Linux Mint 18 isn’t perfect.
It’s not what’s in Mint 18, it’s what’s missing from the new release that makes it so frustrating. The problem of missing dependencies and programs was first discovered in the Beta release.
The solution, however, can be a bit complex for newer users. Extracting .deb files from either an installed copy of Linux Mint 13/17.x or from the Live DVD version takes a bit of time, but does not require any command line knowledge.
Picasa, which is no longer supported by Google, is still a fantastic program that is absent from the Linux Mint 18 repositories. Despite that fact, Picasa will run on Linux Mint 18 if you have the .deb file.
Step 1:
Boot an Internet connected computer into Linux Mint 13 or 17.x.
Step 2:
Go to the Main Menu > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager. If required, enter your password.
Step 3:
Click on the Search button at the top to locate Picasa. Then click the other Search button.
Step 4:
Locate Picasa in the list.
Step 5:
Right-click on the entry and select “Mark for Installation.”
Step 6:
Don’t let this worry you!
Many Linux programs can require huge numbers of dependencies to be installed. You only need one of these 117 files.
Click on the Mark button.
Step 7:
Click the Apply button at the top of the Synaptic screen.
Step 8:
Place a check mark in the box next to “Download package files only” and click the Apply button.
Step 9:
Wait for the package files to download.
Step 10:
Right-click again on the Picasa entry and select “Unmark” from the list.
Step 11:
If you receive an error message, click the Mark button and ignore it.
Step 12:
Close Synaptic. If you get another error message, click the Quit button and ignore it as well.
Step 13:
Open the Home folder (usually located on the desktop) and select “File System” from the list on the left-hand side.
Step 14:
Navigate to the var > cache > apt folder.
Step 15:
Right-click on the archives folder and select “Open as administrator” from the list (unless you are using a Live DVD).
Step 16:
Click and drag the .deb file called Picasa out of the folder and drop it on the desktop.
You can also right-click on the file and select “Copy” from the context menu and then right-click anywhere on the desktop and select “Paste” to access the file.
You can now move this file to a flash drive or external hard drive or use NitroShare to transfer the file to your Linux Mint 18 computer for installation.
Close the Home folder.
Step 17:
If you are extracting files using a Live DVD, you’re done.
If you are extracting files using an installed version of Linux Mint 13/17.x, you can use Ubuntu Tweak to safely delete the 117 downloaded files still in the archives folder.
I was able to easily install Picasa on Linux Mint 18 using this method. All the dependencies that were required were in the Linux Mint 18 repositories.
__________
Gnubiff:
Gnubiff is a wonder program that notifies users when new email arrives. Unfortunately, the version currently included in the Linux Mint 18 repositories doesn’t work worth a flip!
I recommend you download and use version 2.2.15 under the heading of The Wily Werewolf.
