Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

How To: Convert any package from one format to another (using "alien")

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    How To: Convert any package from one format to another (using "alien")

    This How To documents (1) method of converting packages from one format to another using the "alien" package (if you do not have this installed, open Konsole and type "sudo apt-get install alien")

    The formats you can choose between (convert from and to) are:
    --to-deb (.deb [or] Debian package)
    --to-rpm (.rpm [or] Red Hat package)
    --to-slp (.slp [or] Stampede package)
    --to-lsb (.lsb [or] LSB package)
    --to-tgz (.tar.gz [or] Slackware package)
    --to-pkg (.pkg [or] Solaris package)

    1) With alien installed, open Konsole and 'cd' to the directory within which your desired package is located (in Konsole, type "cd" followed the directory name; if it's on your desktop, you would type "cd ~/Desktop").

    2) Still in Konsole, type "sudo alien --to-* (package name) (* denotes the format you want to convert to; say you wanted to convert the imaginary package abc123.tar.gz to a Debian package, you would type "sudo alien --to-deb abc123.tar.gz" [it would create the package abc123.deb])

    That's it! Your done! Pretty simple huh? (You can use this to convert a package in one format to your native format; in Kubuntu, the native format is .deb, and as such, you can convert any of the above formats to the .deb format which is a one-click executable installation package in Kubuntu, similar to .exe packages in Window$.)

    This public message brought to you in part by integr8e. Thank you for taking the time out of your incredibly busy, hectic, mind boggling day to read this post, I guarantee your attention is appreciated greatly by the author of this How To. All comments/suggestions are more than welcome; have a totally great, super awesome, absolutely amazing, completely incredible, God (Jesus) blessed day and night, and tomorrow, and the day after that, and all successive days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries, millennia, and ultimately eternity. Always remember, SSWJ - Stay(ing) Strong With Jesus, always
    Asus G1S-X3:
    Intel Core2 Duo T7500, Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT, 4Gb PC2-5300, 320Gb Hitachi 7k320, Linux ( )

    #2
    Re: How To: Convert any package from one format to another (using "alien&quot

    Please include a warning that this should only be taken as a last resort, when no native package is available. It is even less recommended than compiling your own package. A non-native package (for example an .rpm) even if converted to a native package (like .deb for Kubuntu) still has the potential to ruin a system. It can place files in wrong places or place wrong files in important places. So use with caution.
    Jucato's Data Core

    Comment


      #3
      Re: How To: Convert any package from one format to another (using "alien&quot

      True indeed! I like to use KPackage to install .deb apps because it provides a feature that uninstalls everything it installs (in case I manage to goof up my system, which I happen to have done more times than I probably can count, at least, I don't want to try to count them). Dunno' if others like KPackage, but I do
      Asus G1S-X3:
      Intel Core2 Duo T7500, Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT, 4Gb PC2-5300, 320Gb Hitachi 7k320, Linux ( )

      Comment


        #4
        Re: How To: Convert any package from one format to another (using "alien&quot

        Originally posted by integr8e
        ...because it provides a feature that uninstalls everything it installs ...
        But, if the installation overwrote a file (or files) in the process, you are still going to have issues, as the uninstall can't replace a file (or files) that got so destroyed.
        Windows no longer obstructs my view.
        Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
        "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes

        Comment

        Working...
        X