I'm new to Slackware (after using either RH or Debian for quite a while) and I really
like it. One thing I particularly like is checkinstall, since it has been my custom
to compile a number of things from source.

One thing I thought I had found, but lost, is: How to find out what package a particular
library file is in?

Another thing I'd like to know - Is there a place to find whether a particular small
application is part of some package, or whether there is a package that exists for
an application. Example -- I wanted urlview. Couldn't find it at either the Slackware
main site (or on my CDs) or at linuxpackages.

Are there other good sites to look at?

(In this case, and the case of anacron, I of course got the source from their respective
homes and compiled and installed them using checkinstall).

Thanks,

John Velman

"One thing I thought I had found, but lost, is: How to find out what package a particular
library file is in?"

You didn't say what package manager you are using. If you are using rpm then use the -f option. For example if you want to know what package supplies the pftp program then type in:
rpm -qf /usr/bin/pftp

The answer I get is ftp-0.17-18.

"Another thing I'd like to know - Is there a place to find whether a particular small
application is part of some package, or whether there is a package that exists for
an application. Example -- I wanted urlview. Couldn't find it at either the Slackware
main site (or on my CDs) or at linuxpackages.

Are there other good sites to look at?"

I have had trouble with this problem myself. The best solution that I have found is to use Google. For example to find out what Fedora package contains the pftp program I would use Google to search for:
Fedora contains pftp

If anybody has a better solution I too would be happy to hear about it.

___________________________________
Be prepared. Create a LifeBoat CD.
http://users.rcn.com/srstites/LifeBo...home.page.html

Steve Stites

You can use rpmfind.net
and do an rpm2tgz

-Joey

Let's say you have a file called filename whose path is /usr/bin/filename
and you're interested in finding out which package it came from.
You'd do:
grep usr/bin/filename /var/log/packages/*

mingdao@paul:Sat Jan 31 10:23:44~$ grep /usr/bin/gpg /var/log/packages/*
mingdao@paul:Sat Jan 31 10:23:55~$

I tried several, and none outputs anything. What did I do wrong?

You included the leading /

Typos do prevent the proper output, don't they. Thanks for the useful command.

Searching through /var/log/packages/ works fine IF you already have the package installed on your system. To find any file in any package in slackware, bunzip2 the file MANIFEST.bz2 from the /slackware directory of your install disc, then search it.

I use 'less MANIFEST', then '/file_I_want_to_find', then scroll up to the name of the package.

Enjoy!
--- Cerbere

Thanks, Cerbere. This is just what I needed (to find files in packages on the CD).

Just used it to find that xpdf depends on the lesstif package via libXm.so.2.

Also thanks to the otheres who responded. Except, I just left RH9, partly to get away from rpm hell :-). It is useful to know how to get tgz from rpm, since occaisionally there is an application only available in rpm form. However, I guess I'd better fix my profile to
reflect slackware as my dist.


Best,

John Velman