Stellarium is in the Software Center and Synaptic, you should just install it
from either.

Gave up on Stellarium 10.6. I'm not the only one having problems. Some can't
even get it to work on Windows XP!

I want to try the last stable version. I've had that running on both XP and 2K
with no problems. Trouble is, I think it came out in June, 2010.
I can download the file, unzip it, but can't install it.

If that doesn't work, then I'll give up. Apparently it isn't Ubuntu, or the ATI
card.

in a terminal:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stellarium/stellarium-releases
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

from:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=10252825

The first command adds the stellarium database/software site (called
repository) to you list of sources to download software from
the second updates that list of sources
The third upgrades installed software

So that should effectively update your existing Stellarium install. There
was also a link to dowload the .deb file for Stellerium 0.10.6 which can be
installed in one click.

In Ubuntu, we run System/Administration/Synaptic Package Manager to install
programs. There are other options, "software center" or the command line, but
Synaptic is a good choice.

Then you "search" (not quick search) for Stellarium. Click the box on that line
and select "Mark for Installation." Then click the Apply button.

Finding a zip on the Internet is a good approach for Windows, but it's a
terrible approach for Linux.

I wish they would change the names. It is too confusing to have both Search
and Quick Search. Quick Search should be called Filter which is what it
really is. I always have to make this parenthetical remark too and it gets
annoying. I prefer Synaptic to Software Centre because it shows me the
dependencies which are more important to me than ratings. It also has more
options to display the packages. You can sort them by origin which is handy
if you have lots of outside sources or find broken packages. It isn't
pretty, but Synaptic just works well. I use either it or apt-get most of the
time. I understand the need for the Software Centre, but it does not work
for me.

Problem is - the Stellarium I want is a downgrade, not up. Does upgrade refer to
any file change?
I was using Synaptic. Synaptic couldn't find the file. The unzipped file is
sitting on the desktop. Search doesn't seem to find the desktop.
Same problem with Cartes de Ciel. I'd also like the Virtual Moon java applet.
It's from the same developer as Cartes.
I'm having trouble dealing with a new set of terms and an OS at the same time. I
need a book that translates terms from MS names to Ubuntu names. Or something
like this: The Android Dictionary (aka "What the hell are they talking
about?!?!")

Do you have the Universe repository enabled? (Under Software Sources.)

The version there is 10.5.

I've been hashing this over at Cloudy Nights. Someone linked to a page that had
instructions to compile Stellarium.
Now I'm wondering:
The choice of Stellarium and Kstars was in the software app (bottom of
applications menu)that lets you choose what to install. (or uninstall) You just
click on what you want and the software app takes care of it. It shows
Stellarium as installed, the icon goes on the bar. Is it possible that the link
to Stellarium is wrong and you do have to compile it? (KStars installed through
that software app and is running with no hassle.)

If what you downloaded from stellararium was their .tar.gz file
for 10.2, Im pretty sure that has to be compiled.

I need the actual command line for universe. I did all the other steps, but
can't find the http://