Alien help for newbie.

[Bob Nielsen]

On Fri, Jan 28, 2005 at 09:54:14AM +0100, Brian Durant wrote:
>  --- Bob Nielsen <nielsen at oz.net> skrev: 
> > On Fri, Jan 28, 2005 at 02:55:21AM +0100, Brian
> > Durant wrote:
> > >  --- Bob Nielsen <nielsen at oz.net> skrev: 
> > > > Sorry, somehow in my mind I merged --dry-run
> > with
> > > > --no-act.
> > > > 
> > > > On Thu, Jan 27, 2005 at 01:46:00PM +0100, Brian
> > > > Durant wrote:
> > > > >  --- Bob Nielsen <nielsen at oz.net> skrev: 
> > > > > > On Thu, Jan 27, 2005 at 09:45:54AM +0100,
> > Brian
> > > > > > Durant wrote:
> > > > > > > I would like to install
> > > > stardict-2.4.4-1.i386.rpm
> > > > > > and
> > > > > > > some noarch.rpm dictionary files into my
> > Warty
> > > > > > 4.10,
> > > > > > > but I haven't been able to find any
> > > > documentation
> > > > > > that
> > > > > > > I would understand as a newbie. I get the
> > sudo
> > > > > > alien
> > > > > > > -i stardict*, but how do I check if an
> > install
> > > > of
> > > > > > > stardict-2.4.4-1.i386.rpm will even work
> > > > before I
> > > > > > do a
> > > > > > > real install that would also include the
> > > > > > noarch.rpm
> > > > > > > files. Am I just nervous and making this
> > out
> > > > to be
> > > > > > a
> > > > > > > bigger problem than it is? I just don't
> > want
> > > > to
> > > > > > break
> > > > > > > anything in the system.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > It would probably be better to run alien
> > without
> > > > the
> > > > > > -i option and
> > > > > > convert each of them to a .deb package, then
> > run
> > > > > > dpkg -i to install
> > > > > > them. You could run 'dpkg --no-run -i
> > > > > > <filename.deb>' to simulate
> > > > > > the installation.  
> > > > > 
> > > > > OK, I got the .RPMs converted to .deb
> > packages,
> > > > but
> > > > > dpkg returned the following:
> > > > > 
> > > > > /stardict $ dpkg --no-run -i
> > > > stardict_2.4.4-2_i386.deb
> > > > > dpkg: unknown option --no-run
> > > > > 
> > > > > dpkg help suggests:
> > --no-act|--dry-run|--simulate
> > > > Just
> > > > > say what we would do - don't do it 
> > > > > 
> > > > > that returned:
> > > > > 
> > > > > /stardict $ dpkg --no-act|--dry-run|--simulate
> > > > > stardict_2.4.4-2_i386.deb
> > > > > dpkg: need an action option
> > > > > 
> > > > > Options marked [*] produce a lot of output -
> > pipe
> > > > it
> > > > > through `less' or `more' !
> > > > > bash: --dry-run: command not found
> > > > > bash: --simulate: command not found
> > > > > 
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > 
> > > Sa right. Does the following that was in my last
> > > posting look as if the package would be installed
> > > correctly onto my system?
> > > 
> > > /stardict $ sudo dpkg --dry-run -i
> > > stardict_2.4.4-2_i386.deb
> > > Password:
> > > Selecting previously deselected package stardict.
> > > (Reading database ... 72623 files and directories
> > > currently installed.)
> > > Unpacking stardict (from
> > stardict_2.4.4-2_i386.deb)
> > > 
> > 
> > Well it doesn't indicate any errors.  Unless there
> > is something (like a
> > busted postinstall script) which alien didn't
> > detect, it should install
> > correctly.
> 
> OK, so far so good. I did an alien -i on the file and
> it looks like it installed correctly. Even showed up
> in the accessories tab. BUT now the next task with the
> stardict-quick*.deb files (converted from .RPMs) is:
> 
> "To install these tarball dictionaries, do this:
> tar -xjvf a.tar.bz2
> mv a /usr/share/stardict/dic"
> 
> 1) Why were these packaged as .RPMs, if these are
> tarballs?
> 2) Did converting the .RPMs to .deb packages do
> something weird to the tarballs that I assume are
> inside?
> 3) How do I get these files from .deb to tarballs?

Does that message come up when you install the .deb?  I have seen files 
packaged that way before (kernel-source), but I would expect that the 
rpm would just install them in the correct place.  

If you haven't installed them yet, you can view the contents with 
'dpkg -c filename.deb'.  If these are indeed tarballs, install the 
package and follow those directions.