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I'm a seasoned linux guy trying to set up Ubuntu on my Dell XPS 13 9350. In the past I've been able to get Arch up and running with no problems, yet I'm struggling to install a package in Ubuntu.

The package is libinput, given by xserver-xorg-input-libinput. When I try installing it with apt it responds

The following packages have unmet dependencies.
xserver-xorg-input-libinput : Depends: xserver-xorg-core (>= 2:1.17.99.902)

Trying to install xserver-xorg-core warns that a large number of packages will be removed. Someone on reddit pointed out that a package has been renamed and that's why it can't be installed. Is there any way around this?

EDIT: Output of apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-core xserver-xorg-input-libinput

xserver-xorg-core:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 2:1.18.4-0ubuntu0.2
  Version table:
     2:1.18.4-0ubuntu0.2 500
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates/main amd64 Packages
     2:1.18.3-1ubuntu2 500
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/main amd64 Packages
xserver-xorg-input-libinput:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 0.18.0-1
  Version table:
     0.18.0-1 500
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial/universe amd64 
Packages
Ed R
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  • Why are you installing that package? What result are you expecting? –  Apr 19 '17 at 10:02
  • The Ubuntu repos are usually really good at having everything installable & working, are you using different repositories or PPAs? Are they 100% compatible with your Ubuntu 16.04? – Xen2050 Apr 19 '17 at 10:06
  • libinput provides far better touchpad support than the default installed drivers. And yes, it is in the main repo - I was also able to install it on Ubuntu 16.10 no problem and many tutorials show that this is the correct package to install – Ed R Apr 19 '17 at 10:17
  • Can you [edit] your question to include the result of apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-core xserver-xorg-input-libinput please – steeldriver Apr 19 '17 at 12:01
  • @steeldriver Done - see edit – Ed R Apr 19 '17 at 12:50
  • I don't see why xserver-xorg-core would not be installed - unless your system doesn't have an Xorg subsystem at all (is it a CLI-based server? or running an alternate display server... wayland maybe?) – steeldriver Apr 19 '17 at 12:59
  • @steeldriver I read somewhere that it's been renamed. It's a standard, new 16.04.2 LTS desktop install EDIT: Apparently it was renamed to this xserver-xorg-core-hwe-16.04 – Ed R Apr 19 '17 at 13:23
  • xserver-xorg-core exists and is installed on my 16.04.2 system – steeldriver Apr 19 '17 at 13:58
  • Was yours a fresh install or an upgrade from an earlier version? Me trying to install it causes loads of other packages to be removed including ubuntu-desktop which can't be right – Ed R Apr 19 '17 at 16:26

1 Answers1

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So I submitted a bug report and the response was this:

You're not supposed to have xserver-xorg-input-libinput installable, that's not possible 
because it's bound to the server input ABI

install xserver-xorg-input-libinput-hwe-16.04 instead

Installing the renamed package worked. These appear to have been recently renamed which is where the confusion is coming from.

Ed R
  • 121