How to install ia32-libs on 12.04 LTS (32 Bit)

Question

I am trying to install ia32-libs on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (x86). I enabled all the repository sources but I'm receiving the error message below:

~$ sudo apt-get install ia32-libs  
Reading package lists... Done  
Building dependency tree         
Reading state information... Done  
Package ia32-libs is not available, but is referred to by another package.  
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or  
is only available from another source  

E: Package 'ia32-libs' has no installation candidate

output of sudo apt-cache policy ia32-libs

ia32-libs:  
  Installed: (none)  
  Candidate: (none)  
  Version table:  

output of cat /etc/apt/sources.list (removed similar hyperlinks)

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise restricted main multiverse universe  
deb-src archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise restricted main multiverse universe #Added by software-properties  
deb security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security main restricted universe multiverse  
deb-src security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-security main restricted universe multiverse #Added by software-properties  
deb archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates main restricted universe multiverse  
deb-src archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates main restricted universe multiverse #Added by software-properties

Solution

That package is only needed when running certain 32 Bit applications on a 64 Bit version of Ubuntu. On 32 Bit / i386 architecture everything (applications, libraries etc) is 32 Bit.

Since you are not trying to install that package for the sake of doing so, what software are you trying to install and what guide or how to do you use?

Comments

[Eliah Kagan]

Did you run sudo apt-get update after enabling the software sources (repositories)? If not, you should try this and then run sudo apt-get install ia32-libs again. Also, what is the output of apt-cache policy ia32-libs? And what is the output of cat /etc/apt/sources.list? This will provide detailed information about what software sources are enabled and how they are enabled. You should edit your question to add this information. (Code, like text from the Terminal, can be highlighted as such with the <$> button in the editing toolbar, which makes it easier to read.)

[Takkat]

Just to have mentioned it: ia32-libs will not be available for a i386 32-bit Ubuntu (it already is 32-bit).

[Dcm1405]

@Eliah, You are correct. I ran apt-get-update and saw the repositories being updated (I posted their output). The original issue is that a while back I installed the ia32-libs on another 64-bit box and didn't realize it was not needed here in the 32-bit one. The software I was installing is SQL Anywhere 12.

[Ravi]

Games like Enemy territory needs 32-bit libraries.....