Installing RPMS.

**Waylander** · 10-12-2003, 08:06 PM

I am trying to install an rpm that was suggested to me. I have installed knoppix using the knoppix-installer command. I did the Knoppix option, as opposed to the debian one. Reason being is I can't get my wireless usb adapter to work installing it that way. Back to the issue...

When I start running an rpm to install, it prompts me for the root password, but it doesn't accept it. Most likely because I can go to root without it ever prompting me for a password. It wont take leaving it blank, or the password I assigned during the install. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

**Wrayman** · 10-12-2003, 08:10 PM

In the past, I have opened the root console and changed the password (the command is "passwd") to something I can use.

**Waylander** · 10-12-2003, 08:11 PM

That got me past the password issue! Thanks.

Now what I got when I tried to install it was this

<home/knoppix/aim-1.5.286-1.i386.rpm';echo RESULT=$?
error: cannot open Packages index using db3 - No such file or directory (2)
error: cannot open Packages database in /var/lib/rpm
RESULT=1

**Stephen** · 10-12-2003, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by Waylander

That got me past the password issue! Thanks.

Now what I got when I tried to install it was this

<home/knoppix/aim-1.5.286-1.i386.rpm';echo RESULT=$?
error: cannot open Packages index using db3 - No such file or directory (2)
error: cannot open Packages database in /var/lib/rpm
RESULT=1

Try alien -i aim-1.5.286-1.i386.rpm Knoppix (Debian) uses .deb files for packaging you have to use alien to convert and install. BTW there is a Debian package called gaim which I believe does similar to what you are trying to install.

**costinfl** · 11-20-2003, 02:58 PM

I did all that with alien and I got another error
"dpkg: unable to access dpkg status area: read-only file system"
I must tell you that my knoppix actually a live version on a CD. Is there a way I can go around this and install the package in a place where I have write access?