Many Linux users are familiar with the RPM package format. The problem is that not all Linux installations will have access to a system capable of installing an rpm package. This can be problematic when you want to distribute your software as an installer. Luckily, it’s possible to convert any .rpm file into a cpio archive using the “ar” command.
To do so, type in the following command: ar -pvx .rpm >.cpio The cpio archive will be created in the same directory as the .rpm file. NOTE: you should only use this format for installer packages. If it is not an installer, we recommend using tar or zip instead! Many Linux users are familiar with the RPM package format and are aware that installing such a package can sometimes be difficult if they lack access to a system capable of handling rpm files. That’s why when distributing your software, some prefer converting any given rpm into a cpio archive by first typing ar -pvx filename-rpm >filename-cpioum before placing it in their distribution folder where its contents can then be extracted like so: tar xf filename-cpioum.
