(SOLVED) Use of RPM libraries and software

Hi All:
I just downloaded and installed an update package from the update manager. No problems.
I noticed something I never noticed before. Namely seven packages related to .rpm. Names like "convert rpm to cpio, rpm package, some rpm libraries etc.
I've never installed any rpm packages in Zorin. Yet they have big repositories and some software that could prove useful. For example there may be rpm programs that Ubuntu/Zorin doesn't have.

So my questions are:
1. Whether I can install an rpm package in Zorin just as I can install a .deb package using GDebi?
2. If I can then how can I do so?
3. If I shouldn't, or can't, then that is ok, but should I bother to remove those packages?

Thanks again

Jojo

Hi,

any files in the Ubuntu repos are deb packages only despite what is written in the text in the Ubuntu Software Center or Synaptic!.

If you want to use (convert) a downloaded RPM package, use "Alien" to do this:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RPM/AlienHowto

See also:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1778&p=6447#p6447

Thanks Wolfman. I appreciate the link to Alien even though I don't think I'll use it since i've gotten along quite well up until now. My guess is that the RPM packages have to do with reading them or otherwise saving them. The packagers used interesting labels, but i'm not curious enough to write them or dig deeper.
This question is solved for me. Thanks again.

Jojo

Just to clarify, .rpm = Redhat Package Manager - used by (of course) Red Hat and its derivatives - Fedora et al. Zorin uses .deb = Debian. So if you want to install any packages that are .rpm you WILL have to use Wolfman's advice - the other issue might be that their may be dependencies that have not been written for Debian based kernels.