[SOLVED] Custom Repository Installation

The Avatar of Time · 2009-03-08 04:25:14

Hello,

I have Arch64 installed on my main computer, a desktop, and there is another computer that I wish to install it on, which is a laptop. I have a bandwidth limit and at the moment can't manage to download the packages that I need to do the install.

Since I will be installing pretty much all the same things on the other computer as I have on this one, I want to use the cache of packages I already have. Then the only things I should have to get seperate are ATI drivers for the other computer, since this one is NVIDIA, and whatever else I need to get the wireless card working on the other computer. And I suppose any laptop only type of stuff that may be needed, I've never installed Linux on a laptop before.

I have the Arch64 FTP installation disc. I'm wondering what the best method is to accomplish this? I had thought of putting the pacman cache on a usb stick, and mounting it as a custom repo, and trying to get the installation disc to use that.

I've had trouble before with this type of thing though so I'm seeking advice. Thanks for any help.

**I've remembered more or less what the trouble I have had in the past was. I would copy /var/cache/pacman/pkg to a usb stick, and generate a package list following this guide: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Cus … nd_gensync

Then I would set it as a custom repo in pacman.conf and 'cd' to it's location and use 'pacman -U *' if I remember right.

The problem I had was that it couldn't figure out what order to install things in and thus wouldn't install anything.

Last edited by The Avatar of Time (2009-03-08 22:34:24)

BinkyTheClown · 2009-03-08 04:54:55

On the installation cd, when the installer asks you if you want to continue to install the selected packages, don't answer OK. Copy the packages to /mnt/var/cache/pacman/pkg and just after that press OK. You want to do `pacman -Syu` on your desktop pc to have all the packages up to date. I have done this many times, so I can guarantee it works

The Avatar of Time · 2009-03-08 05:05:07

That's quite clever. I hadn't thought of that. So there is no need to bother to add the usb stick as a custom repo at all that way? Nice.

Thank you very much for the great advice.

Xyne · 2009-03-08 05:17:16

If you have limited bandwidth normally, take a look at pkgd. You could use that during the installation by setting it up on your main computer and then setting your main mirror on the installation disk to point to it.

Once you have both systems up and running, you could run pkgd on both of them to avoid redownloading packages already available on one of them.

Last edited by Xyne (2009-03-08 05:17:38)

The Avatar of Time · 2009-03-08 05:48:26

That sounds like a pretty good thing. Thanks, I'll look into that.

The Avatar of Time · 2009-03-08 15:01:37

BinkyTheClown wrote:

On the installation cd, when the installer asks you if you want to continue to install the selected packages, don't answer OK. Copy the packages to /mnt/var/cache/pacman/pkg and just after that press OK. You want to do `pacman -Syu` on your desktop pc to have all the packages up to date. I have done this many times, so I can guarantee it works

Just an update: I finished the installation and your method worked as advertised. This will save me alot of trouble in future. Thanks again for your help.

BinkyTheClown · 2009-03-08 21:15:13

Nice! Now you should edit the thread title as [Solved].

The Avatar of Time · 2009-03-08 22:35:10

BinkyTheClown wrote:

Nice! Now you should edit the thread title as [Solved].

I knew that. I was just making sure everyone else was paying attention. Yeah..... that's what it was.........

Arch Linux

#1 2009-03-08 04:25:14

[SOLVED] Custom Repository Installation

#2 2009-03-08 04:54:55

Re: [SOLVED] Custom Repository Installation

#3 2009-03-08 05:05:07

Re: [SOLVED] Custom Repository Installation

#4 2009-03-08 05:17:16

Re: [SOLVED] Custom Repository Installation

#5 2009-03-08 05:48:26

Re: [SOLVED] Custom Repository Installation

#6 2009-03-08 15:01:37

Re: [SOLVED] Custom Repository Installation

#7 2009-03-08 21:15:13

Re: [SOLVED] Custom Repository Installation

#8 2009-03-08 22:35:10

Re: [SOLVED] Custom Repository Installation

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