Alien is a program that converts between Red Hat rpm, Debian deb, Stampede slp, Slackware tgz, and Solaris pkg file formats.
When do you need Alien?
At the time you want to install a program meanwhile the only package available is from another linux distribution. For an example, your linux package is Red Head Package (.rpm) but you are using Ubuntu which use Debian Package (.deb) then you will need Alien.
How to install the program?
taufanlubis@toshiba:/usr/src/sources$ sudo apt-get install alien
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
python2.4-minimal python2.4 tango-icon-theme-common tango-icon-theme
Use ‘apt-get autoremove’ to remove them.
The following extra packages will be installed:
debhelper gettext html2text intltool-debian libbeecrypt6 libneon25 librpm4 po-debconf rpm
Suggested packages:
lsb-rpm lintian dh-make cvs gettext-doc
Recommended packages:
libmail-sendmail-perl libcompress-zlib-perl
The following NEW packages will be installed:
alien debhelper gettext html2text intltool-debian libbeecrypt6 libneon25 librpm4 po-debconf rpm
0 upgraded, 10 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 4228kB of archives.
After unpacking 15.1MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main html2text 1.3.2a-3build1 [90.6kB]
Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main gettext 0.16.1-2ubuntu3 [1552kB]
Get:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main intltool-debian 0.35.0+20060710.1 [31.6kB]
Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main po-debconf 1.0.9 [117kB]
Get:5 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main debhelper 5.0.51ubuntu3 [526kB]
Get:6 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main libbeecrypt6 4.1.2-6build1 [108kB]
Get:7 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main libneon25 0.25.5.dfsg-6build1 [103kB]
Get:8 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main librpm4 4.4.1-14.1ubuntu2 [991kB]
Get:9 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main rpm 4.4.1-14.1ubuntu2 [603kB]
Get:10 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/main alien 8.68 [104kB]
Fetched 4228kB in 60s (69.9kB/s)
Selecting previously deselected package html2text.
(Reading database … 102722 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking html2text (from …/html2text_1.3.2a-3build1_i386.deb) …
Selecting previously deselected package gettext.
Unpacking gettext (from …/gettext_0.16.1-2ubuntu3_i386.deb) …
Selecting previously deselected package intltool-debian.
Unpacking intltool-debian (from …/intltool-debian_0.35.0+20060710.1_all.deb) …
Selecting previously deselected package po-debconf.
Unpacking po-debconf (from …/po-debconf_1.0.9_all.deb) …
Selecting previously deselected package debhelper.
Unpacking debhelper (from …/debhelper_5.0.51ubuntu3_all.deb) …
Selecting previously deselected package libbeecrypt6.
Unpacking libbeecrypt6 (from …/libbeecrypt6_4.1.2-6build1_i386.deb) …
Selecting previously deselected package libneon25.
Unpacking libneon25 (from …/libneon25_0.25.5.dfsg-6build1_i386.deb) …
Selecting previously deselected package librpm4.
Unpacking librpm4 (from …/librpm4_4.4.1-14.1ubuntu2_i386.deb) …
Selecting previously deselected package rpm.
Unpacking rpm (from …/rpm_4.4.1-14.1ubuntu2_i386.deb) …
Selecting previously deselected package alien.
Unpacking alien (from …/archives/alien_8.68_all.deb) …
Setting up html2text (1.3.2a-3build1) …
Setting up gettext (0.16.1-2ubuntu3) …
Setting up intltool-debian (0.35.0+20060710.1) …
Setting up po-debconf (1.0.9) …
Setting up debhelper (5.0.51ubuntu3) …
Setting up libbeecrypt6 (4.1.2-6build1) …
Setting up libneon25 (0.25.5.dfsg-6build1) …
Setting up librpm4 (4.4.1-14.1ubuntu2) …
Setting up rpm (4.4.1-14.1ubuntu2) …
Setting up alien (8.68) …
Processing triggers for libc6 …
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
taufanlubis@toshiba:/usr/src/sources$ ls
How to use it?
Convert from RPM to DEB (alien -d)
But not all packages can be converted correctly. Some may still produce errors.
taufanlubis@toshiba:~/MyData/Packages$ sudo alien -d jre-6u2-linux-i586.rpm
Warning: Skipping conversion of scripts in package jre: postinst postrm prerm
Warning: Use the –scripts parameter to include the scripts.
jre_1.6.0_02-1_i386.deb generated
taufanlubis@toshiba:~/MyData/Packages$
Convert from DEB to RPM (alien-r)
You can convert also from DEB to RPM. Some work perfectly.
taufanlubis@toshiba:~/MyData/Packages$ sudo alien -r pytube_0.0.8.1-1_all.deb
pytube-0.0.8.1-2.noarch.rpm generated
taufanlubis@toshiba:~/MyData/Packages$
[...] este software: sua existência e as opções essenciais. Se quiser saber um pouco mais, leia Alien – Convert RPM to DEB or DEB to RPM, ou o site do [...]
piece of shit. I followed the instuctions exatly and all it gives me is errors. why doesn’t someone build a graphical application to do this?
The most powerful part of Linux is the command line– it gives much more versatility and is quite powerful. If you can’t get alien to work for you, try looking at the man pages or compile the program from the source. Linux is not Windows– there are not as many graphical user interfaces… besides, maybe someone already put it into .deb form on a forum somewhere…
Bangor car dealers and realtors: It’ s a race to see who can rip you off the most.
i use the method but error occur says :
Warning: Skipping conversion of scripts in package RealPlayer: postinst postrm preinst
Warning: Use the –scripts parameter to include the scripts.
Unpacking of ‘RealPlayer-10.0.8_10.0.9-0.2_2.2.i586.delta.rpm’ failed at /usr/share/perl5/Alien/Package/Rpm.pm line 155.
what should i do?
yeah cool, just get a file not found error, console commands=typing in random giberish that never works
thats why god invented gui’s
just how “powerful” does alien need to be to do a bit of conveting?
If you are typing in random giberish it WILL never do what you want but at some point it will most likely break your system. Learn to use the command line or don`t use it at all. Typing/pasting in stuff you don`t fully understand is a great way to break your system.
Thanks for posting this, does a lot of the heavy lifting for me.
To all those who ‘can’t be bothered’ with the command line, swear or mis-type things and expect them to work, go back to Windows or settle down and RFTM.
My friend on Orkut shared this link and I’m not dissapointed that I came to your blog.
i use the method but error occur says :
Warning: Skipping conversion of scripts in package VMtools: postinst postrm preinst
Warning: Use the –scripts parameter to include the scripts.
what should i do?
here is a GUI for alien
http://code.google.com/p/foxoman/wiki/PackageConverter