I know that slackware uses .tgz files for it's package management. But I thought .tgz files and tar.gz files were the same (compressed tarballs). So wouldn't you be able to type "installpkg foo.tar.gz" just like you would "installpkg foo.tgz"? I kinda tried that and it didn't work.

Also, let's say you have foo.tar.gz. To get it into "slackware format", could I cheat and change its filename to foo.tgz by "mv foo.tar.gz foo.tgz" ? And then install that foo.tgz using the slackware installer? Or is the slackware .tgz files a special package, kinda like Redhat rpm's?

No.

Slackware uses the common "tarball", but adds something to it before it
can be considered a "slackware package". If you take a slackware
package, untar, ungzip it, you'll find that there is a file in a directory called
install. This file describes the package, and and tells pkgtool what to do
after putting all the files where they belong (perhaps modify an init script).

Thats not completely correct, Yes slackware packages have the INSTALL file but what it does is sets permisssions and symlinks. Slackware packages are precompiled binary packages, kinda like RPMs and you can not just installpkg somefile.tar.gz because thats source code.
Confusing thing is that .tar.gz files can be called .tgz as well, like slackware packages, but they are not Slackware packages. They are source.
You can however make slackware packages from .source .tgz and .tar.gz files. Read http://www.linuxorbit.com/modules.ph...icle&artid=467
to find out how.
HTH
-NSKL

The install file is what sets up symlinks, removes old files; it does whatever
is necessary for the package to be fully usable, as defined by the creator.
THIS is what makes it a Slackware package. I could distribute a
Slackware package that is source, as long as I could get pkgtool to handle
it correctly, it's a valid package.

From "man makepkg":

makepkg creates a new Slackware compatible package. The
package is constructed using the contents of the current directory and all
subdirectories. If symbolic links exist, they will be converted to script code
to recreate them when the package is installed. This code will be
appended to the primary installation script ( install/doinst.sh ) , or, if that
script does not exist it will be created with those contents. The package
will be written out to the file packagename which should be the full name,
including the extension (usually .tgz).

makepkg allows the creator to reset the permissions of the files, so this
is done before any user gets the package.
It says nothing about what has to be in the (sub)directories.

All of the slackpack tools are simply shell scripts, and as such can be read
(or modified) by anyone. Browse through them sometime.

Yeah, but he asked if he can just do a installpkg foo.tar.gz and he Cant! At least as far as i know. Slackware packages are precompiled binaries, so he has to compile them, put them in correct directory structure, and then run makepkg to create a valid slackware package. Check out the link i posted above.
Try installpkg foo.tar.gz and see for yourself what happens...
-NSKL

Correct, he cannot do a installpkg foo.[tgz|tar.gz] with impunity, he needs to make sure it's a Slackware package.

Slackware packages are NOT necessarily precompiled binaries! They are
packages of files that require a specific installation procedure that installpkg causes to happen. You could make a Slackware package that
installed source files into /usr/local/src/foo, went into that directory, did a
./configure --special-optimizations && make && make install && \
make clean && cd .. && rm -rf foo (all with exception catching, of course)

It would still be a legitimate Slackware package.

makepkg simply bundles all that up, and appends the creation of symlinks
to the installation script in ./install/

Hey i didnt know that! thanks for the info, and sorry i again for the confusion i made when i missunderstood you in the first post ^ up there.
Thanks again for clarification.
-NSKL

That's fine. I hope I didn't come off too strong. . . Anyway, did we answer
your question, Moger? =-}

yup

Sweet, and taught a few of us (ok at least me ) something in the process, thanks!

Cool

Yay!!!