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I am using elementary OS Freya. I was unable to install Skype. I've formatted my laptop and installed Freya (twice), same thing. Can't install Skype, same error:

luffy@luffy-Satellite-C850-B797:~$ sudo apt-get install skype
[sudo] password for luffy: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 skype : Depends: skype-bin but it is not installable
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

Update, Additional requested outputs:

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  • 1
    Please edit and add output of sudo apt-get install skype to question
    – Ravan
    Commented Dec 31, 2015 at 6:44
  • 2
    Could you provide the output of apt-cache policy $(apt-rdepends skype 2>/dev/null | grep "^[a-zA-Z]" | sort | paste -s -d" ") ? BTW, you need to install apt-rdepends , use sudo apt-get install apt-rdepends
    – user.dz
    Commented Dec 31, 2015 at 7:07
  • tnx @Sneetsher, I did what youve suggested i got this: Link
    – ericb 1925
    Commented Dec 31, 2015 at 7:22
  • Try this: askubuntu.com/questions/488053/how-to-install-skype-4-3
    – bigbang
    Commented Dec 31, 2015 at 7:30
  • 1
    @ericb1925 , could you join the chat room here
    – user.dz
    Commented Dec 31, 2015 at 13:46

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
4

This is the normal result (unmet dependencies) with apt-get when there is a need to remove or replace a package with its other arch. The message is clear in aptitude command:

  xdg-user-dirs : Conflicts: xdg-user-dirs:i386 but 0.15-1ubuntu3+elementary4~ubuntu14.04.1 is to be installed.
  xdg-user-dirs:i386 : Conflicts: xdg-user-dirs but 0.15-1ubuntu3+elementary4~ubuntu14.04.1 is installed.

  1. Install xdg-user-dirs-gtk with i386 arch and let it replace amd64 one.

    sudo apt-get install xdg-user-dirs-gtk:i386

    It should remove only two packages and install two. Removes: xdg-user-dirs-gtk:amd64 & xdg-user-dirs:amd64 , Installs: xdg-user-dirs-gtk:i386 & xdg-user-dirs:i386

  2. Now, install skype

    sudo apt-get install skype

    If it doesn't work try to install Skype without recommended packages.

    sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends skype

    (Usually recommended packages are for medium options)

Here the information requested that help debug the problem:

  • Check if all repository components and update channels enabled

    grep -r "^deb" /etc/apt/sources.list*

  • Trace the dependency resolver using apt debug option

    apt-get -s -o Debug::pkgProblemResolver=yes install skype-bin
echo q | aptitude -s install skype

  • The available versions of conflict package

    apt-cache policy xdg-user-dirs xdg-user-dirs-gtk xdg-user-dirs:i386 xdg-user-dirs-gtk:i386

However, I still think that this a bug in a package dependency.

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