Re: DSELECT: can it merge updates after CD installation?

[Joost Kooij <kooij@mpn.cp.philips.com>]

On Thu, 23 Oct 1997, Rick Macdonald wrote:

> Searching the Changelog directories for updated packages (r1 to r6) 
> and installing them with dpkg is a bit tedious. I imagine dpkg-ftp works
> well in the case of getting non-free packages from a remote site.
> 
> Is there a way to point dselect at local or remote directories such that
> it will "merge" in the new and updated packages? Dselect would then show
> them in the "Newly Available" and "Updated Packages" sections of the 
> selection screen. 
> 
> Looking at dpkg-ftp, it kinda looks like it might do all this (by fetching
> the complete Packages file?) but there's no DOC that explains what's
> really going on. Wouldn't you loose track of what files had to be 
> retrieved remotely and which ones where actually on your local CD?

Hi,

You might want to use: 

  dpkg-scanpackages binarypath overridefile pathprefix > Packages

and then

  dpkg --merge-avail <Packages-file>      merge with info from file

You can get the overridefile from the indices directory in the archive,
but I think you can only run it on packages in a mounted filesystem.
If you hack up a Packages file in a clever way you might even be able to
let dselect get the packages from the ftp site. 

Letting dselect install them from a local filesystem is much easier, but
that would again require you to dig them out of the ftp site manually.
If it is for purpose of keeping a local mirror, then it is probably
interesting to look into these tools. They have manpages too.

Too bad indeed that there is no global
tell-all-the-gory-details-but-do-in-simple-words-with-nice-examples kind
of document yet. I intend to write something like that, but until now I
have not had the time to really sit down for it.

If you want to do me a favor, then tell me about your experiences and I
can maybe use them for such HOWTO. 

Success,


Joost


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