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Given that Jitsi won't install nicely from apt how is the desktop client currently installed?

There's mention above of using the unstable repo.

These directions won't work for at least one other:

Jitsi
Download
Development
Documentation
    Support and Custom Development

To use our debian/ubuntu stable repository:

install the Jitsi repository key onto your system

wget -qO - https://download.jitsi.org/jitsi-key.gpg.key | sudo apt-key add -

create sources.list.d file with the repository

sudo sh -c "echo 'deb https://download.jitsi.org stable/' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jitsi-stable.list"

update your package list

sudo apt-get -y update

install Jitsi

sudo apt-get -y install jitsi

Adding both repos:

nicholas $ 
nicholas $  wget -qO - https://download.jitsi.org/jitsi-key.gpg.key | sudo apt-key add -
OK
nicholas $ 
nicholas $  sudo sh -c "echo 'deb https://download.jitsi.org stable/' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jitsi-stable.list"
nicholas $ 
nicholas $  sudo sh -c "echo 'deb https://download.jitsi.org unstable/' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jitsi-unstable.list"
nicholas $

commenting out the stable repo and updating:

nicholas $ 
nicholas $ cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jitsi-stable.list 
#deb https://download.jitsi.org stable/
nicholas $ 
nicholas $ sudo apt update
Hit:1 https://download.jitsi.org unstable/ InRelease
Hit:2 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease                  
Hit:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates InRelease
Hit:5 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease
Hit:6 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
214 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
nicholas $

and then trying to install:

nicholas $ 
nicholas $ sudo apt install jitsi
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 resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 jitsi : Depends: libavformat57 but it is not installable or
                  libavformat-ffmpeg56 but it is not installable
         Depends: libavcodec57 but it is not installable or
                  libavcodec-extra57 but it is not installable or
                  libavcodec-ffmpeg56 but it is not installable or
                  libavcodec-ffmpeg-extra56 but it is not installable
         Depends: libavfilter6 but it is not installable or
                  libavfilter-extra6 but it is not installable or
                  libavfilter-ffmpeg5 but it is not installable
         Depends: libavutil55 but it is not installable or
                  libavutil-ffmpeg54 but it is not installable
         Depends: libswscale4 but it is not installable or
                  libswscale-ffmpeg3 but it is not installable
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
nicholas $

which then has unmet dependencies. Oh, the unstable repo:

nicholas $ 
nicholas $ cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jitsi-unstable.list 
deb https://download.jitsi.org unstable/
nicholas $

https://desktop.jitsi.org/Main/DebianRepository.html

Both `universe` and `multiverse` are enabled as:

nicholas $ 
nicholas $ 
nicholas $ sudo add-apt-repository universe
'universe' distribution component is already enabled for all sources.
nicholas $ 
nicholas $ sudo add-apt-repository multiverse
'multiverse' distribution component is already enabled for all sources.
nicholas $ 
nicholas $ cat /etc/apt/sources.list


#deb http://ag-projects.com/ubuntu focal main


deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal main restricted universe multiverse


deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse


deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse


deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse


deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal partner


#deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa - Release amd64 (20200423)]/ focal main restricted


See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to


newer versions of the distribution.


#deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal main restricted


deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal main restricted


Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the


distribution.


#deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted


deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted


N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu


team. Also, please note that software in universe WILL NOT receive any


review or updates from the Ubuntu security team.


#deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal universe


deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal universe


#deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates universe


deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates universe


N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu


team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to


your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in


multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu


security team.


#deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal multiverse


deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal multiverse


#deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates multiverse


deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates multiverse


N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as


extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes


newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.


Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review


or updates from the Ubuntu security team.


#deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse


deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse


Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical's


'partner' repository.


This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by Canonical and the


respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu users.


deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal partner


deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal partner


#deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security main restricted


deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security main restricted


#deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security universe


deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security universe


#deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security multiverse


deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security multiverse


This system was installed using small removable media


(e.g. netinst, live or single CD). The matching "deb cdrom"


entries were disabled at the end of the installation process.


