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I am using Scientific Linux 6.0, which is based on RHEL (RedHat) 6.0. I want to install some package (LXDE), which is present in repositories for Fedora, but which I didn't found either in Scientific Linux repositories, or in any "extras" repositories (like e.g. FreshRPMS).

Fedora package repository corresponding to which version of Fedora (12, 13, 14, 15?) would be best fit for Scientific Linux 6.0? I mean here which would require least upgrading of other packages.

How to add Fedora repository to Scientific Linux (yum)?

BTW. if I LXDE can be found as RPM package in some "extras" repository, please tell me in which one.

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4 Answers

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I don't think it's a good idea to import a Fedora repository - regardless of version - into RHEL6 or another Linux distribution derived from it.

Those packages are not tested for working together and different compilation options and patches might introduce subtle incompatibilities even between packages with the same name and version.

What you can do is from a Fedora system use yumdownloader --source to download SRPMs for LXDE and then rebuild then in SL6. (Or download them using wherever means you prefer, it doesn't need to be with yumdownloader). Of course, there are going to be a good deal of dependencies issues to be dealt with - I'm not sure which packages LXDE depends on. If it's not available on SL6 or has a earlier version, you're also going to need to rebuild it.

After you found and rebuild the needed RPMs you can use createrepo to create a local repository. Add the local repository on yum and now add LXDE from your local repository.

It's quite a good deal of work - but at least it's is sure that it will work correctly with your system.

On this older question there are some pointers on how to work with source RPMs.

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I would have thought that RHEL / Scientific Linux being related to Fedore there wouldn't be much mismatch in packages between those two distributions. Anyway, regardless whether I'll use binary RPM from Fedore, or SRPM from Fedore, the question remains: how to find which Fedora would be best fit (though that probably matters less for SRPM, as it would be linked with current version). – Jakub Narębski Jul 24 '11 at 2:06
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@Jakub Fedora strays a bit from RHEL and SL does not aims for binary compatibility with RHEL (unlike CentOS). Give the SRPM from Fedora 13 or 14 a try. RHEL6 was released 2010-11-10. F13 was released 2010-05-25 and F14 2010-11-02. I'd give F13 preference since it was released before. – Vitor Braga Jul 24 '11 at 2:48
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For a larger selection of software above and beyond "extras", I would recommend checking out EPEL which has lots of additional software designed to run on RHEL/CentOS.

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I do't think LXDE is on EPEL. – Jakub Narębski Jul 25 '11 at 13:09
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As others noted, not really a good idea. However, to answer the question, RHEL6 was spun off from Fedora 13.

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It's actually somewhere between Fedora 12 and Fedora 13. Usually Fedora 13 packages will install, but in a few cases I've had to go down to Fedora 12 packages. – Steven Pritchard Jul 25 '11 at 0:55
Well, I cited WP. That's all I had. Personally, I download the SRPMS and rebuild them. I've usually been able to get mostly newest versions of stuff installed that way. – Aaron D. Marasco Jul 25 '11 at 0:59
You weren't wrong... It was just spun off of Fedora 13 while it was in development early enough that it is closer to Fedora 12 in some areas. :-) – Steven Pritchard Jul 25 '11 at 3:00
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The best bet (if the package isn't in EPEL as said above) is to grab the source RPM from Fedora, and build your own binary RPM from it. I'd first try the latest one, and work backwards though the Fedora releases if it doesn't work. You'll probably have to mix and match old configuration/setup with new source if you do so.

Entertaining, as long as nothing critical depends on said chimaera...

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