Hi can anyone please give me clear step by step instructions on how to use apt-zip to update a stand alone PC with a slow internet connection?

I have tried really very hard to follow the manual, but I found it really very, very confusing.

All I want to do is create a mirror of of all of the updates I have installed from my current sources and then transport this by whatever means is possible (preferably via one, or spawned accross several DVDs) to my sisters and then install all of the avaiable updates on her PC from there.

I tried just running the command apt-zip-list, but all it said was:

Again a clear simple step by step guide showing the proper commands in sequence would be very much appreciated.

GJ

I'm not familiar with apt-zip, but you can use apt-cdrom to add discs to sources.list. Just download a set of CD's or DVD's for Debian, then enter:with the first disc in the drive of your PC. It will scan the contents of the disc so that apt is aware of what packages are on it. Eject, put the second disc in, and repeat. When you are finished, /etc/apt/sources.list will be modified to use your set of CDs instead of the internet. Then when you do:It will prompt you to insert the correct CD that has the foobar package.

How can I make a debian desk. This is what I did when I used a desk that I made with debian packages:

root@mybox:/home/knoppix# apt-cdrom add
Using CD-ROM mount point /cdrom/
Unmounting CD-ROM
Please insert a Disc in the drive and press enter
Mounting CD-ROM
Identifying.. [2936ebf995915dbd9cfe563d47ea73a3-2]
Scanning Disc for index files.. Found 0 package indexes and 0 source indexes.
E: Unable to locate any package files, perhaps this is not a Debian Disc

How can I make package indexes and source indexes?

How did you make this "desk" --?
What you do is buy Debian CD's (very cheap) or download ISO images and burn them -see instructions at the Debian website.

I just created a data cd using k3b and copied the debian packages to it. I can see all the packages on the created cd but apt-get does not. The reason I am asking for this is to avoid downloading the packages again when I need then on other PCs. I used to copy them /var/cache/apt/archives but I would like to automate that using apt-get instead.

I don't think this is possible.
You could try to put the packages from the cd in /var/cache/apt/archives on the new system, and use the same sources.list. Then apt would possibly skip downloading anything and install from the cache. This presupposes a working debian system of course..
The reason it did not work with add-cdrom is that apt expects package index files and a certain directory structure that you get on debian install cd's but obviously not on your backup cd..
But perhaps you could use this as a local apt source?
Not as an install cd anyway.