Re: Problem with Dselect

[Adam C Powell IV <hazelsct@mit.edu>]

Björn Johansson wrote:

> On 19-Apr-00, you wrote:
>
> > Bjvrn Johansson wrote:
> >
> >>> The best would be to use apt-get, the only suggestion I can give is to
> >>> move all archives to /var/cache/apt/archives/
> >>
> >> done. Should the filestructure remain(all the directories: admin, base,
> >> comm and so on...) or should I just make all the archives lie there all
> >> mixed up together? :-/
> >
> > apt wants all files directly in /var/cache/apt/archives/ .
> >
> >
> > Michel
> >
> >
>
> How should I use apt? I tried apt-get install /var/cache/archives/
> but with no luck :(. I now have ALL files in the path.

I think there's some confusion here.  If you have the filestructure available,
just point apt to those files using a file: URL in /etc/apt/sources.list, e.g.

file:/whatever/debian

where /whatever/debian contains the directory "dists".  Then you can use:

apt-get update
apt-get dist-upgrade
apt-get install [package name]

and all the other apt goodies.  apt should also function within dselect if you
do this, dselect will make package selection and management much easier than apt
alone.

Part of apt's function is to move or link the relevant subset of those debs
(those which are to be installed or upgraded) into /var/cache/apt/archives, then
call dpkg to install/upgrade them.  So apt puts the files there, but does not
want them there to begin with.  And you certainly don't want to put every .deb
from the powerpc distribution in there.

So I hate to say this, but you should erase the .deb files from
/var/cache/apt/archives (or attempt to put them back into the
dists/potato/main... filestructure if you removed them from their former
location), then put the file: URL in /etc/apt/sources.list, then run dselect and
tell it to use apt to get the files, and use the update, select, and install
steps in dselect to complete your installation.

HTH,

-Adam P.