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unrpm-install v.51 (4-24-99) by Kent Robotti <krobot@erols.com>

This README and the lsm file are included with unrpm-install-51.tar.gz.
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This package consist of a few programs and scripts that allow you to install, 
convert, and unpack redhat.X.rpm, debian.deb, stampede.slp, & slackware.tgz 
packages.

You need the (M)idnight (C)ommander file manager to use this package.

If you have a linux distribution on cdrom, you probably have the 'mc'
file manager on the cdrom.

You can get the latest version of the midnight commander file manager
from here.

http://www.gnome.org/mc              <Mc home page>

ftp://ftp.nuclecu.unam.mx/Midnight   <Mc ftp directory>

mc-4.1.36.tar.gz   <The latest stable version>

# configure --with-edit --with-included-slang   <Configure & compile mc>
# make
# make install
    
# mc

Press [F2] in mc and chose from the menu the type of package you want 
to install.
 
==============================================================
Install current 'X.i386.rpm' 'X.deb' 'X.slp' package.
Install current Slackware 'X.tgz' package.
Convert current 'X.i386.rpm X.deb X.slp' to X.tgz.
Convert & Install 'X.i386.rpm X.deb X.slp' to X.tgz.
Remove  Remove a package listed in /var/log/packages. 
Inform  'tar.gz bz2, rpm, slp, deb' package - don't install.
Chose   Install package from directory of your choice.
deb     Extract 'X.deb' package to subdirectory.
rpm     Extract 'X.i386.rpm' 'X.src.rpm' to subdirectory.
slp     Extract 'X.slp' package to subdirectory.

There are more options in the menu, they will require one
of these programs.

# uudeview        "Uudeview is a more versatile uudecode."
# unshar or sh
# unarj
# unrar
# zip unzip 
# fromdos or dos2unix
# tar
# bzip2
# gzip
# lha
# groff
# info
=============================================================

You can install the unrpm-install package on any system e.g. Redhat, 
Debian, Slackware, it doesn't interfere with or replace your present 
package manager, it just supplements whatever package manager your 
system uses.

If you have a Redhat etc. system, continue to use their package 
manager for their packages.

package.i386.rpm   <-For example, the highlighted package in mc you want 
                     to install is this.)

Before you install a package you should chose 'Inform' to get 
information on the package you want to install, or convert 
and install.

Inform on 'tar.gz bz2, rpm, deb, slp' package - don't install...

If it says "WARNING: No '/usr' directory found", this could be
a problem, it could mean the package should not be installed 
from /, look at how the package is laid out in /var/log/warn/
package-name.

If it says "WARNING: Found '/etc' directory", this could be
a problem also, it could mean the package will overwrite
something important in the /etc directory. 

Usally some of the files in the /etc directory are used to boot 
your system, you want to be sure none of these important files 
will be overwritten when installing a package.

If the package in not packed relative to /, you can use the 'Chose'
option to install it, then when asked what directory to install the 
package from, put the directory in the box e.g. /usr/X11R6 /usr /etc.

It can be any 'X.i386.rpm' 'X.deb' 'X.tgz' 'X.tar.gz' 'tar.bz2' package, 
for the 'Chose' option.

You have these options if the package is not a 'Chose' package.
		      
Install current Slackware 'X.tgz' package.
Install current 'X.i386.rpm' 'X.slp' 'X.deb' package.
Convert & Install 'X.i386.rpm X.deb X.slp' to X.tgz.

You could also convert the redhat.i386.rpm, debian.deb, or stampede.slp 
package to 'X.tgz', then install it with the 'Install current Slackware 
X.tgz' option... 

Convert current 'X.i386.rpm X.deb X.slp' to X.tgz.

What i mean by a "X.tgz" package is a package put together by slackware,
there are many packages with a "X.tar.gz" "X.tgz" extension that are put 
together by others, with such a package you have to unpack it and follow 
the instructons it provides for installing it.

Install current 'X.tgz'    <-This option is for a slackware 'X.tgz' package,
                             or one that was converted to 'X.tgz'.

You can see what will be installed and overwritten, without installing 
a X.tgz, X.rpm, X.deb, or X.slp package...

foo.boo.tgz    <-For example, i want to see what would be installed and
                 overwritten if i installed this package...
		  
Chose 'Warn' from the menu to see what would be installed and overwritten, 
a copy of the output with the same name as the package will be put in the 
/var/log/warn directory...

