How to change where apt-cache caches packages?

young_jedi · 04-16-2019, 11:49 PM

apt-cache by default caches packages in '/var/cache/apt/archives', but I want to change it to somewhere else on the system.. The following is what I already tried, except it doesn't work...

Code:

apt-cache -o Dir::Cache="~/some/other/cache"

evo2 · 04-17-2019, 12:12 AM

Hi,

apt-cache doesn't cache anything. It queries the cache maintained by apt. So, to change the location of the cache itself I think you'd need to edit your /etc/apt/apt.conf file.

Evo2.

ondoho · 04-17-2019, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by young_jedi

apt-cache by default caches packages in '/var/cache/apt/archives', but I want to change it to somewhere else on the system.. The following is what I already tried, except it doesn't work...

Code:

apt-cache -o Dir::Cache="~/some/other/cache"

where are you changing this? as evo2 said, it probably should be under /etc/apt/ (i personally have an apt.conf.d in there with individual entries).

also, i'm pretty sure apt won't know what "~" signifies. you probably need to write out /home/young_jedi/some/other/cache. then there's also the question of apt having permission to write to that directory.

descendant_command · 04-17-2019, 02:27 AM

Or, leave apt alone and bind-mount some/other/dir onto /var/cache/apt/archive

young_jedi · 04-17-2019, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evo2

Hi, apt-cache doesn't cache anything. It queries the cache maintained by apt.

Thanks for the clarification

Quote:

Originally Posted by ondoho

i'm pretty sure apt won't know what "~" signifies. you probably need to write out /home/young_jedi/some/other/cache. then there's also the question of apt having permission to write to that directory.

I tried it both ways (full path and ~) and im running as root, but apt-cache is just not recognizing it.. I think the more correct syntax would actually be

Code:

apt-cache -o Dir::Cache::Archives='/root/cache/'

... But there's nothing on the internet that describes how to actually use the -o option....

Quote:

Originally Posted by descendant_command

Or, leave apt alone and bind-mount some/other/dir onto /var/cache/apt/archive

I could also use a symlink but I dont want to replicate the packages, I want to leave the packages in '/var/cache/apt/archives' alone, but dynamically alter the cache location for certain packages I download...

@all I'm doing this a part of a shell script so modifying a configuration file would not be as "robust" as using -o flag to set an arbitrary configuration option..

scasey · 04-17-2019, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by young_jedi

But there's nothing on the internet that describes how to actually use the -o option....

The man page says:

Code:

-o, --option
    Set a Configuration Option. This will set an arbitrary configuration option. The syntax is -o Foo::Bar=bar.

Also note, from man apt.conf:

Code:

 Dir::State contains the default directory to prefix on all sub items if they do not start with / or ./.