Re: Time to fight for our beloved DEB format!
>
> What I would like to see, in the light of LSB, would be that
>
> 1) A transparent way to install LSB-compliant rpms in Debian is
> implemented. Preferably one should be able to install rpms with 'dpkg'
> command line tool, although an automatic format transform with 'alien'
> could be performed behind the scenes.
>
# apt-get install rpm
# rpm -i --nodeps foo.rpm
> 2) Assuming that I am not misinformed about the functional
> compatibility of dpkg and rpm, a LONG TERM goal for transforming
> Debian to rpm base is issued. This would include adding rpm support
> for all Debian package management tools, and transition tools for the
> database contents, etc.
>
Debian is working with a group from RH and elsewhere on a interchangeable
packaging system, but it is a ways off.
That said the LSB does not _FORCE_ any Linux dist to abandon their own work.
It simply requires the dist to allow rpms to be installed easily. alien does
this for most people.
RPM is not inherently bad. RH (and others) simply do not have a common
standards set that must be followed like Debian does. There are a few places
where each format (rpm and deb) surpass the other. However most of the
perceived differences are actually in the _use_ of the system and not a lack of
features. However, Debian will not just give up on dpkg and no one has told us
that we must.
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