Re: tlug: Draft of June 13 TLUG General Meeting Announcement

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>]

>>>>> "Manuel" == Manuel Chakravarty <chak@example.com> writes:

    Manuel> Oh, great!  I found it in the latter directory.  Actually,
    Manuel> I already managed to install `alien.rpm' and tried to
    Manuel> convert the Debian-JP package, but it failed with

    >> greyarea:/tmp# alien -r vflib_2.22pl10-1.deb -- Examining
    >> vflib_2.22pl10-1.deb -- Unpacking vflib_2.22pl10-1.deb --
    >> Automatic spec file generation -- Building the package
    >> /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/vflib-2.22pl10-2.i386.rpm * Package:
    >> vflib Field must be present : Description

This has got to be a bug in alien; even if the .deb has no description 
field (I don't think so; debian policy strongly suggests there be
one), it should fake one up.

    Manuel> Anyway, the TurboLinux package seemed to install without
    Manuel> any problems!  Thanks very much!

But does it work?  Ie, get rid of the missing font error.  Inquiring
minds want to know!

    Manuel> P.S.: Sorry, Steve, but this is the second time that
    Manuel> cross-installing from Debian doesn't work for me.  Maybe
    Manuel> it is my fault and maybe everything works much nicer when
    Manuel> you stay in a pure Debian environment, but so far, RPM
    Manuel> seems to be more robust to me.

Mixing from the other direction works for me; I haven't yet run into
an RPM that I couldn't install on Debian.  I've not tried installing
.debs on an RPM-based system, though.

I can't say that I agree with comparing robustness of package
management systems on the basis of success or failure of the
installation via alien (especially since the version of alien I have
was definitely written from scratch for Debian by a debian and is
maintained by a debian; I suspect it was ported to RedHat, and so
would not be as robust in converting to RPM format as in converting
from RPMs).

However, the interoperability of packages from RedHat, TurboLinux, and 
a couple of other RPM-using distributions, as well as RPMs contributed 
by random individuals off the net is definitely an achievement.  As
yet unmatched by dpkg* and dselect, I grant.

I'm looking forward to Scott's talk; I haven't had time to book up on
RPM internals, and I would like to know.

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Next TLUG Meeting: 13 June Sat, Tokyo Station Yaesu gate 12:30
Featuring Stone and Turnbull on .rpm and .deb packages
Next Nomikai: (?) July, 19:30 Tengu TokyoEkiMae 03-3275-3691
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Sponsor: PHT, makers of TurboLinux http://www.pht.co.jp