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| Synopsis: Mageia have a lot of software readily packaged. However we can not have everything, and not always the latest, or it may even be that you want something old, or more than one version installed at the same time. Here are some methods that can be used. |
This is a very initial draft, just throwing things down. I will continue shortly... Extensions, linking, formatting fix and corrections are welcome.
Contents
Really not in Mageia ?
First, check if what you are looking for really is not packaged.
The proprietary drivers
The proprietary drivers i.e for graphigs and wifi are shipped in the non-free media. I.e for Nvidia enable the nonfree and nonfree_update repos, and in MCC when you configure your Nvidia video card you will be asked if you wan to use nouveau or the Nvidia driver.
Patent encumbered software
A lot of audio and video codecs that are restricted from free use in smaller or larger part of the world, and programs with such built in, are in the tainted repos.
Optimally you should check if you can leagally use some particular package from there, depending on usage and in which part of the world you are, before installing it.
If you want to update everything installed to the versions from the tainted repos: enable both tainted and tainted_updates, on 64-bit systems also the 32-bit versions, and as root issue urpmi --auto-select
Universal package formats
Appimage
There exist several ways to package software to make it easily installable on a lot of distros
Examples: We have FreeCAD (a very capeable mechanical CAD in heavy development) and Slic3r (3D printer CAM), but you may be interested in having the development versions to get extra features. You may still have the Mageia packaged version installed, or more than one version in appimage format.
Flatpak
Install flatpack from our repo. Example: how to install Spotify using flatpak=https://forums.mageia.org/en/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=11003&p=71011#p70972
Java jar files
Generally the most versatile, also works on Microsoft and Apple systems. Some may need much dependencies, while some have everything included. Example: FriBok (Swedish invoice and accounting)
In general, just start it with java -jar thejarfile.jar
Nice to know: the .jar file is an archive that can be opened in i.e Ark, so you can i.e edit internal configuration files (I.e i personalised my invoice formatting).
Using foreign rpm directly
With the normal caveat that it may not find its [Depencencies], there is also the (small) risk that the rpm may perform some pre/post-install scripts that do something you do not want.
Sometimes you just have to though. Here is an example [installing a Canon printer driver without using the supplied script.
Binary files
Some programs are best installed in users /home. Example: Eagle CAD (Proprietary printed cirquit CAD)
Often you download a package and unpacks it where you want it and run it from there.
Some have an installer script. It may be a good idea to look into the script to see what it does.
Compiling the program yourself
The familiar trilogy:
./configure make make install
... Optionally making an rpm
Instead of that triology above, you can use checkinstall to generate an rpm:
./configure make checkinstall
You will then get an rpm that can be installed using urpmi, and can also be uninstalled when you want to. If the tarball already includes a good spec file, it is even easier:
rpmbuild -tb ballname.tar.gz
Qt programs
Mageia have the development suite so you may load it in QtCreator and compile and launch it from there.
Repackaging rpm
rpm packages from other Mageia release
In Mageia development release "Cauldron", there may exist a newer version you need of a program.
You can then often download that rpm and rebuild it to suit the Mageia release you run, see How_to_do_your_own_backports.
foreign .rpm packages
An alien rpm from another distro can often be rebuilt for Mageia. Please refer to Packagers RPM tutorial.
A good source for best suitable package candidates is Fedora.
.deb packages
Programs packaged for Debian/Ubuntu/... in .deb format can often be converted using the program alien, which you can install from Mageia repo.
Example: how to repackage and install Spotify
Running MSWindows programs
Install wine from our repos. [1]
Run "anything" by using another OS
Install Virtualbox from our repos. Using that you can install almost any PC operating system in a virtual PC, so you can install DOS, Windows XP, ... and run those programs
Common issues
Depencencies
Often foreign .rpm, converted .deb, binaries, .jar files, and some universal packages are dependant on one or more libraries. Usually Mageia have them all, but under different names.
You may use rpm -ivh *** note caveats, example
Try launching the program in a text terminal (i.e in konsole in Plasma), and it will often tell you what file it can not find. Then you can use urpmf or diskdrake to search for it in a Mageia package and install that. If we have it in another place or slightly different version, you may be successful with symlinking or copying.
One common difference is that on Mageia the 64 bit libs are named lib64* but the rpm may need/look for the lib without the name "64".
