~linaro-maintainers/live-build/linaro-live-build-3

<h2><a name="s-otherpackages"></a>4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?</h2>

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Different Linux distributions use different package formats and different

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package management programs.

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<dl>

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<dt>You probably can:</dt>

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<dd>

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A program to unpack a Debian package onto a Linux host that is been built from

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a `foreign' distribution is available, and will generally work, in the sense

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that files will be unpacked. The converse is probably also true, that is, a

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program to unpack a Red Hat or Slackware package on a host that is based on

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Debian GNU/Linux will probably succeed in unpacking the package and placing

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most files in their intended directories. This is largely a consequence of the

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existence (and broad adherence to) the Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard.

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The <code><a href="http://packages.debian.org/alien">Alien</a></code> package

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is used to convert between different package formats.

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</dd>

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</dl>

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<dl>

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<dt>You probably do not want to:</dt>

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<dd>

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Most package managers write administrative files when they are used to unpack

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an archive. These administrative files are generally not standardized.

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Therefore, the effect of unpacking a Debian package on a `foreign' host will

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have unpredictable (certainly not useful) effects on the package manager on

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that system. Likewise, utilities from other distributions might succeed in

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unpacking their archives on Debian systems, but will probably cause the Debian

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package management system to fail when the time comes to upgrade or remove some

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packages, or even simply to report exactly what packages are present on a

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system.

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</dd>

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</dl>

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<dl>

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<dt>A better way:</dt>

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<dd>

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The Linux File System Standard (and therefore Debian GNU/Linux) requires that

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subdirectories under <samp>/usr/local/</samp> be entirely under the user's

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discretion. Therefore, users can unpack `foreign' packages into this

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directory, and then manage their configuration, upgrade and removal

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individually.

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</dd>

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</dl>

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<hr>

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<h2><a name="s-non-debian-programs"></a>4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?</h2>

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Files under the directory <samp>/usr/local/</samp> are not under the control of

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the Debian package management system. Therefore, it is good practice to place

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the source code for your program in /usr/local/src/. For example, you might

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extract the files for a package named "foo.tar" into the directory

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<samp>/usr/local/src/foo</samp>. After you compile them, place the binaries in

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<samp>/usr/local/bin/</samp>, the libraries in <samp>/usr/local/lib/</samp>,

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and the configuration files in <samp>/usr/local/etc/</samp>.

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If your programs and/or files really must be placed in some other directory,

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you could still store them in <samp>/usr/local/</samp>, and build the

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appropriate symbolic links from the required location to its location in

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<samp>/usr/local/</samp>, e.g., you could make the link

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<pre>

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ln -s /usr/local/bin/foo /usr/bin/foo

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</pre>

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In any case, if you obtain a package whose copyright allows redistribution, you

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should consider making a Debian package of it, and uploading it for the Debian

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system. Guidelines for becoming a package developer are included in the Debian

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Policy manual (see <a href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs">What other

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documentation exists on and for a Debian system?, Section 12.1</a>).

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<hr>

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<h2><a name="s-termcap"></a>4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?</h2>

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Debian uses the <samp>terminfo</samp> database and the <samp>ncurses</samp>

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library of terminal interface routes, rather than the <samp>termcap</samp>

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database and the <samp>termcap</samp> library. Users who are compiling

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programs that require some knowledge of the terminal interface should replace

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references to <samp>libtermcap</samp> with references to

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<samp>libncurses</samp>.

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To support binaries that have already been linked with the <samp>termcap</samp>

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library, and for which you do not have the source, Debian provides a package

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called <code>termcap-compat</code>. This provides both

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<samp>libtermcap.so.2</samp> and <samp>/etc/termcap</samp>. Install this

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package if the program fails to run with the error message "can't load

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library 'libtermcap.so.2'", or complains about a missing

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<samp>/etc/termcap</samp> file.

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<hr>

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<h2><a name="s-accelx"></a>4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?</h2>

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AccelX uses the <samp>termcap</samp> library for installation. See <a

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href="#s-termcap">Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?,

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Section 4.6</a> above.

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<hr>

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<h2><a name="s-motifnls"></a>4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?</h2>

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You need to install the <code>motifnls</code> package, which provides the

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XFree-2.1 configuration files needed to allow Motif applications compiled under

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XFree-2.1 to run under XFree-3.1.

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Without these files, some Motif applications compiled on other machines (such

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as Netscape) may crash when attempting to copy or paste from or to a text

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field, and may also exhibit other problems.

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<hr>

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[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">previous</a> ]

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[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ]

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[ 4 ]

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[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ]

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[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">next</a> ]

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<hr>

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The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ

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version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008

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Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a>

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</address>

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<hr>

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</body>

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</html>

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