Unable to locate php5

Question

when I gave the sudo apt-get install php5 command it responds with and error message "unable to locate php5"

Solution

Well it's definitely in there (proof below and here).

oli@tim:~$ apt-cache policy php5
php5:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 5.3.3-1ubuntu9.3
  Version table:
     5.3.3-1ubuntu9.3 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main i386 Packages
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-security/main i386 Packages
     5.3.3-1ubuntu9 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main i386 Packages
oli@tim:~$ 
oli@tim:~$ cat /etc/lsb-release 
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=10.10
DISTRIB_CODENAME=maverick
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 10.10"

Suggestions:

• Is this a new system? Have you run sudo apt-get update yet?

• Is your /etc/apt/sources.list hopelessly corrupted? At the very least it should have some of the following:

  deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick main restricted universe multiverse 
  deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-security main restricted universe multiverse 
  deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates main restricted universe multiverse 
  deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu maverick partner
  

Comments

[Nicolas Raoul]

Could you please post the content of your /etc/apt/sources.list file?

[Oli]

You need maverick-security too to ensure you get the security fixes (very important for internet facing services).