initialization package for a new server?

[Peter Michaux <petermichaux@gmail.com>]

Hi,

I would like to automate the creation of a new web server as much as
possible. It would seem ideal if I do not have to edit any files at
all but rather only install packages. I have my own simple APT
repository accessible via SSH but the new server must first be
configured to know about that simple APT repository. Is it a good
approach to make a "initialization" .deb package with the following
files

    /etc/apt/source.list
    /home/.ssh/id_rsa

This package would also require the openssh-client package. After this
"initialization" package is installed directly using `dpkg install`
then everything else could be installed with `apt-get install` from my
APT repository. (This would mean all servers with access to the APT
repository would be using the same SSH private key.)

Or is there another way I should prepare a server?

Thanks,
Peter