Re: Why is /var/lib/apt/lists not in /var/cache?
David Wright [2023-12-16 11:30:01] wrote:
> On Sat 16 Dec 2023 at 10:59:48 (-0500), Stefan Monnier wrote:
>> AFAICT, all of `/var/lib/apt/lists` is made of files fetched from
>> repositories, which APT will re-fetch if missing.
>> So, it sounds to me like it belongs in `/var/cache/apt/lists`, really.
>> What am I missing? Or is it just a historical accident?
>
> This may not answer your question, but when you fetch new lists,
> they aren't the same as what was there before, and don't actually
> match your system until you upgrade it.
AFAIK those lists aren't supposed to "match your system", are they?
IIUC they just keep a local copy of the repository's list.
Admittedly if I `apt update` today, and then a week from now I delete
the lists and do `apt update` again I won't get the same files.
But similar, if I delete one of the files in
`/var/cache/apt/archive`, there's no guarantee that I'll be able to
re-download this exact file next week (tho I guess
https://snapshot.debian.org/ might still make it possible if you want it
badly enough).
Stefan
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