RPM's on Ubuntu Linux Distro

[Vespasian81]

I just installed Ubuntu on my laptop, mainly because it was the only package that had wireless working off the bat. However, I need guidance to install RPM's. I don't even think the RPM program is included with Ubuntu, as opposed to Fedora 5, which had no problems with them. There are 2 things I need help with. The first, is installing installing the Java SDK so I can code in java. Secondly, I need to install Eclipse (Java IDE) on Ubunutu. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. How can I get icons for these programs? I used sudo apt-get with a lot of things and they installed with icons. I don't know how to do this w/Java and Eclipse.

 

[Nothinman]

You'e not supposed to use RPMs with Ubuntu, technically it's possible but not a good idea.

You'll want to look at these:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Java
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallingSoftware
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories

 

[kamper]

Eclipse comes with gtk or motif tarballs which you can just unpack and run the executable from. So long as you've got java (and if eclipse is proving to be a hassle via a package), this is a pretty easy solution. For 'icons', just make shortcuts wherever you want them 🙂

 

[Nothinman]

Eclipse is packaged in Universe, there's no reason to go out of the Ubuntu repositories for it.

 

[drag]

Ya. Go to Ubuntu's website and see how to enable the universe and multiverse repositories. It's very easy (you can do it entirely through the synaptic gui) and you'll more then quadrupal the amount of software you can install.

 

[sourceninja]

There are instructors for installing both of those things on the ubuntu website (as said by others above). That said the proper way to install a rpm in ubuntu is with alien. Here is an example using xdvdshrink I found with a quick google.

1. Download the RPM from their website.

2. Get Alien

Code:

sudo apt-get install alien


3. Convert RPM to deb

Code:

sudo alien dvdshrink-2.6.1-3mdk.noarch.rpm


4. Install

Code:

sudo dpkg -i dvdshrink_2.6.1-4_all.deb


5. Make menu item

Code:

sudo gedit /usr/share/applications/xdvdshrink.desktop


then paste this into the file and save it..

Code:

[Desktop Entry] Name=DVD Shrink
Comment=Make and shrink copies of DVDs
Exec=xdvdshrink.pl
Icon=/usr/share/pixmaps/gnome-cd.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Application;AudioVideo;
StartupNotify=true

 

[Nothinman]

That said the proper way to install a rpm in ubuntu is with alien.

As I said, yes it's possible but it's not recommended. It may work just fine with packages that don't interact much with the system, but I wouldn't trust it for anything important.

 

[Brazen]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

That said the proper way to install a rpm in ubuntu is with alien.

As I said, yes it's possible but it's not recommended. It may work just fine with packages that don't interact much with the system, but I wouldn't trust it for anything important.

Yeah I would use alien only as a last ditch effort. And really, I would compile from source before that, or seriously consider living without the program or use an alternative program. However, eclipse is just a bunch of jar files that run on any computer with java and there is good documentation on installing java on Ubuntu.

By the way, didnt see it mentioned but Ubuntu uses deb files instead of rpm files.