Re: how to setup a small local Debian mirror to install a VM without an internet access

[Fred Boiteux <fbpros@free.fr>]

Le 03/10/2019 à 09:54, Geert Stappers a écrit :
> Visit archive of this mailinglist.
> In september (this year) there was posting
> } I have documented that, visit my blog
> I don't remember authors name. Neither had time to check it
> what it documents better then what is in "debian dot org".
>
> And in september I made some effort to answer simular question.
> I think I hinted on checking the webserver log for 404 errors.
>
> No hardfeelings. Feel free to report progress.
> And yes, "progress" is explaining the new place where you are stuck.
>
>
> Groeten
> Geert Stappers

    Hi Geert,

I searched the debian-boot mailing list's september archives, but didn't 
found which e-mail you're refering to…


Meanwhile, I've tried to understand what is going on : on my VM being 
installed, stuck because the standard 'locales' package can't be 
installed, as the given repository is not signed and then ignored, I've 
done this : I've connected to the VM with SSH, then I've done a 'chroot 
/target' to check what is going on. Trying to install the locales 
packages don't actually work :

  # apt-get install locales
  Reading package lists... Done
  Building dependency tree... Done
  Package locales is not available, but is referred to by another package.
  This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
  is only available from another source
  E: Package 'locales' has no installation candidate


Trying an apt update gives the same error message than in the previous log :

  # apt update
  Ign:1 http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer buster InRelease
  Get:2 http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer buster Release 
[33.5 kB]      Ign:3 http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer 
buster Release.gpg
  Reading package lists... Done
  E: The repository 'http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer 
buster Release' is not signed.
  N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is 
therefore disabled by default.
  N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user 
configuration details.

I've checked the apt config :

  # cat target/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/00AllowUnauthenticated
  APT::Get::AllowUnauthenticated "true";
  Aptitude::CmdLine::Ignore-Trust-Violations "true";


And looking (on a working Buster system) the apt-secure manual page 
suggest me to add following line in this conf file :

Acquire::AllowInsecureRepositories "true";


With this config item, the « apt update » runs well, the error message 
becomes a warning message :

 apt update
Ign:1 http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer buster InRelease
Get:2 http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer buster Release 
[33.5 kB]
Ign:3 http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer buster Release.gpg
Ign:4 http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer buster/main amd64 
Packages
Ign:5 http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer buster/main 
Translation-en
Get:4 http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer buster/main amd64 
Packages [988 kB]
Get:5 http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer buster/main 
Translation-en [703 kB]
Fetched 1724 kB in 0s (6042 kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
All packages are up to date.
W: The repository 'http://192.168.254.254/buster_debian_installer buster 
Release' is not signed.
N: Data from such a repository can't be authenticated and is therefore 
potentially
dangerous to use.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user 
configuration details.


and then the installation of 'locales' package (for example) becomes 
possible :

  # apt install locales
  Reading package lists... Done
  Building dependency tree... Done
  The following additional packages will be installed:
    libc-l10n
  The following NEW packages will be installed:
    libc-l10n locales
  0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
  Need to get 4907 kB of archives.
  After this operation, 20.8 MB of additional disk space will be used.
  Do you want to continue? [Y/n]


So I think the apt config item : Acquire::AllowInsecureRepositories "true";

should be added in /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/00AllowUnauthenticated file of 
target system when the debian-installer's preseed item 
debian-installer/allow_unauthenticated    is set to 'true' .


I've searched for a 'early-command' or 'late-command' where to 
temporarily add this item in the target file-system, but I didn't find a 
correct place, where the target file systems are already created, but 
the installation process isn't finished...


    With regards,

            Fred.