Ubuntu 16: google-chrome-stable : Depends: libappindicator1 but it is not going to be installed

Question

I installed Ubuntu 16 desktop a few weeks ago. Added Chrome and all fine. However now when I try sudo apt-get install ffmpeg, I get this error message:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt-get -f install' to correct these:
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 google-chrome-stable : Depends: libappindicator1 but it is not going to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

What's the problem and what should I do?

Solution

You can run sudo apt-get -f install, as suggested by the error message. This should install any needed dependencies and resolve the issue. (Alternatively, you could use Synaptic, Aptitude, or another package manager to resolve the dependency issue.)

As @grooveplex pointed out, the -f stands for --fix-broken, not "force", and should not cause any damage to your system.

Comments

[Admin]

What happens when you run sudo apt-get -f install, as suggested by the error message?

[Admin]

Also, do you get any errors with sudo apt-get update?

[Admin]

@nick I am typically wary of resorting to -f commands before I am sure I fathom all the implications. No errors in for sudo apt-get update.

[Admin]

Well you have some unresolved dependencies that need to be resolved somehow. If you really don't want to run sudo apt-get -f install, you'll need to use Aptitude, Synaptic, or another package-management tool to resolve the dependency issues.

[Admin]

@matt I think I understand your concern but fear not, -f in the context of apt-get doesn't mean 'force', but it's short for --fix-broken. From man apt-get: "Fix; attempt to correct a system with broken dependencies in place". You can safely run sudo apt-get install -f.

[Admin]

@NickWeinberg I followed your advice, and it solved the issue and got the package I was trying to install installed. Care to make it the answer? I am clueless how I got to broken dependencies in a few weeks' old 16.04 installation that has gone nearly zero tinkering, but the apt-get install -f managed to fix it. Hopefully it had not also left ugly surprises for later....

[Videonauth]

You might be able to be more elaborate on how to install it. At the current state this is more a comment as an answer.