For information about how to configure apt package sources,


see the sources.list(5) manual.


nicholas $
Nicholas Saunders
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    Jitsi will indeed install nicely from apt...when you use the correct package name (which is not "jitsi") – user535733 Sep 07 '20 at 03:47
  • Do you mean jitsi-meet or jitsi for the desktop version @user535733 ? I updated the question with official docs and linked to another person getting the same error from apt. – Nicholas Saunders Sep 07 '20 at 03:48
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    Read this site: https://jitsi.org/downloads/ubuntu-debian-installations-instructions/ The app name is jitsi-meet for the entire suite. – Terrance Sep 07 '20 at 04:56
  • No @Terrance , the package name is jitsi and jitsi-meet is different. Those directions are from the jitsi website as linked: https://desktop.jitsi.org/Main/DebianRepository.html – Nicholas Saunders Sep 07 '20 at 09:27
  • Please edit your question and copy and paste everything you are doing including all error messages you are seeing. We can only guess what you are seeing when you don't show us. If the file name is not found it would help to see that. It would also help to see the output of the commands when you are adding your repository lines as well. – Terrance Sep 07 '20 at 14:23
  • I put everything from the console into the question, @Terrance including apt repo's. – Nicholas Saunders Sep 08 '20 at 11:48
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    OK, it looks like the Universe repository needs to be enabled. One way you can tell is to run apt-cache madison libavformat57 as it is looking for that. It returns that it is in the security/universe. Check in Settings -> Software & Updates in the Ubuntu Software tab and make sure that (Universe) is selected. – Terrance Sep 08 '20 at 14:04
  • Both universe and muliverse are enabled @Terrance which I've also added to the question. – Nicholas Saunders Sep 08 '20 at 19:02
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    OK, I just figured it out. jitsu does not have the updates for 20.04. The 20.04 repositories are updated to the newer versions. 20.04 has libavformat58 and not 57 which is what it is requesting. Without going back to 18.04, installation would be impossible without screwing up your repos. – Terrance Sep 08 '20 at 20:42
  • okay, thanks @Terrance for all the help. unfortunate outcome, but it is what it is. – Nicholas Saunders Sep 09 '20 at 01:26

1 Answers1

1

The development of Jitsi Desktop (formerly SIP Communicator) ceased in the year 2017. It remained as hobby project (source) and to rip out code for other projects like Jitsi Meet. Therefore, if you really want to use Jitsi Desktop, consider to go for Ubuntu 16.04 EMS which is free (source) and an option till the year 2024. When it comes to newer Ubuntu versions:

Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

sudo apt install openjdk-8-jre libavcodec-extra libavfilter-extra libappindicator1
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64/jre/lib/amd64:/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-i386/jre/lib/i386
wget download.jitsi.org/unstable/jitsi-archive-keyring_1.0.1_all.deb
sudo dpkg --install ./jitsi-archive-keyring_1.0.1_all.deb
wget download.jitsi.org/unstable/jitsi_2.11.5624-1_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg --install ./jitsi_2.11.5624-1_amd64.deb
jitsi --debug

I have not tested what happens if the default JRE is installed, which is Java 11. If you run into issues, go for sudo update-alternatives --config java and change to Java 8.

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

Same steps as for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS but one more thing:

a) H.264 video support: not required
You do not need the dependencies to FFmpeg, because those are just recommended libraries. Unluckily the Debian control file is wrong which declares those dependencies as required. Consequently, to run Jitsi Desktop edit that file…

b) H.264 video support: required
If you need the H.264 video codec (or the AMR-WB audio codec), you have to download the jitsi-lgpl-dependencies and compile Jitsi Desktop yourself:

sudo apt install build-essential openjdk-8-jdk ant libavcodec-extra libavfilter-extra libappindicator1
export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64

optionally (if another Java was installed, change to Java 8)


sudo update-alternatives --config javac
sudo update-alternatives --config java


optionally (when you have to re-build Jitsi Desktop)


rm -rf ~/.m2


wget github.com/jitsi/jitsi/archive/3ebd5dfac749e0677377dbc8643dfbbbf4b450fa.tar.gz
tar -xf 3ebd5dfac749e0677377dbc8643dfbbbf4b450fa.tar.gz
cd ./jitsi/


replace the following file:


./lib/installer-exclude/jitsi-lgpl-dependencies-1.2-1-gfc49658.jar


ant make
ant -Dargs="--debug" run

Because the head of Jitsi Desktop is untested, compile errors can happen any day. Then, comment here and I have a look what is broken.

Alexander Traud
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