Using alien or using RPM??
 

I have a question. When you have a package only available in another format (like RPM), is it 'better' to use rpm to install it or to use alien to convert the package and then install it? What are the benefits disadvantages of each?


In my particular problem, I was trying to install the official ATI drivers for my graphics card and things didn't go very well. First I used alien to make a .deb package, then did dpkg -i filename.deb and things seemed to be working fine, but it screwed up and startx wouldn't work so I had to reload my old XF86Config-4 file. But synaptic shows the package as uninstalled, but its there under "Converted RPM from alien". On a side note anyone with experience getting ATI drivers installed successfully on my system would be welcome to share their knowledge. :D

i don't have an answer, out of curiosity, what is your video card?

yeah, ati's support (as a company) for Linux sux (compared to nvidia...although that is arguable also because they don't release source for their driver...but in terms of what they do as a company, it's understandable). anyway, (i may be wrong about this) i don't think that the "rpm" program on debian will install rpm packages. i think that using "alien" is the only way to go about installing an rpm package.

it looks like this project aims to provide debian packages of the proprietary ati driver.
http://xoomer.virgilio.it/flavio.sta...installer.html

good luck.

My video card is an ATI Radeon 9500Pro. Thanks a lot for the useful link zero79. :D

no prob hommes, glad i could help.