Updates on Two Boxes [Was: Re:Debian Lenny and release dates]

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Thu, Oct 16, 2008 at 10:31:42AM -0400, John Moniz wrote:
> Lennart Sorensen wrote:
> >On Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 03:39:43PM -0400, John Moniz wrote:
> >  
> >>It looks like my drive is getting a bit full. Do I need the packages in 
> >>/var/cache/apt/archives in order to do the upgrade? If I clear it, I'm 
> >>OK, but not sure if that's where apt does it's look up to determine what 
> >>needs upgrading.
> >>    
> >
> >You can clean up using 'apt-get clean'.
> >
> >The cache directory is just for storing downloads while installing them,
> >after which you shouldn't need them again.
> >
> >apt-get update will update the list of packages available (and stores
> >them in /var/lib/apt/lists/) and use that list compared to what is
> >installed to decide what to upgrade.
> Great info Lennart (Christopher too).
> 
> My mother-in-law is still on dial-up and won't be changing anytime soon. 
> I'd like to maintain her Ubuntu up-to-date, but it's nearly impossible 
> to download the updates at those speeds. I would like to set up the very 
> same Ubuntu release at home, then when I update my box, I'd make a copy 
> of the new packages on a CD to take to her place once in a while.
> 
> I can see that the /var/cache/apt/archives would be the place to copy 
> the packages from. Then it would be a matter of figuring out how to get 
> her Ubuntu to search the CD for updates, would that be about right? Any 
> complications other than trying to get the CD as an apt source?

Better yet use a tool for the job:

Package: apt-zip
Priority: extra
Section: admin
Installed-Size: 116
Maintainer: Giacomo Catenazzi <cate-8fiUuRrzOP0dnm+yROfE0A at public.gmane.org>
Architecture: all
Version: 0.15
Depends: apt (>= 0.3.10)
Filename: pool/main/a/apt-zip/apt-zip_0.15_all.deb
Size: 17932
MD5sum: 47104830a8df3e7ebedcd07ef45c4412
SHA1: ae8f89e5898ee87fe56f45f2404a6284ba6fa6f3
SHA256: fad9a440adeb7edba808d6459fe03a9d5e4ed41ca8ff156c49aaee6d1ce98d35
Description: Update a non-networked computer using apt and removable media
 These scripts simplify the process of using dselect and apt on a
 non-networked Debian box, using removable media like ZIP floppies and
 USB keys.
 One generates a `fetch' script (supporting backends such as wget and
 lftp, in a modular, extensible way) to be run on a host with better
 connectivity, check space constraints of your removable media, and
 then install the package on your Debian box.

-- 
Len Sorensen
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