Any way to install .deb packages without giving root access?

wearetheborg · 08-04-2010, 04:26 PM

Is there any way to install .deb packages without giving root access?
That it, I have root access, but I dont to give root access to the .deb package.
This is for instance to install the .deb of SipderOak online backup took, or to install the .deb of openoffice.

Whenver available, I compile from sources, but sometimes only the .deb is available.

rokytnji · 08-04-2010, 04:33 PM

As far as I know

Code:

apt-get dpkg -i

requires root user to run.

http://linux.die.net/man/8/apt-get

Dutch Master · 08-04-2010, 04:42 PM

Installing a package requires root permissions. But that doesn't mean the installed application has root access too!

snowday · 08-04-2010, 04:52 PM

Fedora briefly flirted with this idea; they got a lot of bad press!

rokytnji · 08-04-2010, 05:04 PM

Dutch Master is right.

Because in Terminal

Code:

openoffice

will start from user console.

To access/edit any root files.

Code:

gksu

or

Code:

su

is needed prior to launching said application.

wearetheborg · 08-04-2010, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch Master

Installing a package requires root permissions. But that doesn't mean the installed application has root access too!

Right, is there a way of checking that during install, that the package does not overwrite some system files, or start some services automatically?

Dutch Master · 08-04-2010, 05:32 PM

Yes. Try

Code:

aptitude show <package-name>

Also, the dedicated package page on the Debian packages-list website.

wearetheborg · 08-04-2010, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch Master

Yes. Try

Code:

aptitude show <package-name>

Also, the dedicated package page on the Debian packages-list website.

That seems to only show the text description by the author, and "depends on"

BTW, I'm concerned about .deb packages from outside the official debian repositories.

snowday · 08-04-2010, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wearetheborg

BTW, I'm concerned about .deb packages from outside the official debian repositories.

You should be; the Debian repositories are among the most stable, well-tested software sources in existence.

evo2 · 08-04-2010, 05:52 PM

You can extract the package and then ready the pre and post install scripts (if it has any)

Code:

ar x foo.deb
tar xzf control.tar.gz

Then look at the files postinst and preinst (and perhaps prerm and postrm). These are the dangerous files since they will be run as root as part of the package installation (removal) procedure.

Cheers,

Evo2.

evo2 · 08-04-2010, 05:52 PM

Delete!

Dutch Master · 08-04-2010, 05:53 PM

You didn't check the package page, have you? Example (in this case, the openoffice.org-base package)

wearetheborg · 08-04-2010, 06:58 PM

evo2, thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch Master

You didn't check the package page, have you? Example (in this case, the openoffice.org-base package)

Sorry, my openoffice example was for the deb downloaded directly from openoffice.org (openoffice in Lenny is 2.4).
Also, I am assuming that the packages in http://packages.debian.org/lenny are trustable, my concern is for packages outside.

Is there a utility that will show me the file list as in that page for any .deb, downloaded from anywhere?

Dutch Master · 08-04-2010, 07:41 PM

Only the method already described by Evo2, via the Control file. With your level of anxiety (even paranoia), if you don't know what that's all about and/or don't want to read up on it, installing .deb packages from 3rd parties is not for you. Expecting a GUI package for this kind of research (that's what I conclude you're after) is also a bit futile...

wearetheborg · 08-04-2010, 07:53 PM

Command line utilities are fine

I want to read up on it, and thats why I posted here for some pointers, and I am goinf to use evo2's method!