Converting tar.gz to deb files

[colin_b]

I've just had a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvdaYGX1D-o and it says in a strange language that tar.gz can be easily converted to deb files using Alien https://sourceforge.net/projects/alien-pkg-convert/, and it shows you how it is done.

It strikes me this would be a simple and useful feature for MX if it could be applied - when a tar.gz is right clicked the menu includes something like "convert to deb file," and when this is selected Alien is called and a deb file appears out of the ether.

This would eliminate the need for terminal use.

[Gordon Cooper]

Looks to be a bit dated? No recent web site activity.

[timkb4cq]

That capability of alien is designed to convert Slackware .tgz files to deb or rpm files.
Slackware tgzs are precompiled binary packages in a standard directory format. Most tar.gz files are not this sort, but rather are source code that needs to be compiled. Alien is useless for those.

Even in the cases where alien works, it generally doesn't account for the dependencies you may need to install to get the program to run.

[uncle mark]

That capability of alien is designed to convert Slackware .tgz files to deb or rpm files.
Slackware tgzs are precompiled binary packages in a standard directory format. Most tar.gz files are not this sort, but rather are source code that needs to be compiled. Alien is useless for those.

Even in the cases where alien works, it generally doesn't account for the dependencies you may need to install to get the program to run.

Talk about a buzz kill... sheesh.

[timkb4cq]

Nuh-uh! Wasn't me. Debian Buzz hit EOL over 20 years ago - before I ever even tried linux.

[colin_b]

That capability of alien is designed to convert Slackware .tgz files to deb or rpm files.
Slackware tgzs are precompiled binary packages in a standard directory format. Most tar.gz files are not this sort, but rather are source code that needs to be compiled. Alien is useless for those.

Even in the cases where alien works, it generally doesn't account for the dependencies you may need to install to get the program to run.

I guess I'll chalk this up as a bad idea.

It would have been useful if it worked.

[asqwerth]

If it were so easy to make packages, there would be no need for the Packaging Team!