Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

finferflu · 2008-03-12 16:54:34

A friend of mine has given me some space on a server which I would like to use as a mirror with the old packages on my system.
As we all know it's hard to downgrade if you delete your cache, and sometimes you just wish you could delete it anyway. So I thought about this, so that others can benefit from it as well, but I don't really know where to start.
I have created my custom local repository, but is that a good start? Do I need to create a local repository and then sync it in some way with the server?
If you can point me to some tutorial I'll be grateful.

Thanks

mutlu_inek · 2008-03-18 04:32:05

What are you trying to accomplish? Keep _all_ old packages in the repo? That won't work. The repo-add script removes the older version from the database when you add a new one. Thus, every time you sync, the repo will be up-to-date. The older files may be in there, but not accessible by pacman -S foo. In this setup, you can only downgrade by doing pacman -U foo_full_path_of_the_package.tar.gz, thus circumventing the repo database.

Why have a repo at all? Why not just sync your pacman cache with the external file system before emptying it?

finferflu · 2008-03-18 07:52:37

So, do you mean I just upload every package in my cache on the server and keep them accessible via plain FTP?

neotuli · 2008-03-18 09:21:19

phrakture used to have one of those at http://phraktured.net/archmirror/ (gone now).

the way he did it was he ran rsync like a normal mirror, but set it not to delete old packages. so every time the mirror synced up, it kept all the old ones. That might be the best approach if you want to be helping other people out too.

mutlu_inek · 2008-03-18 13:29:27

finferflu wrote:

So, do you mean I just upload every package in my cache on the server and keep them accessible via plain FTP?

Basically, yes. neotuli's suggestion to use rsync is probably the way to go. If you ran a public mirror, this would be an invaluable service to the Arch community.

iBertus · 2008-03-18 17:19:37

Agreed. I'd say that this service would have been handy more than once to me during my Arch Linux usage.

finferflu · 2008-03-18 20:08:17

Thanks for your suggestions

I'm uploading packages right now via rsync (taking AAAAAAAAGES), but I still have to figure out how to access the folder via web browser. I'll post back when I get a functioning link

finferflu · 2008-03-19 22:41:01

Ladies and Gentlemen, after 2 days of intensive upload, I'm proud to announce you the birth of our new mirror of old packages!

Jusk bring your mouse over the next underlined blue sweet words: http://shellpenguin.com/arch/pkg/

Ah, by the way, there's also stuff from AUR, which might please some people, until it doesn't get outdated, obviously.

I was also thinking to give access to devs and Trusted Users to upload packages if they want to contribute. What do you think? Could we have a sticky thread or something? If any Trusted User or dev wants to contribute, please email me, and I'll give you a login

Last edited by finferflu (2008-03-19 22:45:51)

mutlu_inek · 2008-03-20 00:06:44

Wow! You are awesome! Don't know what else to say... keep it up!

stonecrest · 2008-03-20 03:48:19

neotuli wrote:

phrakture used to have one of those at http://phraktured.net/archmirror/ (gone now).
the way he did it was he ran rsync like a normal mirror, but set it not to delete old packages. so every time the mirror synced up, it kept all the old ones. That might be the best approach if you want to be helping other people out too.

Actually, he used wget --mirror. I would know because I wrote the script for him. But it should work fine either way.

Anyway, it's good to see someone taking over this project, since it seems to die every 6 months (if that). Hopefully you will keep it going longer this time. I'd also suggest putting the link on http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Downgrade_packages . You can probably remove the other links since none of them have outdated packages.

Last edited by stonecrest (2008-03-20 03:48:44)

finferflu · 2008-03-20 09:14:18

I'm not sure those mirrors haven't got outdated packages, apart from Phrakture's mirror, which doesn't exist any longer. So, I've deleted that one and added mine. The other mirrors seem not to be up to date, which is what we want

tomk · 2008-03-20 09:45:36

finferflu wrote:

I was also thinking to give access to devs and Trusted Users to upload packages if they want to contribute.

