How to Use Alien in Ubuntu
Like other distributions of Linux, Ubuntu uses "packages" to install new programs. The package format Ubuntu uses is the DEB format, developed for Debian Linux, but other Linux versions use packages encoded in the RPM format. Alien is a small tool useful for converting RPM packages into DEB packages, and can be installed and run from the Linux command line.
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Instructions
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Install Alien, if you haven't already, by opening a terminal -- click "Applications," then "Accessories," then "Terminal" -- and entering the following command:
sudo apt-get install alien
The sudo command requests root privileges, allowing you to install programs on your system; apt-get install alien tells the Advanced Packaging Tool to download and install the alien package. When the process is complete, you will be back at the command prompt.
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Use Alien to convert an RPM package into a DEB package with a command of the following format:
sudo alien package.rpm
Package.rpm is the path and filename of the RPM file. A new file will appear in the same directory with a DEB extension.
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Use Alien to install an RPM package directly with:
sudo alien -i package.rpm
The "-i" switch tells Alien to install, rather than simply convert, the package.
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View additional command switches and options for Alien by typing:
alien -h
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