sorry for the late response
apt-move is a nice tool
but i usually just use the rather simple approach you asked about
take the files in the /var/cache/apt/archives
and transfer them to the other computers
(i mean, transfer them to /var/cache/apt/archives on the target PC)
> but what file is the database you refer to?
"package index files" according to the manual
as i mentioned apt-get update (or dselect Update when set up for apt)
will create/update this database and the files are in:
/var/lib/apt/lists
storage area for state information for each package
resource specified in sources.list(5)
> is what has hung me up on this method.
> Are you referring to one of the .bin
> files in /var/cache/apt
these are the packages not the database
> Is there a special directory structure
> used on the cd?
there is no special structure in this dir
(except for the partial dir which i skip)
so no special structure on the CD either
> When I have tried using a cd made from the
> cache, I get a message that there
> is no package list and I don't know what
> list I would include or where it
> should be included.
i have on both machinces the same configuration of apt
(/etc/apt/sources.list) and then make an
'apt-get update'
so that the target machine has the corresponding list of packages
then burn the CD/copy the files
and then don't make a nother 'update' (well, at least not until you make
a new copy of the archive dir) otherwise the database info may be
ahead of the archive
and then you can use 'apt-get install *' (or deselect or ..)
to install any of the packages you have in your archive
even without network connection
imre
