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Set as preferred source
cd ~/Downloads
List the files to confirm it is there:
ls *.deb
Fedora 17 does not include non-free or special conversion tools by default. You need RPM Fusion.
su -c 'yum localinstall --nogpgcheck http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-17.noarch.rpm http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-17.noarch.rpm'
When prompted, enter your root password.
If you are new to Fedora 17, avoid .deb files entirely. Fedora has its own massive software library. install deb package on fedora 17 user new
Tell alien to convert the file. The -r flag means "convert to RPM." The -k flag keeps the version number intact.
su -c 'alien -rk my_program.deb'
What happens next:
Note for new users: If you see warnings about "changing permissions" or "unknown script," that is normal. If you see "Failed," the DEB is too complex or uses Ubuntu-specific libraries unavailable on Fedora 17. cd ~/Downloads
cp -r usr/* /usr/ cp -r etc/* /etc/ # if etc directory exists
Warning: This can break your system due to library conflicts and missing dependencies.
The world of Linux distributions is unified by the Unix-like philosophy but divided by practical implementation. Two of the most prominent families are the Debian-based branch (which includes Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Debian itself) and the Red Hat-based branch (which includes Fedora, CentOS, and RHEL). The fundamental difference between these families, from an end-user perspective, is the package management system. Debian-based systems use .deb packages and tools like dpkg and apt. Red Hat-based systems use .rpm packages and tools like rpm and dnf (formerly yum). For a new user on Fedora 17—a somewhat dated but historically significant release that still used yum as its primary package manager—encountering a .deb file can be a source of confusion. This essay provides a complete guide for that user, explaining what a .deb package is, why it is not natively compatible with Fedora, and the methods—both practical and pedagogical—for handling such a situation. List the files to confirm it is there:
ls *
rpm -ivh your-package-version.rpm
If you are reading this, you have likely downloaded a file ending in .deb (Debian/Ubuntu package) and are trying to double-click it on Fedora 17. Fedora does not natively understand .deb files.
Trying to force a .deb package onto Fedora is like trying to put diesel fuel into a gasoline car—they are different systems. However, if you absolutely need a specific program that only exists as a .deb file, you must convert it.
Do not try to install the DEB directly. You will break your system’s dependency tree. Instead, we will convert the .deb to a .rpm using a tool called alien.
