RPM Converter
FileFlip converts RPM files into 11 other formats entirely inside your browser, using libarchive compiled to WebAssembly. The RPM file is never uploaded to a server: it is read off your disk, converted on your own machine, and saved back by the browser. There is no file-size limit and no account to create.
How do I convert an RPM file?#
- Drop your RPM file onto the converter at the top of this page, or click it to pick one from your computer.
- Choose the format you want out of it. FileFlip downloads the engine that conversion needs, once, and your browser caches it.
- Conversion starts the moment you pick the format, and the result is yours to download. The work happens in this tab, so nothing is uploaded and nothing is queued.
Is it safe to convert RPM files online?#
Yes, because nothing is uploaded. FileFlip converts RPM files inside the browser tab you already have open, using WebAssembly builds of the same engines a desktop converter would install. Your file is read from your own disk into the page's memory, and no request carrying it is ever made.
You do not have to take that on trust. Open your browser's network panel, run a conversion, and you will see the engine come down and your file go nowhere. There is no upload, no server-side copy, no retention window, and no account tied to what you converted.
How FileFlip works lists every engine, its version and its download size, and shows how to check for yourself that nothing leaves your machine.
What happens to a RPM file#
FileFlip converts RPM into 11 formats with libarchive, all of it inside the browser tab. Each conversion below names the engine it uses, what it downloads, and exactly what that conversion keeps or drops.
| Category | Archives |
|---|---|
| File extension | .rpm |
| FileFlip support | Read only, so it is a source rather than a target |
| Conversions available | 11 |
| Engines | libarchive |
| Downloaded to your browser | 1.0 MB on the first conversion, then cached |
What is an RPM file?#
An RPM file is an RPM Package Manager package: a lead and signature block, a header of package metadata, and a compressed cpio archive holding the files to install.
An RPM is the format to build or inspect when packaging software for Fedora, RHEL, openSUSE or another RPM-based distribution.
Convert or extract an RPM's payload when only the files inside are needed, or when the target system uses a Debian-family distribution instead.
The RPM file format reference covers the specification, the programs that open one, and what each conversion keeps or drops.
RPM questions people ask#
How do I open an RPM file without installing it?
Piping rpm2cpio package.rpm into cpio -idmv extracts an RPM's files to the current directory without installing anything or touching the RPM database. 7-Zip does the same thing through its GUI on Windows.
What's inside an RPM file?
An RPM file has four parts: a lead identifying it as an RPM, a signature block for verifying authenticity, a header of metadata like the package name, version and full file list, and a payload that is a compressed cpio archive of the actual files.
How do I install an RPM file?
sudo rpm -i package.rpm installs it directly but will not fetch missing dependencies, so sudo dnf install package.rpm (or zypper or yum, depending on the distribution) is the safer route since it resolves dependencies from the configured repositories first.
Can I open an RPM file on Windows or macOS?
7-Zip on Windows extracts an RPM's cpio payload directly, and p7zip provides the same support on macOS and Linux. Neither actually installs the package, since installation depends on the RPM database that only exists on an RPM-based Linux system.
What's the difference between an RPM and a .deb package?
An RPM is a custom binary header followed by a compressed cpio archive of files, used by Fedora, RHEL, openSUSE and similar distributions, while a .deb is an ar archive of two tarballs, used by Debian, Ubuntu and their derivatives. The tool alien can convert between the two, though the conversion is not always reliable since dependency naming differs between the ecosystems.