/var/log/warn/foo.boo    <-For example.)

Debian & redhat tend to be little more library dependent than slackware, 
this just means that in addition to installing a particular package, you 
may also have to install libraries that the package requires to run...

Because of the above you have to procede with a little more caution with
debian & redhat packages...

If you install a important package that replaces a important program
on your system e.g. /bin/bash, you should be sure that the replacement
/bin/bash doesn't require a library to run that you don't already have 
installed.

In other words, "beware of putting the cart before the horse", find out
first what the package is linked with before you install it, you can 
unpack any package first to inspect it before installing it.

~# ldd bash
lib.so.mething.?

If it's linked to a lib.something.X.you don't have on your system,
then install this lib.something.X.first, because the program won't 
run without it.

You can convert a redhat.i386.rpm or debian.deb package to a 
slackware X.tgz package...

Chose Convert from the menu in mc [F2] then press enter, and the current =
highlighted redhat.i386.rpm or debian.deb package will be converted...

foo.boo.i386.rpm   <-For example, you have this.)
foo.boo.i386.tgz   <-Now you also have this.)

You can then install it as a slackware X.tgz package...

You can remove slackware, debian, redhat, & slp packages that you 
installed...

For example, if you installed 4 packages called slackware.tgz, redhat.rpm,
debian.deb, & stampede.slp.

~# mc

In the directory /var/log/packages press [F2] and chose Remove, then the 
current = highlighted package will be removed, in this example slackware,
redhat, debian, and stampede.

All slackware, debian, redhat, slp, & Chose, packages that you install, 
will be listed in the /var/log/packages directory.

If a package is listed in /var/log/packages/package_name, it can be
removed using the Remove option.

All removed packages will be listed in the /var/log/packages_removed
directory.

If you just want to unpack a redhat.rpm, debian.deb, or stampede.slp 
package, chose one of these options below.

deb     Extract 'X.deb' package to subdirectory...
rpm     Extract 'X.i386.rpm' 'X.src.rpm' to subdirectory...
slp     Extract 'X.slp' package to subdirectory...

There are also three little scripts that do the same thing as the
above in mc, they unpack the packages from the command line.

~# undeb package.deb
 # unrpm package.rpm
 # unslp package.slp
 
The above stuff is based on commands in the /usr/local/lib/mc/mc.menu file.

You need the programs, 'grep' 'tee' 'basename' 'tar' 'gzip' on your system,
for these scripts to have any effect.

Unrpm-install includes a version of 'cpio 4.2' that will be installed on your 
system, the only difference between this 'cpio 4.2' and the standard 'cpio' 
is, it will give a permission of 755 not 700 to the directories of the 
extracted redhat rpm cpio package.

==============================================================================
How to install...
==============================================================================

~# tar xzpvf unrpm-install-51.tar.gz   <Unpack>
unrpm-install-51#./INSTALL             <Install it on your system>
	      
You only need to run the INSTALL script once.

INSTALL will expect your mc lib directory to be either
/usr/local/lib/mc or /usr/lib/mc.

After you run INSTALL you can add these 'View=' lines below to 
the /usr/local/lib/mc/mc.ext or /usr/lib/mc/mc.ext file.

# rpm
regex/\.rpm$                              
	Open=%cd %p#rpm                
        View=%view{ascii} rpm2cpio '%f' | cpio -tvf              <Add this>
	Install this RPM=rpm -i '%f'                    
	Upgrade this RPM=rpm -U '%f'                    

# deb
regex/\.deb$                              
	Open=%cd %p#deb                
        View=%view{ascii} dpkg-deb -I '%f' && dpkg-deb -c '%f'   <Add this>   
                                                              

# slp                                                    <Add this>
regex/\.slp$                              
        View=%view{ascii} tar tvvf '%f' --use-compress-program bzip2                 
							 
~# mc

Press [F3] to view the contents of the highlighted debian.deb, redhat.rpm, 
or stampede.slp package.

foo.boo.deb
foo.boo.rpm
foo.boo.slp

The man pages will be put in /usr/man/man1 & 8 or /usr/local/man/man1 & 8, 
if these directories exist.

They are the man pages for the scripts and programs used by this 
unrpm-install package.

There's no man page for this unrpm-install package, just this readme.

After you do INSTALL you only need to keep 'mc.menu' and this README.

(4-24-99)
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