How to prevent apt from deleting packages in /var/cache/apt/archives ?

abc.linux · 09-07-2009, 11:10 PM

In the name of God
Hi
A)Is there a configuration item that prevents apt from
deleting files in /var/cache/apt/archives ?
B)When apt removes some packages in /var/cache/apt/archives ?

Thanks in advance.

neonsignal · 09-08-2009, 03:50 AM

The apt system would not usually remove packages from the cached archive unless you pass the 'clean' parameter to apt-get or aptitude. It is not uncommon to have multiple versions of the packages in the cache as you go through upgrades.

There are some options that can be put into the /etc/apt/apt.conf file to control when and how files are cleaned from the archive (see 'man apt.conf').

frenchn00b · 09-08-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abc.linux

In the name of God
Hi
A)Is there a configuration item that prevents apt from
deleting files in /var/cache/apt/archives ?
B)When apt removes some packages in /var/cache/apt/archives ?

Thanks in advance.

if you do :

Quote:

apt-get clean

you remove them.

If you does not that, they remain.

In case it does by itself ,there is something ... ?

catkin · 09-09-2009, 02:25 PM

I also would like to accumulate packages in my ubuntu 8.04.3 system's /var/cache/apt/archives to speed any re-installation.

/bin/ls -ltc /var/cache/apt/archives lists files dated from 15jul9 to 7sep9. I have not used apt-get or aptitude with the clean option. Searching the system log I cannot find anything that might have deleted files up to the start date. Old packages seem to be auto-deleted ... ?

frenchn00b · 09-09-2009, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catkin

I also would like to accumulate packages in my ubuntu 8.04.3 system's /var/cache/apt/archives to speed any re-installation.

/bin/ls -ltc /var/cache/apt/archives lists files dated from 15jul9 to 7sep9. I have not used apt-get or aptitude with the clean option. Searching the system log I cannot find anything that might have deleted files up to the start date. Old packages seem to be auto-deleted ... ?

you can create even your own server of deb for apt-get , for updating ur sources.list
its quite useful

catkin · 09-09-2009, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frenchn00b

you can create even your own server of deb for apt-get , for updating ur sources.list
its quite useful

Thanks frenchn00b

Nice idea if we had more than one .deb machine on this otherwise Windows-only LAN! Being as how it's only for one machine I'd be happy if I could find out how to stop ubuntu cleaning /var/cache/apt/archives and simply back it up to DVD at regular intervals.

Or have I misunderstood something?

frenchn00b · 09-09-2009, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catkin

Thanks frenchn00b

Nice idea if we had more than one .deb machine on this otherwise Windows-only LAN! Being as how it's only for one machine I'd be happy if I could find out how to stop ubuntu cleaning /var/cache/apt/archives and simply back it up to DVD at regular intervals.

Or have I misunderstood something?

Do you know a good ftp provider?
ie. freeshell is really great.
It has unix and website, you can put also your own deb when u compile on that, and you update ur sources.list

catkin · 09-09-2009, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frenchn00b

Do you know a good ftp provider?
ie. freeshell is really great.
It has unix and website, you can put also your own deb when u compile on that, and you update ur sources.list

But wouldn't it take just as long to pull .debs in from a remote FTP site as to download them from the standard repositories? I'm not thinking about custom .debs (or so few they are not an issue); I'm thinking about speeding up re-installation by avoiding having to download lots of packages over a not-so-fast Internet connection.

abc.linux · 09-09-2009, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neonsignal

The apt system would not usually remove packages from the cached archive unless you pass the 'clean' parameter to apt-get or aptitude. It is not uncommon to have multiple versions of the packages in the cache as you go through upgrades.

There are some options that can be put into the /etc/apt/apt.conf file to control when and how files are cleaned from the archive (see 'man apt.conf').

Thanks,
I have no /etc/apt.conf
I think that I need to create the /etc/apt.conf file
containing the following lines:

DSelect
{
Clean "never";
};

I got these lines from /usr/share/doc/apt/examples/apt.conf .
I didn't test the result.

catkin · 09-10-2009, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abc.linux

Thanks,
I have no /etc/apt.conf
I think that I need to create the /etc/apt.conf file
containing the following lines:

DSelect
{
Clean "never";
};

I got these lines from /usr/share/doc/apt/examples/apt.conf .
I didn't test the result.

Looks interesting but when is DSelect used?

Don't know how similar ubuntu 8.04 is to Debian but I have these files in /etc/apt/apt.conf.d which may be relevant

01autoremove
10periodic
Contents include APT::Periodic::AutocleanInterval "0";
20archive
Contents include
APT::Archives::MaxAge "30";
APT::Archives::MinAge "2";
APT::Archives::MaxSize "500";

archtoad6 · 11-07-2009, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catkin

Looks interesting but when is DSelect used?

IIRC, apt-get is wrapper & the real work is done by either dselect or dpkg or both, I don't remember clearly.

frenchn00b · 11-07-2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catkin

But wouldn't it take just as long to pull .debs in from a remote FTP site as to download them from the standard repositories? I'm not thinking about custom .debs (or so few they are not an issue); I'm thinking about speeding up re-installation by avoiding having to download lots of packages over a not-so-fast Internet connection.

I have my /etc/fstab configured for NFS deb server, like debian.

thqt creqtes the server fo rserver qnd one with X:

Code:

echo "Hello Create from the pool the packages, from contrib and contribx"
echo " Type sources.list, to add and update your sources.list"
printf "Enter the distro name >"
read distroname



if   [ "$distroname"  == "sources.list" ]  ; then 
*       echo "deb file:/home/debserver/ $distroname contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
        cat /etc/apt/sources.list
        exit 
        exit 
        exit 0 
fi

ls pool/

cd /home/debserver ; rm  dists/$distroname/contribx/binary-i386/Packages   ;   mkdir -p dists/$distroname/contribx/binary-i386/  ; apt-ftparchive  packages pool/contribx/ > dists/$distroname/contribx/binary-i386/Packages    
# 

and so on