# README for rpm2tar
# created 2000-Nov-27 01:10 jmk
# autodate: 2000-Nov-27 01:55

+----------+
| Contents |
+----------+

  - Description
  - Requirements
  - Installing
  - Using
  - Location
  - Copyright and Disclaimer

+-------------+
| Description |
+-------------+

'Rpm2tar' is a utility for converting the files contained in a binary
RPM package into a gzipped tar archive.  Rpm2tar attempts to preserve
file ownership, groups, and permissions as they are stored in the RPM
package.

+--------------+
| Requirements |
+--------------+

Rpm2tar requires the following software in order to build:

  - rpm-devel-3.0.5

      plus

  - popt-1.5
  - zlib-devel-1.1.x
  - bzip2-1.0.x or bzip2-0.9.x
  - glibc-devel-2.1.x (for libdb)
  - GNU make-3.7x
  - a C compiler

In addition, rpm2tar requires the following software in order to
run:

  - rpm-3.0.x (for rpm2cpio)
  - GNU cpio
  - GNU fileutils (for chmod, chown, mkdir, rm, mkdir)
  - GNU gzip
  - A working tar command
  - A working /bin/sh

Most Linux distributions that use RPM will have all of the above
installed, or at least available.  For other systems, your mileage may
vary.  Good luck.

+------------+
| Installing |
+------------+

  (1) Familiarize yourself with the Makefile.  Decide whether you like
      the choice of compiler, optimization flags, installation
      directories, etc.  If you don't, change them.

  (2) Find out what version of libbz2 is on your system.  Usually, you
      can do this with 'bzip2 --version'.

  (3) If you have bzip2-1.0.x, build rpm2tar using:

        make

      If you have bzip2-0.9.x, build rpm2tar using:

        make MISCFLAGS=-DOLD_BZIP2

  (4) Install using:

        make install

      If you want to install somewhere other than the default location
      of /usr/local/bin/, specify the prefix.  For example:

        make install prefix=/usr

+-------+
| Using |
+-------+

The syntax for rpm2tar is:

  rpm2tar <rpm-package> [<working-dir> [<output-file>]]

where:

  <rpm-package> is a binary RPM package (e.g., blah-1.2.3-1.i386.rpm);

  <working-dir> is a temporary directory that gets deleted when rpm2tar
                is finished with it (defaults to '/tmp/rpm2tar'); and

  <output-file> is the resulting gzipped tar archive (defaults to the
                same name as <rpm-package>, but ending in '.tar.gz'
                instead of '.rpm').

You must specify <working-dir> in order to specify <output-file>.

Rpm2tar does the following:

  (1) Removes <working-dir> if it exists.

  (2) Creates <working-dir>.

  (3) Unpacks the files contained in <rpm-package> into <working-dir>.

  (4) Changes file ownership and permissions to match those stored in
      <rpm-package>.

  (5) Creates <output-file> as a gzipped tar archive containing all of
      the files and directories inside <working-dir>.

  (6) Removes <working-dir>.

  ............................................................
  :                                                          :
  : NOTE: Because rpm2tar does stuff with file ownership and :
  :       permissions, you need to be root to use it.        :
  :..........................................................:

+----------+
| Location |
+----------+

Rpm2tar is available from the following location:

  http://www.jmknoble.cx/software/rpm2tar/

+--------------------------+
| Copyright and Disclaimer |
+--------------------------+

This software is Copyright (C) 1999,2000 Jim Knoble
<jmknoble@jmknoble.cx>.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of
merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfringement.
In no event shall the author(s) be liable for any claim, damages or
other liability, whether in an action of contract, tort or otherwise,
arising from, out of or in connection with the software or the use or
other dealings in the software.

Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and
its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee,
provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that
both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in
supporting documentation.

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