Re: Need help with apt and offline computer

[Andrea Vettorello <molotov@dei.unipd.it>]

Preben Randhol wrote:

> Andrea Vettorello <molotov@dei.unipd.it> wrote on 18/04/2001 (09:42) :
> > I prefer the third approach = )
> >
> > I think the procedure is well explained in the doc file, so i encourage you to
> > try. The only advice i can give you is, if apt exit with an error about a
> > "missing partial directory", create it yourself where you keep the downloaded
> > packages...
> >
>
> But I have read the doc file severeal times, and I have tried all kind
> of "tricks" to get it to work, but I cannot. And I don't understand why.

The simplest scenario is the online pc up to date with sid and the configuration of
the 2 pcs similar (i.e. the packages installed in both pcs are quite the same). So
you only need to replicate the contents of 2 directories:
"/var/cache/apt/archives/" (i.e. the packages) and "/var/lib/apt/lists/" (the
packages list).

Now you only need to launch "apt-get dist-upgrade".

If the 2 pc have several different packages installed, you could create a list of
packages from the offline pc to download from the online one. So, you need to
update the package list ("apt-get update" or coping the contents of
"/var/lib/apt/lists", your choose), then, following what is written in the doc,
launch:

apt-get -qq --print-uris dist-upgrade > uris; awk '{print "wget -O " $2 " " $1}' <
uris > upgrade; rm uris

and then execute the file upgrade ("sh ./upgrade") on the online pc, this will
download only the needed packages.

Now you could copy the packages in "/var/cache/apt/archives" like the above method
or you could put it wherever you like in your filesystem (in your home or under
/usr/local is a wiser choice), and following what is written in the doc, tell apt
where to fetch them:

 apt-get -o dir::cache::archives="the_path_where_you_put_your_packages"
dist-upgrade

(in this case you will probably need to create a directory called "partial", as i
said before).

Keep in mind that sid is fast changing, sometimes a version of a package exist only
for few hours, so it could happen sometimes some package is missing... =)

Hope this helps.


Andrea