[ubuntu] HOWTO: Repackage i386 deb for in lpia (for Dell Mini9)

[feranick]

I am reposting this with more visibility. You can easily repackage any deb outside the repos into an lpia one. The reason you want lpia packages instead of forcing the i386, is that while the former will show up as an installed package on synaptic, the later won't, so good luck uninstalling it. For example here's the directions to convert the stock i386 package for Skype into an lpia package:

1. Download the Ubuntu version of Skype
2. Use the Archive manager to uncompress it. Alternatively, right click on the deb package and select "extract here"
3. Rename the uncompressed folder, by changing the ending from i386 to lpia. (the folder should be now named: skype-debian_2.0.0.72-1_lpia)
4. Open the folder
5. There are 3 files. remove the "debian-binary" file
6. Decompress "control.tar.gz". There are tree files in it.
7. Make a folder "DEBIAN" in the main folder, and placed the 3 files you just decompressed inside it.
8. Open one of the files inside DEBIAN, "control". Change the line "Architecture: i386" into "Architecture: lpia"
9. Open the other archive "data.tar.gz". There is a folder "." inside. Open it (double click). Select both the folders (usr and etc) and select uncompress.
10. Remove the files "control.tar.gz" and "data.tar.gz"
11. You should now have your main folder with the following inside:
DEBIAN folder with tree text files in it (conffiles, control, md5sums); a "usr" folder and a "etc" folder.
12. You are now ready to prepare your lpia deb folder.
13. From the command line, go to the folder that contains your main skype folder you just prepared (most likely named: skype-debian_2.0.0.72-1_lpia).
14. type: dpkg --build skype-debian_2.0.0.72-1_lpia
15. Your deb package is ready. Double click on it and follow instruction. After installation it should appear in Synaptic, and from there you can remove it at any time.
16. Enjoy!!!


This has been tested (and currently working) with: Skype, Opera, Picasa, Adobe Flash 10.

[starcannon]

This is something most of us new mini9 owners need to know. Thanks for the tut, it needs put somewhere handy at least while the min9 is hitting the market.

Subscribing to this thread so I can link it in the future.

Thanks again!

[peril62]

Originally Posted by feranick I am reposting this with more visibility. You can easily repackage any deb outside the repos into an lpia one. The reason you want lpia packages instead of forcing the i386, is that while the former will show up as an installed package on synaptic, the later won't, so good luck uninstalling it. For example here's the directions to convert the stock i386 package for Skype into an lpia package: 1. Download the Ubuntu version of Skype 2. Use the Archive manager to uncompress it. Alternatively, right click on the deb package and select "extract here" 3. Rename the uncompressed folder, by changing the ending from i386 to lpia. (the folder should be now named: skype-debian_2.0.0.72-1_lpia) 4. Open the folder 5. There are 3 files. remove the "debian-binary" file 6. Decompress "control.tar.gz". There are tree files in it. 7. Make a folder "DEBIAN" in the main folder, and placed the 3 files you just decompressed inside it. 8. Open one of the files inside DEBIAN, "control". Change the line "Architecture: i386" into "Architecture: lpia" 9. Open the other archive "data.tar.gz". There is a folder "." inside. Open it (double click). Select both the folders (usr and etc) and select uncompress. 10. Remove the files "control.tar.gz" and "data.tar.gz" 11. You should now have your main folder with the following inside: DEBIAN folder with tree text files in it (conffiles, control, md5sums); a "usr" folder and a "etc" folder. 12. You are now ready to prepare your lpia deb folder. 13. From the command line, go to the folder that contains your main skype folder you just prepared (most likely named: skype-debian_2.0.0.72-1_lpia). 14. type: dpkg --build skype-debian_2.0.0.72-1_lpia 15. Your deb package is ready. Double click on it and follow instruction. After installation it should appear in Synaptic, and from there you can remove it at any time. 16. Enjoy!!! This has been tested (and currently working) with: Skype, Opera, Picasa, Adobe Flash 10.

To install Picasa I have used:
sudo dpkg --force-architecture -i (route to my picasa deb)
and it has worked perfecty well. This seems a much easier method than the one reported above and plan to keep usisng it with other debs. Should I expect any problem with it? Thanks.

[mecrider]

Originally Posted by peril62 To install Picasa I have used: sudo dpkg --force-architecture -i (route to my picasa deb) and it has worked perfecty well. This seems a much easier method than the one reported above and plan to keep usisng it with other debs. Should I expect any problem with it? Thanks.

As the first post said, this way the package doesn't show up in Synaptic, so you can't use that to remove or update it. However, you should still be able to use "dpkg -r" if you want to remove it. (DISCLAIMER: I haven't tested this, as I don't have my Dell Mini yet.)

[mecrider]

There is an Italian bash script that automates this process of converting i386 debs to lpia, available at http://www.blogwol.com/2008/11/08/sc...er-intel-atom/. Of course it works fine on other language systems. Just put the script in your path, and it will convert all the .debs in the directory you run it from.

[runningdoc]

These directions worked beautifully and this is from a person who received the mini about 2 weeks ago, never worked with Linux or Ubuntu until then and still was able to make it work with these excellent directions. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

[feranick]

I took liberty of translating the script, which does pretty much what the howto does, but automatically. I also fixed it so that it converts ONLY i386 packages (the original one converts packages with any architecture, when only i386 can be really converted).

To run the script:
1. Copy the script in the same folder as your i386 packages

2. Run the script either from the command line or by double clicking on it. This last step requires you to change permissions to make it executable (right click on the script file and check the "Allow executing file as program" in the permission tab.

3. Enjoy.

[anjilslaire]

This is all great, bit I wish Canonical would support full-blown lpia repositories so we could install & update freely.
Then we could choose from
x86
x64
PPC
lpia

Or am I the only one?

[Fatjuan]

Just used feranick's procedure.
Thanks so much!

[dragonmojo]

Originally Posted by Fatjuan Just used feranick's procedure. Thanks so much!

Ditto.
I am such a noob to Ubuntu/Linux. Followed the instructions and was successful installing Skype!