re: Installed from floppies, mounted ext pcmcia cdrom, apt-get update hangs

[DTi4565459@aol.com]

Subj:   Re: installed from floppies; mounted ext pcmcia cdrom....
Date:   00-12-10 11:47:43 EST
From:   DTi4565459
To: cfelling@ae.nl

On Sat, Dec 09, 2000 at 08:20:26PM -0500, DTi4565459@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 00-12-09 19:40:53 EST, you write:
... 
>  for each cd in your cd-set do a "apt-cdrom add" (see man apt-cdrom)
> 
> Thanks, that seemed to work OK.
> 
>  then do "apt-get update" and from now on "apt-get install" should work.
>  
>  OK.  I'm hung again.  Error message is:
> 
> "W: Couldn't stat (sic) source package list......

Okee, I think this has top do with you not being on-line whilst doing this:)
Go have a look at /etc/apt/sources.list. This is a list of places where apt
will look for package files and package lists. You'll find there some lines
describing your cd's (deb cdrom:...) and the standard lines describing where
to go on the internet for packages (deb http:...).  Uncomment the latter ones
and you should be fine.

NEW: Thank you  I tried.  Now when I try to  apt-get update, error message is:

"E: Malformed line 1 in source list"

Took another look at sources.list:  It reads: 

"Deb file://mnt/debian/dists/stable/  "   I don't know what is wrong with 
this,
as I can migrate to there on the cdrom and find the Contents-i386.gz file

A better approach is to order this /etc/apt/sources.list list such that your
cd-entries are at the top followed by entries to get in security fixes and
proposed updates and eventually lines to get in the standard places.  Then
run "apt-get update" once whilst on-line so that apt can update its knowledge
base from all specified places, and run it again from time to time to be sure
not to miss new fixes and updates. Normally further "apt-get install..." can
be done off-line, but ofcourse in case newer versions are out on the internet
you'll have to be on-line to fetch them.

And bytheway, it's better to keep such discussions on the list, as then you
would benifit from the combined knowledge, not only to anwser your questions
but also to correct my anwsers:)

Thanks for the clue.  Apparently my e-mail system does not do that 
automatically,
but I will try manually.  Thanks again,  dave