Linux rpm and ubuntu

How to install RPM package on Ubuntu Linux

Software installation packages for Linux systems will sometimes come in the form of an RPM file. These are files intended for installation on RHEL-based Linux distributions like Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora, CentOS, etc. On Ubuntu, the equivalent packages are DEB files. However, it is possible to convert RPM files to DEB and install them on Ubuntu Linux.

In this tutorial, we will go over the step by step instructions to install an RPM file on Ubuntu Linux. An application called Alien can convert RPM packages into DEB files for us, or directly install RPM packages on the fly as it converts them into a format that Ubuntu is compatible with. Follow along with us below to learn how.

In this tutorial you will learn:

• How to install Alien
• How to convert an RPM package to DEB file on Ubuntu
• How to install a DEB file
• How to convert and install an RPM file in one command

Software Requirements and Linux Command Line Conventions

Category	Requirements, Conventions or Software Version Used
System	Ubuntu Linux
Software	Alien
Other	Privileged access to your Linux system as root or via the sudo command.
Conventions	# – requires given linux commands to be executed with root privileges either directly as a root user or by use of sudo command $ – requires given linux commands to be executed as a regular non-privileged user

Install RPM package on Ubuntu Linux step by step instructions

WARNING
Be sure to only install RPM (or DEB) packages from sources that you trust. If the same software is available in your distribution’s official repositories, then it’s much safer and more convenient to just use your system’s package manager to install software.

1. Get started by opening a command line terminal and installing the Alien application, which we will use to install RPMs on Ubuntu.

$ sudo add-apt-repository universe $ sudo apt update $ sudo apt install alien

$ sudo apt install ./package.deb OR $ sudo dpkg -i package.deb

Closing Thoughts

In this tutorial, we saw how to install an RPM package on a Linux system. Although RPM files are intended for RHEL based Linux distributions, the Alien tool allows us to convert these types of packages to DEB files, which Ubuntu has the capability of reading and installing from thanks to the dpkg package manager. This method is not guaranteed to work for every program you download as an RPM file, so you should still try to opt for a DEB file or download from Ubuntu’s official repository whenever possible.

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How to Install RPM Packages on Ubuntu

RPM is a package format used by Red Hat-based derivatives like CentOS, RHEL or Fedora. The name comes from the RPM Package Manager (RPM), a free and open-source package management system for installing, uninstalling, and managing software packages in Linux.

Is it possible to install .rpm files on Debian based distributions like Ubuntu? The answer is yes. However, you need to be careful as it could lead to package dependency conflicts.

Follow the steps in this tutorial to learn how to install .rpm packages on Ubuntu.

• A user account with sudo privileges
• Access to a terminal/command line
• apt package manager (included by default)

Steps to Install an RPM Package on Ubuntu

Install Alien Package

To improve the stability of the installation process, we need to convert the .rpm file to a .deb file format.

Alien is a useful tool that facilitates conversions between Red Hat rpm, Debian deb, Stampede slp, Slackware tsz, and Solaris pkg file formats.

To install Alien follow these steps:

1. Check the status of the Universe distribution component:

sudo add-apt-repository universe

2. Make sure that your repositories are up-to-date:

3. The following command installs the Alien conversion tool:

sudo apt-get install alien

Convert .rpm Files to .deb Format

Now that Alien has been installed, it’s time to convert the files to the .deb format to complete the installation. Go to the folder where the .rpm file is located and enter the following command:

sudo alien packagename.rpm

This command instructs the Alien tool to initiate the conversion process of the .rpm file to a .deb file.

Note: You need to log in as a user with sudo access to install packages on Ubuntu.

Install the converted .rpm package on Ubuntu

Once the conversion has run its course, enter the following command to start the installation:

sudo dpkg –i packagename.deb

You have successfully installed a converted .rpm file on Ubuntu.

How to Install .rpm Package Directly on Ubuntu

The command we’ll use below installs a .rpm package in Ubuntu without previously converting it to a .deb file format.

