best way to install packages
 

I have just installed Ubuntu-9.10. to learn a bit about it before helping a friend who is new to Linux set up his box. I have been using Slackware for a very long time but know nothing about Ubuntu.

I have found there are packages I will need to install to set my friend up. For example I have a script that requires dvbstream to save dvb-t broadcasts to disk in realtime and it requires at/atd to schedule saves for a later time.

I was able to simply find a dvbstream deb and install it but at is not so simple since there are multiple unfulfilled dependencies.

I tried to use apt get but it seems to be default configured to canonical repos and says there is not at package available. Adding a debian repo to /etc/apt/sources.list provides no joy and based on the error messages when I run dpkg I'm not sure that install dependencies out of order is a very good idea.

What is the best way for me to download packages that I can test and configure on this box and then put on a mem stick to install on my friend's box. He has no internet so it must be done this way.

TIA

download *.deb files which are needed for you.

If you are unable to find them..... then simple solution get that CPU or HD attach to your system ....do it.

"Sushi Huh?" - Easily Download Packages For Offline Installation In Debian, Ubuntu, openSUSE, Fedora and Mandriva ~ Web Upd8 - http://www.webupd8.org/2009/12/sushi...kages-for.html

Or apt-zip are ways to download packages on a different system for a system that doesn't have internet.

Thank-you both for replies,

Putting his HD in this box is not an option. I have ubuntu installed here on a spare partition and now have apt-get working to install but will it also download a package to file after I have already installed that package. Or do I have to use apt-zip even when using ubuntu?

If I had a list of packages with dependencies and then just downloaded them would it matter what order they were installed. Sorry, I know nothing at all about the debian packaging system

Hmmm. Would it not be easier to find the repos for these packages? Most packagers for debian based systems provide a repo for exactly what you want. And usually there is an ubuntu variant in the repo.

BTW, according to this: http://packages.ubuntu.com/karmic/dvbstream, dvbstream is available in universe.

In order to enable the universe repos, open /etc/apt/sources.list for editing in your favourite editor, remove the comments from the universe lines (looks like) and then do this: No harm to do also, it will upgrade all packages on the system.

Also, apt will take care of all dependencies. It is possible to install .deb packages using dpkg, but it's not recommended, since apt will not take care of packages when upgrading, and may even overwrite packages that are manually installed, since it is not always aware that they exist. This can break dependencies. Using a proper apt tool like apt-get or aptitude is the best way to manage packages in your new system.

I also came from a slack background, and I promise you, if you take the time to understand apt, it will pay dividends, and make your life so much easier, it does so much of the difficult aspect of package management for you.

Thanks for the input. I d'loaded dvbstream from a debian repo and installed with dpkg but its a really trivial one file ap. Other programs I required or think my friend might use Ive installed with apt-get on this test install.

I've found that all the packages have been stored in /var/cache/apt/archives.

I can now burn these onto a CD or copy them onto a memory stick and take them to my freinds house.

I could then cd into the CD or memory stick and run dpkg -i *.deb

What would the command be if I wanted "properly install them with apt? I found this on the web:
But to use this would assume that apt-get doesn't go anywhere else because I have commented everything else out in the sources.list.

Also, do packages have to remain in /var/cache/apt/archives or can the be deleted after install to free up space?

Use apt-offline. It was specifically designed for the situation you are describing

Or use apt-zip as craigevil suggests.

Cheers,

Evo2.

Slackware to Ubuntu (that's also my experience).

I'm linking a good tutorial showing basic programs that can be installed on ubuntu: Top things to do after installing Ubuntu Linux 9.10 Karmic Koala

apt-offline is only available for lucid on ubuntu official repositories. I'd try apt-zip.

Thanks to all here for the contributions.

Since I will have installed everything on the first vanilla install using apt-get, all dependencies are in /var/cache/apt/archive. I will copy the contents pf /var/cache/apt/archive to a memory stick and install from the memory stick using dpkg -i *.deb on the second vanilla install where nothing has yet been installed. I will then run apt-get update.

Thanks for the link alphplayer,

I just had a quick squiz at the article but I'm sure my friend will find it useful.

One thing I found less than transparent was getting U-910 set up on my network which is static IP. Maybe there is a wizard I missed somewhere but I had to edit/etc/resolve.conf and /etc/net/interfaces manually before I could get onto the internet.

It's there. Right-clicking Network Manager's icon on Gnome's top bar gives access to network configuration options.

Maybe thats a different thingo to the one I used via the drop down menus on the left of the top bar. I'm not on that machine now but by memory I couldn't even get eth0 configured to a static IP. It wouldn't save the setting. I'll have a look next time I boot that up.

There was a bug that did that on 9.04. It should work now on 9.10.

Although I can see the attraction of using guis like the gnome interface to network-manager for wireless on notebooks, I think that for static IPs for stationary machines you are much better off using the standard config file.

To set a static IP and automatically bring up the device at boot, enter a section like the following in the file /etc/network/interfaces.

If you want to temporarily bring the device down you can use the command:
Replace "ifdown" with "ifup" to bring it back up again.

EDIT: Oops, just rechecked the thread, and it seems I'm providing information you already know.

Cheers,

Evo2.