Browse Tools Top 100
PKG DEB
Not possible

Convert PKG to DEB

Can you convert PKG to DEB?
Verified by Adam B.· reviewed by FE Editorial ·updated Jun 27, 2026
QUICK ANSWER
Is it possible to convert PKG to DEB?
No - not a direct conversion.

There is no converter that can turn a macOS .pkg into a working .deb because the binaries inside are Mach-O executables compiled for macOS and will not run on Linux. Find the .deb the developer publishes for Linux separately, or search your distribution's package manager.

No direct path
Also to DEB: APPIMAGE · IPK · RPM

On this page

Tested on macOS, Windows & Linux
Last verified Oct 2026

More free converters

HEIC, PNG, WEBP, MP3 and more - every tool here is free.

Open the toolbox

Why convert PKG to DEB?

A .pkg is a XAR archive containing Mach-O executables targeting macOS, macOS filesystem paths, and installer scripts using macOS-specific privileges. A .deb is an ar archive containing Linux ELF binaries, Linux filesystem paths, and Debian dependency metadata. The incompatibility is at the binary level - no tool can repackage Mach-O executables to run on Linux.

How to convert PKG to DEB

alien FREE

If the software ships as an .rpm for Linux, download that RPM and run alien --to-deb package.rpm to produce a .deb - alien converts between Linux package formats but cannot process macOS .pkg files.

Programs that convert PKG

alien

About these formats

.PKG macOS Installer Package

A PKG file is a macOS Installer package - it installs software on a Mac. Double-click it to run Apple's Installer app, which will walk you through setup (admin password usually required).…

Open .PKG details →
.DEB Debian Software Package

A DEB file is a software installer for Debian-based Linux systems - Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Kali, Raspberry Pi OS, and others. To use it, run sudo apt install ./package.deb in a terminal, or…

Open .DEB details →

Quality & what to watch

  • Extracting a .pkg with xar -xf yields Mach-O binaries that will not execute on Linux regardless of how they are repackaged.
  • Most cross-platform software that ships a .pkg for macOS also publishes an official .deb - check the developer's download page or run apt search <appname> first.
  • The alien tool converts between Linux package formats (.rpm, .deb, .tgz) but has no support for macOS XAR packages.

Frequently asked questions

Can I extract files from a `.pkg` and install them on Linux?
You can extract the archive with xar -xf file.pkg, but the files inside are macOS Mach-O binaries that will not run on Linux.
Is there any tool that converts PKG to DEB automatically?
No tool does this in any meaningful way - the binaries inside a macOS .pkg are compiled for a different OS and CPU runtime.
How do I install macOS software on Linux?
Find the Linux version of the application on the developer's website, or search your distribution's package manager with apt search <appname>.