Re: Doing Dist-Upgrade or Such

[David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk>]

Quoting Cindy-Sue Causey (butterflybytes@gmail.com):
> On 9/7/15, Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> wrote:
> > David Wright a écrit :
> >>
> >>>From man apt-cache:
> >>
> >>        -p, --pkg-cache
> >>            Select the file to store the package cache. The package
> >>            cache is the primary cache used by all operations.
> >>            Configuration Item: Dir::Cache::pkgcache.
> >>
> >> This appears to be the Right Way.
> >
> > I doubt it, since apt-cache is not involved in downloading .deb files,
> > so it's probably not the same cache. According to man apt-get, the
> > correct configuration item would rather be Dir::Cache::Archives.
> 
> 
> *hmmmmmmmm........*
> 
> In seeing David's, I was already looking at "man apt-cache". Saw where
> his is quoted from and was thinking......
> 
> #1) Ok, will have to test drive that so it's in the back of my mind if
> it's ever needed.
> 
> Then next kneejerk reaction was....
> 
> #2) *WHY* are they using the term "file" and not "directory"?? That
> doesn't sound right. The term "files" is NOT interchangeable with the
> term "directory", and it seems like a technical writer would know that
> distinction. Yeah, I know, "we" are the technical writers for
> manpages, but still....... the file versus. directory distinction is a
> very basic starting point in understanding Debian. :)
> 
> Moving on, now I'm looking at apt-get's manpage and thinking... Ok, do
> what?! Doesn't that create some kind of conflict with apt-cache??
> 
> So I just kept flipping back and forth between the two man
> pages....... and trying to really read and *comprehend* apt-cache's
> one especially......
> 
> Is apt-cache's maybe really meaning *FILE*, as in each specific .deb
> file, and not directory (aka "folder" in "other" operating systems)?

One way of answering this question (and the earlier one) is not to read
the (arguably confusing) documentation but to ask Apt itself. Try typing
$ apt-config dump | less
and look at what the defaults are (subject to any changes you've made).

Dir::Cache "var/cache/apt/";
Dir::Cache::archives "archives/";
Dir::Cache::srcpkgcache "srcpkgcache.bin";
Dir::Cache::pkgcache "pkgcache.bin";

You can see here that Dir:: is the "Directories section", but not all
the values have to be directories (though some are).

Cheers,
David.