First, my apologies if this has been asked before... but in searching, I've not been able to find a complete answer to my question, only parts and pieces.

Here is what I want to setup - a local copy/repository of installation points, updates, etc. of multiple linux distributions from which I can install from, pull updates from, and so on. Now, I'm not talking different versions of the same distro (suse 9.3, 10, etc), but a mix of different distributions such as debian, suse, ubuntu, whatever. Everything I've found so far in searching the web are things such as "how to setup a yum repository", or "setting up a debian archive mirror", etc. In other words, instructions on how to setup a repository or local cache for a specific distro, and that one only. But it's plainly obvious there are mirrors all over the place that have a collage of different distros on the same site. My best guess so far is to simply rsync a mirror or several mirrors to create the mix that I want. Something like what is done in this write up with Debian:

http://www.debian.org/mirror/ftpmirror

They use rsync (in the anonftpsync script mentioned), to duplicate all or part of a debian mirror to a local server. Perhaps I should take that example and modify it to rsync other distribution mirrors as well?? Has anyone done something like what I want to do? Maybe it's easy or painfully obvious, and I've just missed that. Any help, suggestions, or directions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi.

Shouldn't be a problem. Just mirror each distro's repository in a different directory on your FTP server, e.g.
/var/ftp/fedora8
/var/ftp/debian-etch
/var/ftp/ubuntuTwelveAndAHalf

or whatever.

Dave

AFAIK, there is no one-single-mirror-for-all-existing-distros. Instead you have to setup separate mirrors as you've noted. If I were to do something similar, I may mirror a mirror to my local network to get everything over first (find a fast mirror that has the bulk of the mirror data you want) and then follow the directions for each distro to mirror from that point onward.

My understanding is that each distro has different "guidelines" for mirroring, and following those guidelines is both courteous to the existing mirror providers and beneficial to you long term. You can become somewhat comfortable in your automated mirror if you follow the guidelines because you can reasonably expect the mirrored data to be relatively always available and relatively very up-to-date.

-Chad

Thanks guys. I guess I'm on the right track after all.

Use FUSE+LftpFS
Mount any repository and share over FTP into intranet.

Thanks, I'll check it out!