Whenever I try to install them through the Software Center it will remain at 0% for hours. I instead attempted to install the application I needed by compiling it from source. I needed the build-essential package and tried to install it with apt-get. Now, it tries to install a bunch of dependencies, along with dropbox-nautilus, which just hangs at 100% download for hours as well. Here's the full terminal output:sudo apt-get install build-essentialReading package lists... DoneBuilding dependency tree       Reading state information... DoneThe following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:  libunistring0:i386 libgomp1:i386 libcroco3:i386 libgettextpo0:i386Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.The following extra packages will be installed:  dpkg-dev fakeroot libalgorithm-diff-perl libalgorithm-diff-xs-perl  libalgorithm-merge-perl libdpkg-perlSuggested packages:  debian-keyringThe following NEW packages will be installed:  build-essential dpkg-dev fakeroot libalgorithm-diff-perl  libalgorithm-diff-xs-perl libalgorithm-merge-perl libdpkg-perl0 upgraded, 7 newly installed, 0 to remove and 327 not upgraded.6 not fully installed or removed.Need to get 818 kB of archives.After this operation, 3,169 kB of additional disk space will be used.Do you want to continue [Y/n]? yGet:1 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/main libdpkg-perl all 1.16.1.2ubuntu7.6 [181 kB]Get:2 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/main dpkg-dev all 1.16.1.2ubuntu7.6 [468 kB]Get:3 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise-updates/main build-essential amd64 11.5ubuntu2.1 [5,816 B]Get:4 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main fakeroot amd64 1.18.2-1 [87.2 kB]Get:5 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main libalgorithm-diff-perl all 1.19.02-2 [50.7 kB]Get:6 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main libalgorithm-diff-xs-perl amd64 0.04-2build2 [12.4 kB]Get:7 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main libalgorithm-merge-perl all 0.08-2 [12.7 kB]Fetched 818 kB in 5s (136 kB/s)                 Selecting previously unselected package libdpkg-perl.(Reading database ... 234719 files and directories currently installed.)Unpacking libdpkg-perl (from .../libdpkg-perl_1.16.1.2ubuntu7.6_all.deb) ...Selecting previously unselected package dpkg-dev.Unpacking dpkg-dev (from .../dpkg-dev_1.16.1.2ubuntu7.6_all.deb) ...Selecting previously unselected package build-essential.Unpacking build-essential (from .../build-essential_11.5ubuntu2.1_amd64.deb) ...Selecting previously unselected package fakeroot.Unpacking fakeroot (from .../fakeroot_1.18.2-1_amd64.deb) ...Selecting previously unselected package libalgorithm-diff-perl.Unpacking libalgorithm-diff-perl (from .../libalgorithm-diff-perl_1.19.02-2_all.deb) ...Selecting previously unselected package libalgorithm-diff-xs-perl.Unpacking libalgorithm-diff-xs-perl (from .../libalgorithm-diff-xs-perl_0.04-2build2_amd64.deb) ...Selecting previously unselected package libalgorithm-merge-perl.Unpacking libalgorithm-merge-perl (from .../libalgorithm-merge-perl_0.08-2_all.deb) ...Processing triggers for man-db ...Setting up gdebi-core (0.8.5build1) ...Setting up libcairo-perl (1.081-1build2) ...Setting up libglib-perl (2:1.241-1) ...Setting up libpango-perl (1.222-1build1) ...Setting up libgtk2-perl (2:1.223-1build3) ...Setting up nautilus-dropbox (0.7.1-2) ...Dropbox is the easiest way to share and store your files online. Want to learn more? Head to http://www.dropbox.com/Downloading Dropbox... 100%What is going on here? And how can I fix it? apt-get is completely unusable at the moment.
build-essential tries to install unrelated package nautilus-dropbox
apt;dpkg
It doesn't.sudo apt-get install build-essentialThe following NEW packages will be installed:  build-essential dpkg-dev fakeroot libalgorithm-diff-perl  libalgorithm-diff-xs-perl libalgorithm-merge-perl libdpkg-perlThere isn't nautilus-dropbox package in the list. Your problem is seen later:0 upgraded, 7 newly installed, 0 to remove and 327 not upgraded.6 not fully installed or removed.You have half-installed or unconfigured packages, which I presume is why Software Center also becomes unresponsive.The only way to resolve all these issues is to complete the configuration of those packages:sudo dpkg --configure -aWhich should complete the installation of nautilus-dropbox and any other package. Then install build-essentials per usual and it should work.If for some motive you don't want to install one of the packages being configured, ie. nautilus-dropbox, you can remove them outright:sudo dpkg --remove nautilus-dropbox