the messages posted to the terminal that the install needs libraries that are not installed on this system. First problem is that I don't know where to find them and then how to install them without running into dependency problems of their own.
As I mentioned the install website offers three install options and the second one is recommended for aan "older Linux distribution" It is confusing because this method falls under the Ubuntu Install catecory but "older Linux distrubution" to me means it could refer to othe distributions- that is the remark is anything but specific.
Since a picture is worth a thousand words I'm including a scree capture of the termoinal window after running the "automatic" install option. Above the white line is where I ran the install instruction method 1. Below the white line is the result of my running the recommended fix.
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS is only now supported by Canonical, through ESM. Why ask for support on an unsupported release?
Also note if you re-read your screen; your issue is your choice of an EOL or EOSS release; any supported release of Ubuntu-MATE would NOT have the older packages that create your issue.
You would need to find a newer version of libc6 and install it on your system and it would have to be ABI (and otherwise) compatible with every other package on your system. Chances of that seem slim.
One possible solution is to use VSCodium; there are many earlier releases that may have less up-to-date requirements.
I am curious how "quite new to Ubuntu" tracks with using a release from 6 years ago
Considering your note I'd suppose that there are no unavoidable reasons which prohibit you from installing the current Ubuntu Mate release. My sincere suggestion is to install UM 24.04 first.
Good reply. I was unaware that the version I downloaded years ago and just recently reinstalled on the K50i was that much out of date.
I'm a bit disappointed though that backward compatibility is such an issue with a Linux O.S. as well. The reason I am inclined to turn my back on Microsoft's releases is their rapacious sundowning of products. I suppose that is the reality though of personal computer engagement. I have seen enough systems go like water over the damn since I first started programming Fortran on a proprietary IBM 1401.
The only hesitation about going to UM24.04 is that it may not run on the K50I laptop. I will start the download shortly and then see what happens.
I wonder though if I have to delete the older version? I really don't know how that process is do if so.
I tested UM 24.04 on a ASUS G51J recently - similar era but higher spec; no compatibility issues at all - except for the cursed NVIDIA drivers (story for another time).
Other than UM 24.04 getting a bit bloaty (in terms of storage); I can't imagine any problems.
This is one of the main criticisms of Linux distributions and libraries that are widely adopted across them. libc is one of the culprits (offenders?), but even the kernel "breaks user-space" as it gets developed.
Your reply encouraged me to try installing the latest release.
I downloaded the offline installer because my system is not yet highly customized so I expected to just reinstall some of the things I got setup initially.
However for the benefit of any others out there facing a similar situation as I, I have good news.
I opened the "Software & Updates" tool of the "Control Center" and it gave me the option to upgrade to 24.04 After a few hours (of white-knuckling) I watched the progress bars and replying mostly affirmatively when prompted about choices, the upgrade completed successfully. The added benefit was that my desktop remained unchanged and it appears some of my device drivers already installed remained functional.
All in all it was a pretty good result.
Now I am left to see whether the Visual Studio Code installation will go as well.
