Cant figure out how to install apps from downloaded files

Hello, I have just started using Qubes and it has been fun learning how to use but I have run into problems with downloading applications onto Qubes through downloaded files I know that there is repositories to pull from but I either didnt use the right one or it doesn’t have what im looking for. I have been working at this for days and Im 100% sure the only issue is my lack of understanding but I would like to fix that any help would be appreciated.

Im not sure how much or what information I should put here so sorry if its lacking. The first file I tried to install was a .deb file on the debian 13 xfce template, The command I used was " sudo dpkg -i <filename.deb> " and I got " Cannot access archive No such file or directory " I then tried specifying the directory the file was in " sudo dpkg -i <filename.deb> /path/to/file/ " and got the same error message. At first I didn’t think I had sudo permission on that qube so I tried booting it into the “sysmaint” user from the settings and found out you can only do that on a whonix qube after a while I was starting to think maybe xfce doesn’t have access to the file manager but everything I read said otherwise. Eventually I gave up on trying to install a .deb and tried a .zip, The command I used was " sudo apt Install <filename.zip> " and this gave me two separate error messages as follows: " Unable to locate package <filename.zip> " and " Couldn’t find any package by glob 'filename " Then I tried using " sudo apt-get install <filename.zip> " and the output read:

Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree… Done
Reading state information… Done
E: Unable to locate package <filename.zip>
E: Couldn’t find any package by glob <filename.zip>
E: Couldn’t find any package by regex <filename.zip>

I left a few attempts out because I don’t remember everything I tried but you get the gist of how it went. Im sure this was a hard read for anybody experienced but thank you for sitting through it if I left out anything important please let me know.

The failure is not specific to Qubes OS. You need to ask this in a general Linux place, or a Debian one.

My only suggestion is that you clone the template where you’re trying your commands to learn without breaking something or doing an insecure operation.

should I go to a debian forum? or just any linux forum in general

dpkg and apt are related to Debian, so it might be better to ask Debian users

ok thank you

You can’t install .zip’s with apt/dpkg, sudo apt install ./[filename.deb] should always work.

I tried " sudo apt install ./[filename.deb] " and got " unsupported file ./[filename.deb] given on command line"

What’s the source of the .deb? Sounds like it’s not really a .deb. I can try it myself.

I downloaded it from here Bisq Downloads ‹ Bisq - A decentralized bitcoin exchange network

Works for me


(don’t use wget, it’s insecure)

so it worked for you?

now that I look closer the file I have and the one it says you were downloading have different version numbers

edit: its because I was trying to download bisq 1 instead of bisq 2

so i downloaded the file you used and got " unsupported file given on command line " again. not sure what im doing wrong

I do not know what you are doing wrong.
The package has serious errors but it can be installed.

Download the file.
cd to wherever you downloaded the file.
dpkg -i ./Bisq-2.1.10.deb
apt --fix-broken install

You should probably learn something about using the tools you have.

I never presume to speak for the Qubes team.
When I comment in the Forum I speak for myself.

I’m closing this topic because it’s not related to Qubes OS (as mentioned before).