Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

FrX · 2009-05-25 00:47:40

Hi everyone,

I just tried Arch Linux and I have to admit that I am really impressed with it even though it was running on virtualbox for getting the first impression. The only thing I am sure about right now that this is going to be my next distro!

Now after playing for some 30 minutes with it, I am more than sure this is the one I want.

First, I'd like to know if there is anyway to get most of GUI packages in one file (.ISO ,.tar ,etc ...), I am seeking for something like (GTK , Gnome, XFCE4, Xorg ,compiz and probably some applications like firefox , perhaps prelink & preload? ) which latter I can select from them while installing.

I want that for installing it for 2 laptops offline (More of saving bandwidth and even speeding things up in case of reinstalling)

One more thing, Can anyone recommend me any good packages to install with Arch?

*Just a note: I looked into this http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Off … f_packages ,but its not what I am looking for because this one will requires a lots of time and remembering packages name (I have bad memory)

Lexion · 2009-05-25 01:21:58

I think one of the main points of arch linux this that it is ultralight and minimal. Having DEs preinstalled is not ultralight and minimal, as would be the basic implementation of your idea. You just choose it with the other packages. I hope you like arch as much as I do and welcome to the community!

Ghost1227 · 2009-05-25 01:27:29

I'm (still) working on a system called MODS (Modular Offline Deployment System) for just that purpose actually... It's not even close to done, but at some point it will be just what you're looking for

FrX · 2009-05-25 01:45:33

@Lexion Thanks for the great welcome and sure I will
I might not explained what I wanted exactly, I just want an ISO of an offline repository so I can pick which packages to install (You can think of it as a great way to save archlinux's bandwidth from getting leeched many times from one person for the same purpose ) , At lest this would be enough for now (As I would know the programs in that repository,making some thing like install.sh wont be hard in my free time)

@Ghost1227 Looks like its going to be a nice addition to archlinux programs list (in the same place with pacman)
I wish you good luck in your project

After all, I guess I will install archlinux tomorrow (Going to prepare my program list which will take more time than installing arch linux itself)

Thanks for everyone who answered me back here

Isengrin · 2009-05-25 02:32:46

Before anything else: welcome to heaven. ;)

If you just want to install Arch on various computers, I can only think of the 'brute-force' way.

Download the packages you want with

pacman -Sw

(the w is for downloading without installing).
They'll be in /var/cache/pacman/pkg, just copy them on a DVD or something and put them in the same folder in the other comps. =)

EDIT:

Still, you will need internet at leas two minutes for updating the databases, unless you want to do it the hard way.

Last edited by Isengrin (2009-05-25 02:50:39)

fukawi2 · 2009-05-25 03:35:43

Perhaps you might like Chakra or FaunOS?
http://chakra-project.org/
http://www.faunos.com/

They are both based on Arch, but provide full DE's from install time.

Last edited by fukawi2 (2009-05-25 03:36:07)

Lexion · 2009-05-25 12:52:26

@fukawi2: I might add ark to this list.

yvonney · 2009-06-03 23:44:57

(the w is for downloading without installing).
They'll be in /var/cache/pacman/pkg, just copy them on a DVD or something and put them in the same folder in the other comps.
EDIT:
Still, you will need internet at leas two minutes for updating the databases, unless you want to do it the hard way.

Hoping I can get the finer points for this. For doing an install from CD, replacing some pacman files after base install from CD (?), then putting all the files I now have in /var/cache/pacman/pkg INTO the fresh /var/cache/pacman/pkg ...

Would there not be a way to say the mirrorlists or something? How can I do an install based on the packages I NOW have in my /var/cache/pacman/pkg without needing internet access??

Is there a clean way to do this by replacing some pacman files after the fresh base install? And not have to have net access?
Also: I find many apparently older versions in my /var/cache/pacman/pkg can I delete the older versions before doing backup to DVD? Do the latest revisions in there rely on the older versions and/or will some pacman file be looking for them in the new fresh install when (hopefully) I over-write some pacman files.

thank you! most interesting.

Last edited by yvonney (2009-06-03 23:48:22)

.:B:. · 2009-06-04 02:34:11

Arch is, even more than your regular Linux distribution, a distro that lives off an internet connection. Preferably a rather fast one. Package updates are frequent, so prepare yourself for pulling in hundreds of megabytes a month on updates. That's just a minimal desktop setup I'm talking about (I have a < 4 GB install, no KDE or Gnome libs).

I don't know what your issue is with connectivity (a slow DSL line? Dial-up internet? A very low cap set by your ISP?) but despite all its advantages there might be more interesting distributions that soften your (infra)structural problem - ones that only do security updates, for example.

Arch has no official isos besides the ones offered on the homepage (and its mirrors), and they all require you to pull in a lot of extra stuff after installation (or during).

yvonney · 2009-06-04 04:04:23

Thanks B !!!!!

um, OK... I was just slipping in on this thread so a bit more detail here.
My objective was to learn how I might, were I to be offline, reinstall my system with only what I'd have at my disposal.
I did my latest reinstall as as FTP install as usual and find it incredibly efficient with the obvious benefit of getting the latest packages, like the new xorg-server this past week.... :--)

So: my inquiry was only to find out how one would update pacman files (mirror-lists? other pacman files?) and if that's even possible to do cleanly ... like the below:

So: I backup everything in /var/cache/pacman/pkg from my currently running system. Like say, right now, and burn them to DVD. 1.6 gigs worth as it seems to be.

I then take the ARCH install CD and boot from it.
Then I specify to.... ? um, install from media or, invoke a pacman command.... or or or?

