Re: Download once, apt-get install many?

[Frank Copeland <fjc@wossname.apana.org.au>]

Robert L. Harris wrote:

>  I'm looking at upgrading to potato.  I'm doing the 
>"apt-get -d dist-upgrade" currently since it looks like it'll take 1day
>and 15hrs per box.  Since the -d downloads, can I take the files being 
>downloaded for box1, tar them up, copy and untar to box[234] and then
>just "apt-get install" from the single downloads?  I'd hate to spend
>a full week downloading the same files multiple times...

If the boxes are networked together, you can easily set up your own partial
mirror and install from that. Once you have upgraded box #1, use apt-move to
create a partial mirror from the .debs you downloaded, and set up a
web/ftp/NFS server to make the mirror available to the other boxes. Then
when you upgrade the other boxes, add box #1 to their /etc/apt/sources.list
as the *first* (or only) source.

Disclaimer: it works for me.

Frank