Thank you for the fast response.

I had a typo in my original message. when I said 7.1.2, I really meant 7.2. I originally installed it using the freesurfer-linux-ubuntu18_amd64-7.2.0.tar.gz archive file.  The issue with the binaries was with 7.2.0. 

I uninstalled that version and I am trying to re-install it using the .deb file. 

 I am getting the following error message while trying to install freesurfer_7.2.0_amd64.deb as suggested:

$ sudo apt-get install ./freesurfer_7.2.0_amd64.deb

Reading package lists... Done

Building dependency tree      

Reading state information... Done

Note, selecting 'freesurfer' instead of './freesurfer_7.2.0_amd64.deb'

Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have

requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable

distribution that some required packages have not yet been created

or been moved out of Incoming.

The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:

 freesurfer : Depends: xorg-dev but it is not going to be installed

E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

any thoughts?

--Luis