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I run now arch-linux since the release of 0.5 and I am very happy with it!
Now I'd like to install Arch on another computer. All my packages here are up to date and instead of installing Arch on the other computer and make pacman -Syu (and to wait several hours) I'd like to burn a cd wich contains all my updated packages from /var/cache/pacman/pkg/ and use that as an custom package repository.
I tried to build a compressed package database out of this directory but I didn't work...
Are there any suggestions how I could achieve that? The computer would also be in the same network if I could even install it over the network!
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take a look at how the base iso is set up (if you have one). make an arch/ directory with a pkg/ (or is it pkgs) directory within that then place all your packages in it, then gensync (see the pacman manpage on how to use gensync) and with that you can create your "current.db.tar.gz" . then create a setup/ directory like there is on the iso. in this directory there is a packages.txt (apparently there is some way of generating this) and the pacman source if i am not mistaken. once you have your arch/ directory set up like the iso create and iso of it. yiou do not need to make a isolinux directory. then make floppies of the floppy images available on the ftp server and then use those to start your install procedure then when you get to the part where it asks if you are installing via cdrom or ftp put your disc in and select cdrom install. from there it will be just like installing via cd.
make sure that your current.db.tar.gz package and packages.txt all match or you will have to start all over generating a new iso, etc. i suggest that you use a cdrw just incase you have to go back and correct any content in packages.txt, current.db.tar.gz or your actual package directory.
AKA uknowme
I am not your friend
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Jupy!
Now I have a second Arch-Linux-System wich works also great!
But I had to change Sarahs suggestions a little:
No matter what I tried I could't make a gensync out my pkg-directory. So I made a directory in the same form as Sarah said and just downloaded the "current.db.tar.gz" file from the ftp-server and also the "packages.txt" file. But in the end I am not sure if I really would have needed the "packages.txt" file. Because my pkg-directory consisted also of various packages from the unofficial-tree I just put the "unofficial.db.tar.gz" file also in the same directory where the packages lied.
Then I put a line in the pacman.conf file like this:
file:///path/to/pkgs -> file:///mnt/cdrom/arch/pkgand made a pacman -Syu
Then when I made a "pacman -S pkg" it took the package from the cd and if it wasn't there it just downloaded it. It even worked with the unofficial packages!
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excellent i am glad it worked. i think i should mention this thread to the documantation developers and perhaps it can be included in the FAQs.
AKA uknowme
I am not your friend
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