apt/dpkg: How do I segregate user application packages from system packages?

boxyzzy · 12-02-2010, 02:16 PM

Is there a way using dpkg or apt-get to segregate user application packages from system packages?

What I envision is an /apps directory structure that can be the install target for selected packages so not to "clutter" the storage areas for the system administration files/packages - maybe even with permissions set so that (a GROUP of) users could install packages on an Ubuntu server w/o SysAdmin guidance. This could also allow 1)system upgrades with or w/o including these packages, and 2)the sharing of /apps (via NFS) among common Ubuntu systems.

Is this doable using the dpkg or apt maintenance tools?

Thanks, in advance, for your help.

reed9 · 12-03-2010, 07:35 AM

man dpkg

Something like

Code:

dpkg --root=/apps/$package --admindir=/apps/var/lib/ --instdir=/apps/$package -i ${package}.deb

http://www.courville.org/mediawiki/index.php/Apt/dpkg

boxyzzy · 12-03-2010, 11:04 AM

Thanks for the help. I had read "man dpkg" but was unsure of the explicit set of parameters for what I want to do. I'll give it a try. -Mike