'Then', or 'prior to' the above, I point pacman to some other file I backed up, like a mirrorlist or something...

And somehow I end up with a clean system exactly like the system I have that I used to begin the above process with.. yet, not having to be online at all. possible? logical?

OR, would there be junk and problems trying anything like this?

Last edited by yvonney (2009-06-04 04:31:03)

tomk · 2009-06-04 06:26:10

FrX wrote:

You can think of it as a great way to save archlinux's bandwidth from getting leeched many times from one person for the same purpose

The best way to achieve this is to network your computers and share the pacman cache, so you only download each package once. Details in the wiki here, or install pkgd from the AUR for an alternative method.

yvonney · 2009-06-04 07:58:08

Apprecated, sincerely.

so you only download each package once.

SO: now I'm wondering even more, now about the above quote. Each package once?
I have all my packages on DVD that have previously been installed and now being used on my current install.

The objective is to have files/current packages on dvd backup only. Emergency scenario, only just barely so.

Sort of a combination fresh install and quick-ish 'get back to what was running' on the last install thing.
Call it a: stuck without internet and happy to take as long as needed as long as it's a clean install.
I wonder if it can be done logcically/cleanly so it's JUSt like a typical fresh FTP install only using my DVD packages instead of pacman via internet.

So I have one dvd with all the packages already on my machine, also, my entire home directory so I can just overwrite and copy these over later, and a few other /etc things I need.

Now comes the dunno stuff:
Also on dvd/cd::::: IF possible, whatever additional files would be needed to cleanly get running again as in currently on my drive, used and in-sync with packages on DVD, and backed-up mirror-lists and whatever, I don't yet know what.

Is it not possible to:

1) boot a live arch install cd
2) at the right time point the installer to use the packages ON the dvd I've mentioned above here.
3) At whatever point dump in the files I'm not sure about, pacman cat file I created, pacman lists, whatever... this is my BIG dunno and I doubt it. (I've read the pacman wiki many times so I know a bit about what cat files can be created)
4) Finish the install and then pop in my couple of /etc files and most of my /home (running as root)

Voila...no internet needed and I've got fresh installs of all the stuff I'm running as of today. for example, if I were to create the 'packages I'm now running' dvd.

all very fun to think about. Thing is ...!!! >> I'd actually try this this weekend if I knew the ways to work with the gottchas.

Last edited by yvonney (2009-06-04 08:53:54)

tomk · 2009-06-04 08:47:43

yvonney, I was answering the OP - specifically, his requirement to minimize bandwidth usage. Feel free to disregard my post, as your requirements are not the same as his.

yvonney · 2009-06-04 08:50:40

ahhh! silly me. That'll learn me about seeing topics, jumping in on posts, and more. Updated myself, and thanks to you!

jerryluc · 2009-06-04 09:10:02

Lexion wrote:

@fukawi2: I might add ark to this list.

Ark linux is not based on arch. at all.

fukawi2 · 2009-06-04 10:04:56

yvonney wrote:

Sort of a combination fresh install and quick-ish 'get back to what was running' on the last install thing.
Call it a: stuck without internet and happy to take as long as needed as long as it's a clean install.
I wonder if it can be done logcically/cleanly so it's JUSt like a typical fresh FTP install only using my DVD packages instead of pacman via internet.

Install from a 'core' CD and reboot, then:

mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
cd /mnt/cdrom
for PKG in `ls *.pkg.tar.gz` ; do
   pacman -Ud $PKG
done

yvonney · 2009-06-04 10:26:57

upon awaking (sleepie time now) I will be even happier about finding this thread than I am now... thanks everyone. And fukawi2!

I am now going to think about the cool way to:

1) do FTP install from Arch latest CD... to get right latest base system
2) Then I have the (before re-install) full earlier system's pkglist file generated as described in the pacman wiki
3) I will have moved or burned to DVD all the var/cache pacman package files so now I do the command or similar mentioned above.

I wonder what the finer points on this method now may be.

AND: can I delete the older 'same name' files/packages IN /var/cache/pacman/pkg

----------------

@B thanks....will do. looks like I posted this right around the same time as you.

Last edited by yvonney (2009-06-04 17:09:41)

.:B:. · 2009-06-04 10:27:34

yvonney wrote:

ahhh! silly me. That'll learn me about seeing topics, jumping in on posts, and more. Updated myself, and thanks to you!

And I was looking at the OP too.... You *really* should open your own topic. Even if it's closely related. Just link to this topic in your start post.

yvonney · 2009-06-11 03:01:34

This link is really helping me as well as all the gurus here. thanks again!
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Cat … _(English)

my post in 'installation' is here though my requirements/thoughts keep shifting.
Added here, just to link.
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=73747

Arch Linux

#1 2009-05-25 00:47:40

Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#2 2009-05-25 01:21:58

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#3 2009-05-25 01:27:29

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#4 2009-05-25 01:45:33

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#5 2009-05-25 02:32:46

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#6 2009-05-25 03:35:43

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#7 2009-05-25 12:52:26

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#8 2009-06-03 23:44:57

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#9 2009-06-04 02:34:11

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#10 2009-06-04 04:04:23

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#11 2009-06-04 06:26:10

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#12 2009-06-04 07:58:08

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#13 2009-06-04 08:47:43

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#14 2009-06-04 08:50:40

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#15 2009-06-04 09:10:02

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#16 2009-06-04 10:04:56

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#17 2009-06-04 10:26:57

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#18 2009-06-04 10:27:34

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

#19 2009-06-11 03:01:34

Re: Request:A way to obtain offline packages for pacman

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