How to Create Local Repository on Hard Disk

[asundaresan]

Hi,

I have installed ubuntu on a machine that does not have internet access. However I'd like to install and update packages. Is there any way I can download the whole repository (or a substantial part of it) from somewhere and copy that to the hard disk. I imagine that I can then set it in /etc/apt/sources.list.

- what do i download?
- where can i download it from?

is there any difference between apt for debian and apt for ubuntu other than the repository?

aravind.

[Aurels]

That's a good question, i'm really interested on using a 'local repository' too.

[graabein]

I also have no internet at home. I've copied the repos from the Warty install CD onto my harddrive and got that to work. I'd like to download the universe...

Here are some links to read up on the basics... I don't know the difference between Debian and Ubuntu packages as I'm rather new to Linux myself. I have in fact not installed an application yet because of package dependencies... If you don't count Neverball data files, hehe.

http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/re...ory-howto.html
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/ap.../index.en.html

[oracledarren]

I asked this question here and I am struggling to find where the answer is.

The basic answer I think you are looking for is once you have installed a machine with all the good stuff you want to want to be able to transfer that in some way so that it can be installed on another previously installed machine.

All of the downloaded files are stored in /var/cache/apt which you can copy to a cd or dvd but there is a file you need to create before doing it called packages.

If you look at the posts I have made and look for the one that says creating a sources cd you will find the answer there.

So I cant be more help just now, but I gotta fly

[izut]

I'll describe a few steps I made to construct my personal repository. My current setup is:

- Ubuntu 'Warty' installed with Internet access (at work)
- Ubuntu 'Warty' installed without Internet access (at home)

Using the usual Ubuntu repositories, I updated the system and installed some packages I wanted (ruby, apache, mysql, etc). You don't need to install that on the host system, just use the apt-get's download only option. All files downloaded from repositories are in the /var/cache/apt/archives directory in the host system. I did these steps:

1. Created /opt/repo directory (could be the home directory)
2. Created the directory /opt/repo/binary (copied from Debian specs)
3. Copied all debs from my update from /var/cache/apt/archives to /opt/repo/binary
4. Executed dpkg-scanpackages like this:
# pwd
/opt/repo
# dpkg-scanpackages binary /dev/null | gzip -9c > binary/Packages.gz
5. Burned a CD with its contents

For use that in my standalone host, I did this:
# apt-cdrom add
...

I think it's all.

Cya.

[alex-gurgel]

Hey !!!! I've looking for this !!!! And only see an answer here !

Very thanks !!!

[Aurels]

OK. Fine!

[Maniak]

OK - here is a slightly different setup to play/help me with. I have a couple of computers on a network at home. I am using dial-up to connect to the net. I don't want to have to download the patches/upgrades/new programs twice (or more) - what do I need to change from the above posts to turn my /var/chache/apt/archives into a local respository for the other computer(s) on the network? Or is there another way to update all computers on the network?

[marcolino]

thanks it works great.

[urbandryad]

Can you do this for a USB flash drive instead of a CD? I don't have a CD burner.