BleepingComputer.com: How To Install

I didn't really want to start a new thread for this, but after I searched* all over the forums - after first trying to figure it out for myself - I'll here to ask a question that will probably be ansered with a single post. Actually, two questions.

How do I install .rpm files? And do they have to be in the root directory to do it?

One night I was using alien -i [path/filename] to try and install something, and I was having no success. As an experiment, I copied the file to the rott directory and presto! no problem. The problem with that approach is that I don't think it's a good idea to download everything I might want to play with to /root. I'd much rather put downloads in a folder named something like "Downloads" and work with them from there.

But, anyways, what do I do with .rpm files?



* I had no success. The search function rejected every variant of "install .rpm" I could think of. Doesn't like the "*" character, or anything else I tried.

Depends on the Distro. on Debian Based Distros you have to use "alien" to convert them to .deb files. Basic usage of alien works like this
Ubuntu example

sudo alien -d /directory/tree/package.rpm

Standard "Root user" Linux Example

 Su

Insert root password

alien -d /directory/tree/package.rpm

after alien spits out the *.deb file. Right click the icon ans select "Install with Insert package manager name"
If your using a RedHat Linux derivative (RPM=Redhat Package Manager) just right click the icon that you downloaded and select "Install with Insert package manager name"

If you dont know feel free to ask

BTW -d is how alien knows to spit out a .deb file

BlackSpyder, on Sep 27 2007, 08:56 PM, said:

OK, thanks. I was using alien -i, because that's what the installation instruction said to do*, but this way makes more sense. I did manage to get it to give me an error message about creating a <filename>.deb file. At that time I was trying it under "fakeroot". They procedure you've outlined will probably solve the problem.



* Sometimes you're better off ignoring instructions.