Re: howto upgrade packages automatically?

[Ed Cogburn <ecogburn@greene.xtn.net>]

arch wrote:
> 
> Is there a way that I can keep my debian2.0 system current with the new packages?
> Ive heard pple using apt,dpkg-ftp to upgrade their packages automatically?
> Can someone please tell me how I can achieve this?
> 
> Thnx
> 
	First you need an internet connection (probably PPP connection to an ISP,
right?).

	Second, you need to get apt, dselect and dpkg are installed automatically as
required software, IIRC.

	Third, setup /etc/apt/sources.list.  Look at the examples in sources.list and
read the man page for 'sources.list'.  If your current version is Deb 2.0
(hamm), then the following would work:
	deb     ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian hamm main contrib non-free
Change the ftp.debian.org to whatever mirror you use.

	Fourth, decide whether you want to run apt by itself (command line interface)
or use apt in conjunction with dselect (the latter is what I do).  For the
former, read the man pages.  There is no 'apt' man page unfortunately, you
get  man pages for each command, i.e. 'man apt-get'.  Read
/etc/doc/apt/README.* first.
	For using dselect with apt, run dselect and select 'Access' (first menu
item), then select apt as your access method (apt should show up as an option
after you install apt).  If everything is correct, you can now run update
(second menu item).
	You can go under the 'select' option to manually review any
additions/changes, then run 'install' to do the upgrade.  Dselect will use apt
to do everything, and apt will call dpkg for the grunt work.
	Problems?  Read the stuff in /usr/doc/[dselect\dpkg\apt].  If your still
confused, try 'man dselect', man 'dpkg', man 'sources-list', man 'apt-xxxx',
well, you get the idea:  Read The Fine Manuals.  :-)


-- 
Ed C.