This command can lead to serious compatibility issues if you attempt to run it with important system packages. RPM was not developed initially for Debian based distributions. As we have already installed Alien, we can use the tool to install RPM packages without the need to convert them first.

To complete this action, enter this command:

sudo alien –i packagename.rpm

You have now directly installed an RPM package on Ubuntu. Keep in mind that installing packages in formats that are not native to Ubuntu can pose a significant risk.

By following the tutorial, you have installed an RPM package on Ubuntu. Understanding the installation processes and the available options significantly reduce the likelihood of something going wrong. Check out our article on how to use the RPM command in Linux.

If you were planning to update essential system packages, a better option would be to use Ubuntu repositories and find adequate alternative packages.

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How to Install and Manage RPM Packages on Ubuntu/Debian System

The RPM packages are built and compiled to use in Fedora and Red Hat-based Linux distributions. The RPM stands for RPM Package Manager. Ubuntu and other Debian distributions use the .deb package. Sometimes, you would not find your desired Debian package for your Ubuntu Linux, but it might be available in RPM compiled version. In that case, some methods allow you to install RPM packages on your Ubuntu Linux system.

RPM Package on Ubuntu/Debian System

Initially, the RPM package management system was built for Red Hat Linux. Later, it became popular and available for Fedora, SuSE Linux, and other Red Hat-based Linux distributions. As Red Hat and Debian both are different Linux systems and both have their package repository, you should be careful while installing the RPM packages on a Ubuntu Linux to avoid dependency errors. This post will see how you can install RPM packages on your Ubuntu and other Debian Linux distributions.

Step 1: Install Alien Package on Debian System

In Linux, the Alien application is a distribution-package converter for Debian Linux. It can convert RPM packages to Debian format. You can run the following command on your Ubuntu terminal shell with root privileges to install the Alien package on your Debian system.

Step 2: Download an RPM Package

The Alien tool will allow installing the RPM package on your Ubuntu system. But you can’t use the YUM or DNF commands to install RPM packages through the Red Hat’s repository; you need to convert an RPM package to Debian format.

First, you have to download your desired RPM package on your system. Let’s download an RPM package and convert it to RPM. Here, I will download the RPM package of Google Chrome to demonstrate the process. You can pick another RPM packages as well. Click here to download the RPM package of Google Chrome.

Step 3: Install RPM Packages on Debian Linux

There are two methods of installing an RPM package on a Ubuntu system. You can convert an .rpm package to a .deb package or you can install an RPM package directly on your Debian system through the Alien tool. Here, we will cover both ways to install an RPM package on a Debian Linux system.

Method 1: Convert and Install an RPM Package on Ubuntu

After installing the Alien tool on your Debian Linux, you may now convert the rpm package you have downloaded earlier. You can follow the process given below to make the package conversion. Run the following command on your terminal shell to convert an RPM package to Debian format. Don’t forget to replace the path and package name with yours.

sudo alien google-chrome-stable_current_x86_64.rpm

While the conversion is successful, you can now run either the dpkg command or apt install command on your terminal shell to install the RPM package on your Ubuntu Linux.

Dpkg command to install a package on Ubuntu.

sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_88.0.4324.96-2_amd64.deb

The apt command to install a package on Ubuntu.

sudo apt install ./google-chrome-stable_88.0.4324.96-2_amd64.deb

Method 2: Install an RPM Package Directly on Ubuntu

This is the straightforward process of installing an rpm package on a ubuntu-desktop. First, open the directory where you downloaded the .rpm package, then run the following Alien command on your terminal shell to install the package directly on your Ubuntu or other Debian-based Linux distributions.

sudo alien -i google-chrome-stable_current_x86_64.rpm

Ending Words

Installing an RPM package on a Debian system is not a complicated task, but you might see some mismatches on the package. Sometimes, the package might not show the default icon, or you could rarely see a minor dependency error on your system. However, I have described what an RPM package is and how you can install it on a Ubuntu desktop and other Debian-based Linux distributions in the entire post.

If you find this post useful and informative, please share it with your friends and the Linux community. We also encourage you to write down your opinions regarding this post in the comment section.

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