Member Avatar for mariko

I open the Ubuntu Software Center and I search for Scribus. It shows three options and I choose one. A blank window appears. The window should, instead, give me the option to download what I chose. I am a total noob and I apologize in advance. Thanks!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by rithu.soumyaj

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Quick summary: ’s command-line install fixed the immediate problem for because it bypassed the Software Center GUI and installed the package directly. That’s a perfectly good workaround — but if the Software Center window itself stays blank for you, the GUI is the thing to diagnose and repair so future installs work from the GUI again. Mentioned below are quick, safe checks and progressive troubleshooting steps that have helped others.

Try these first (fast checks)

  • Close all Software Center windows, then restart it from a terminal so you can watch any error output.
  • If a temporary hang happened, killing the running Software Center process or simply rebooting often clears it.
  • Check the Software Center log (it lives under your user cache) for tracebacks or repeated errors — that log is the best immediate clue. (askubuntu.com)

If the problem keeps happening (more persistent fixes)

  • Back up then clear the Software Center caches and local config (user cache and config directories) and then restart the app. This removes any corrupted UI state that can produce a blank pane.
  • If that doesn’t help, reinstalling the Software Center package (or the modern equivalent on newer releases) fixes broken installations or damaged Python/GObject bindings the GUI depends on. Be careful with removal commands — back up config before deleting. (help.ubuntu.com)

Notes and alternatives

  • Using the terminal or another package manager (Synaptic / apt) to install packages is a fine stopgap while you fix the GUI — it won’t harm the system and is what solved ’s case. If the machine is a newer Ubuntu release, the “Ubuntu Software” app may be the Snap/GNOME-based store rather than the old Software Center; troubleshooting steps differ slightly by version. (help.ubuntu.com)

If help is still needed, capture the output from starting the app in a terminal and paste the last 20–50 lines of the log (or error trace) so the root cause can be identified.

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Member Avatar for JasonHippy

Hmm, very unusual. Not sure what could be causing that, never seen any bugs like that before in the software centre.
Have you tried installing it from the command line instead?

If you open up a terminal in Ubuntu (You can do this by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or by going to Applications->Accessories->Terminal) and enter the following command:

sudo apt-get update

After pressing enter, you'll be prompted for your password.
Enter your password and an up to date list of software will be downloaded.
Next enter the following:

sudo apt-get install scribus

Now Scribus and all of it's dependencies will be downloaded and installed on your machine.
Once that's done you can close the terminal by typing the exit command or by clicking on the X button to close the window.

Member Avatar for mariko

That worked amazingly! Thank you so much!

Member Avatar for rithu.soumyaj

can u plzzzzzzz help me almost the same prob here wen i click on the software cente a blank screen appears wat shud i do

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