/var/lib/dpkg on diskless linux

[rebehn@comm.uni-bremen.de (Heinrich Rebehn)]

Hi,

I operate a cluster of diskless linux PCs using debian hamm. It works quite
well and i can say that debian causes the least problems with diskless machines
(tried SuSe an Redhat too).
However i was wondering about /var/lib/dpkg. Normally, in a diskless cluster,
every client gets its own copy of /etc, /dev and /var, while /bin, /sbin, /lib
and /usr are there only once.
/var/lib/dpkg, however, which is NOT specifc for each client, occupies some
10 to 20 MB of disk space. Also, if i install or upgrade packages on the server,
the change is not reflected in the client's copy of /var/lib/dpkg.

My questions:
 1) Why is this stuff in /var? Shouldn't it rather go to /usr?
 2) Can i replace /var/lib/dpkg on the clients with a link to the server's 
    /var/lib/dpkg?
 3) Is /var/lib/dpkg only used at install/upgrade time?

Thank you for your  help.
--

Heinrich Rebehn

University of Bremen
Physics / Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Department of Telecommunications -

E-mail: mailto:rebehn@comm.uni-bremen.de
Phone : +49/421/218-4664
Fax   :            -3341