Installation of various third party packages and softwares

installation of software in linux


Sometimes the packages you want to install need to be compiled in order to match your kernel version. This requires you to use source RPM files:

Download the source RPMs or locate them on your CD collection. They usually have a file extension ending with (.src.rpm)
Run the following commands as root:


Compiling and installing source RPMs with Fedora can be done simply with the rpmbuild command


[root@bigboy tmp]# rpmbuild --rebuild filename.src.rpm

Here is an example in which we install the tacacs plus package.

[root@bigboy rpm]# rpmbuild --rebuild tac_plus-4.0.3-2.src.rpm
Installing tac_plus-4.0.3-2.src.rpm
Executing(%prep): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.61594
+ umask 022
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ rm -rf tac_plus-4.0.3
+ /usr/bin/gzip -dc /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES/tac_plus-4.0.3.tgz
+ tar -xvvf -
...
...
...
+ umask 022
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ rm -rf tac_plus-4.0.3
+ exit 0
[root@bigboy rpm]#

The compiled RPM file can now be found in one of the architecture subdirectories under /usr/src/redhat/RPMS directory. For example, if you compiled an i386 architecture version of the RPM it will placed in the i386 subdirectory.
You will then have to install the compiled RPMs found in their respective subdirectories as you normally would.