apt-get install doesn't work at all

[theman]

Hi guys, I've just installed Kali and I can't install anything using the terminal. Before I used Ubuntu and I could've installed almost anything I needed using the command apt-get install. Now each time I type it I get a message like this:

apt-get install pidgin
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Package pidgin 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 'pidgin' has no installation candidate

Could you please give me a hint on how to solve this problem? Thanks a lot in advance!

[zimmaro]

Hi guys, I've just installed Kali and I can't install anything using the terminal. Before I used Ubuntu and I could've installed almost anything I needed using the command apt-get install. Now each time I type it I get a message like this:

apt-get install pidgin
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Package pidgin 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 'pidgin' has no installation candidate

Could you please give me a hint on how to solve this problem? Thanks a lot in advance!

hi
if this can help you....
1)checks to see if your internet connection is active
2)check to see if your list of repositorie is "BASIC" && your ""mirrors" are active
3)check whether the package (ES: pidgin) is part of repositorie and any dependencies
4)install package and any dependencies
5)join package

http://imageshack.us/f/594/vv0z.png/
@zoom 1600x1200

[rogueit]

hi
2)check to see if your list of repositorie is "BASIC" && your ""mirrors" are active

Can you tell me how to check to see if my "mirrors" are active. I am getting the 404 Not found error when I try to apt-get upgrade.

[blackMORE]

Can you tell me how to check to see if my "mirrors" are active. I am getting the 404 Not found error when I try to apt-get upgrade.

By visiting this URL: http://http.kali.org/README.mirrorlist from browser. If you can get to it, means connections from browser is working as expected. There might be different problem with networking/aptitude, so I am not going into that.
Did you check your official repos? If not follow this guide to fix it.
Also g0tm1lk got wrote a nice guide on how to manually switch mirrors which is available in this forum. Look around or you might just follow this guide

If pidgin is not available in repo follow their official doco to install or build it from source. Pidgin official page here
Hope this helps.

[rogueit]

I think between the network problem being taken care of and "apt-get clean". it sorted itself out.

thanks