Re: Whats the difference?
- From: Chris Wilkinson <blobster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 09 Jul 2006 21:25:06 +1000
Rob H wrote:
Hi,
Can anyone tell me;
What is the difference between a RPM package and a tar.gz package?
tar.gz - These files are an archive, like a Windows zip file. You just
unpack them to somewhere like you do with a zip file. Most tar.gz's
will contain source code, so you can compile the software they contain,
but some also contain pre-compiled executable software that can be run
from the folder you unpack them to. If there are additional softwares
that are required to be installed to make source code compile you will
normally need to track down and compile that for yourself.
rpm - These are similar to a zip file again, but contain additional
info. You normally use a package management system to install the
software they contain (in SuSE use YaST). Most contain pre-compiled
software, a few contain source code. The best thing about them is that
you can install and remove them with YaST. YaST has a list of the
ones you have installed, and also ones that are available to install
from your CD/DVD's, and internet based ones you may wish to add in.
If one you want to install also requires other softwares/libraries to
work properly, YaST will select and install those too automatically,
so you don't need to do that yourself.
Source code in tar.gz files can be compiled to utilise features of your
own machine to run faster than software in an rpm file, which is usually
compiled for generic x86 machines so all x86 type CPU's can use it. The
rpm system is however easier to use/manage. If you're desperate to get
the last few % of performance from your software tar.gz source code is
the way to do that, but if you require easier management of what you
install and remove then rpm is the go...
--
Kind regards,
Chris Wilkinson, Brisbane, Australia.
Anyone wishing to email me directly can remove the obvious
spamblocker, and replace it with t p g <dot> c o m <dot> a u
.
- References:
- Whats the difference?
- From: Rob H
- Whats the difference?
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