(The latest version of this document is at http://www.milkywaygalaxy.freeservers.com. You may want to check there for changes).
Redhat RPM program is the key program to install Redhat Linux Source RPMs. There are more than 8000 Redhat application programs available on the internet in rpm source-code format. If you just install rpm program on other flavors of Unix like Solaris, AIX, Irix or HPUX, then you can very easily compile, build and install any of those 8000 application source RPMs.
RPM is the "gateway" to thousands of applications and programs, which are in source code rpm format.
Maintainence of application programs is extremely easy with RPM program. You can very easily remove, add and upgrade the application package from the system. Using RPM program you can query the system to find the list of packages installed and you can even list the files installed by a particular package. RPM program can also give the exact path locations of the files installed by a particular package.
The upgrades and updates can be automated using the rpm program and the Redhat Network support.
The redhat rpm program is extremely powerful, extremely easy to use and is the most popular packaging program in the world. Packaging programs on other Unix platforms like pkgadd, smitt are very primitive and are not as powerful as rpm program. And rpm program is very portable and works on most Unix operating systems.
The guidelines given here can be useful for setting up Debian package program deb on Solaris and other Unix flavors. GNU Debian Linux is another popular distribution and uses deb program which is similar to rpm program . You can use either rpm or deb program.