If you're syncing with an official mirror, this is unnecessary - all dev and TU packages go to the official repos anyway, so you'll get them from which ever mirror you're using.

finferflu · 2008-03-20 09:57:49

What I do is just syncing my cache, so I might not have ALL the packages. My connection is badly slow (512k), so I cannot afford to download all of them and sync them to the outdated mirror, if that's the correct practice. I have RTFM, but I'm not that good

tomk · 2008-03-20 11:14:52

Ah, I see. In that case, allowing upload access for others could be a good idea.

carlocci · 2008-03-20 13:03:22

Can't you just sync the server to a repository?
Or you have only ftp access?
Thanks for the effort: pacman -Sc incoming

finferflu · 2008-03-20 13:09:10

Now that you say that, it actually makes sense
I have limited ssh access to the server, i.e. I can't install anything on it. I have just checked and rsync is already installed
So I can check and find some howtos to set up some cronjob to upload stuff every now and then directly from the official mirrors. Thanks for the idea!

dyscoria · 2008-03-20 13:47:28

Good job!

Just curious as to the parent directories. Pressing it twice displays this message:

sup dude?... write to debiannerd [at] gmail.com

Any relevance of this project to that person we have in these forums spreading debian propaganda?

finferflu · 2008-03-20 13:50:21

LOL! Well he's that friend of mine who's giving me access to the server. And yes, he's the same guy who posts in this forum.
I know he might sound quite harsh at times, but he's a very nice guy. We're very good friends.

dyscoria · 2008-03-20 13:56:24

Is that so? You're doing a good job so far holding off the debian propaganda

finferflu · 2008-03-20 13:59:28

I've been using Debian before using Arch, and to be honest I wasn't impressed

sarah32 · 2008-03-20 14:03:09

dyscoria wrote:

Is that so? You're doing a good job so far holding off the debian propaganda

and I have highly been miss-understood on this forum

Dyscoria, les prejugés, faut les garder pour soi.. mais bon

Last edited by debiannerd (2008-03-20 14:04:51)

lilsirecho · 2008-03-20 15:46:55

Finferflu;

What's in a name?

I suggest you take a gander at using ....pacman --cachedir..... wherein the cache is perhaps a flash drive or even the elements you have utilized. The difference with a --cachedir is that nothing is deleted or overwritten in the flash drive so every item added is retrievable.

The usual entry might be .....pacman --cachedir /dev/sda1 -Syw (package name(s))..... or even -Syuw for all upgrades. Thus it is dual purpose, a cache-repository for all packages, the older ones and the latest.

Load from the cachedir with ....pacman -Ud /dev/sda1/package name -i686.pkg.tar.gz......

A USB flash cachedir is much faster than the interface to the web and more easily installed, deleted and added-to. /var/cache/pacman/pkg can be copied into the --cachedir as you may desire.

In my system, which is LIVE and discless, I have a 2GB cachedir which performs nicely for loading a needed package and keeps the system load minimized. In the LIVE system, the cachedir installs via pacman/aufs into ram. Upon reboot, packages thusly loaded are dumped. So a dynamic use of packages is provided with minimum system loading...use only those packages needed for the operation being performed. Can be deleted at will.

Pardon my enthusiasm for my own system, but it does seem to describe ithe use of --cachedir best.

It is portable!!!

Arch Linux

#1 2008-03-12 16:54:34

Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#2 2008-03-18 04:32:05

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#3 2008-03-18 07:52:37

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#4 2008-03-18 09:21:19

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#5 2008-03-18 13:29:27

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#6 2008-03-18 17:19:37

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#7 2008-03-18 20:08:17

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#8 2008-03-19 22:41:01

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#9 2008-03-20 00:06:44

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#10 2008-03-20 03:48:19

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#11 2008-03-20 09:14:18

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#12 2008-03-20 09:45:36

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#13 2008-03-20 09:57:49

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#14 2008-03-20 11:14:52

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#15 2008-03-20 13:03:22

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#16 2008-03-20 13:09:10

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#17 2008-03-20 13:47:28

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#18 2008-03-20 13:50:21

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#19 2008-03-20 13:56:24

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#20 2008-03-20 13:59:28

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#21 2008-03-20 14:03:09

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

#22 2008-03-20 15:46:55

Re: Creating a repository for outdated packages. Help.

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