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8. Use Debian Packages - Convert deb to rpm

Debian Linux is another popular distribution. You can use the debian packages for Sparc, PowerPC, m68k, MIPS, Alpha, Arm, Intel X86 or Itanium.

8.1 Debian Packing Program

To build real debs that contain software, you'll need: binutils, cpp, cpio, dpkg-dev, file, gcc, libc6-dev, make, patch, perl dh-make, debhelper, devscripts, fakeroot and lintian . If your package needs to prompt the user for configuration information when it installs, get debconf .

The main debian programs you need to get are:

Get these from http://www.debian.org/distrib/packages, go here and type in the search box dpkg-dev or apt-howto and select Stable, Testing or Unstable in the distribution. Download and build on your Unix system (Solaris, AIX, HPUX).

See Debian Package Management , Debian Policy Manual, Debian New Maintainer's Guide and apt+rpm howto.

8.2 Debian to Redhat RPM

To install Debian packages on Sun Solaris 2.8 (Sparc/Ultra-sparc) I downloaded all the debian packages for sparc from http://www.debian.org. Go here and click on distribution->sparc. Better still, purchase the Debian binary and source cdrom for Sparc (or for PowerPC, Alpha). Use alien program to convert the debian packages to redhat rpm.

Get alien program from http://www.rpmfind.net.


solaris# rpm -i alien*.src.rpm
solaris# rpm -ba alien.spec
solaris# rpm -i alien.sparc.rpm
solaris# alien -r glibc*.deb     (..... this will create the rpm file)
solaris# rpm -i glibc-sparc*.rpm

Convert all debian binary packages to rpm and install on Solaris 2.8 OS.

Note alien program works only for binary debian packages.


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