How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

kaola_linux · 2008-10-12 03:32:26

Hello once again, is there a way to handle this post? I want to backup the installed softwares including its related dependencies of my Arch X86_64 and use it on another Arch install.
Is there any way other than Image Copy? I am after for not reinstalling and downloading anymore because I have a slow internet connection...

Thanks

Last edited by kaola_linux (2008-10-12 03:34:22)

ezzetabi · 2008-10-12 08:29:44

You may use pacman -Qd and pacman -Qe to know all the installed packages as deps and explicitly.
Make a local repository where you copy all the packages you have in cache.

Configure your new system to seek the packages in your local repository as first choice.

Finally install all the packages you had in the 'pacman -Qd' list with 'pacman --asdeps -S'
and the others with 'pacman -S'.

Allan · 2008-10-12 08:31:51

No need to create a local repo. Just copy from /var/cache/pacman/pkg from one computer to the next.

kjon · 2008-10-12 09:22:03

errr...
lets see...
U'r package list: pacman -Qq | grep -v "$(pacman -Qqm)"
and you can use repo-add to build your custom repo-dvd

kaola_linux · 2008-10-12 09:44:23

kjon wrote:

errr...
lets see...
U'r package list: pacman -Qq | grep -v "$(pacman -Qqm)"
and you can use repo-add to build your custom repo-dvd

pacman -Qq - used this and it showed me the list of packages alphabetically

grep -v "$(pacman -Qqm)" - issued this command and it just loads or nothing appears. What does it actually do?

repo-add - how do I use this?

The one suggested by allan is much simpler and faster I guess...

But can you help explain the above 3 plz... Thanks alot

mutlu_inek · 2008-10-12 15:41:37

kaola_linux wrote:

pacman -Qq - used this and it showed me the list of packages alphabetically
grep -v "$(pacman -Qqm)" - issued this command and it just loads or nothing appears. What does it actually do?

pacman -Qq | grep -v "$(pacman -Qqm)"

is one single command.

kaola_linux wrote:

repo-add - how do I use this?

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Cus … repository

kaola_linux wrote:

The one suggested by allan is much simpler and faster I guess...

Copying it is faster, but won't work if you ever deleted the cache (by using pacman -Scc). If you did not, however, it should contain all packages you ever downloaded from the ftp site. To get rid of old stuff in there (removed packages, etc.), you can run "pacman -Sc" (ONE "c," not two) or delete manually as you see fit. You might also want to check this out: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Clean_Cache

I am not sure, however, whether the files originally installed from the install cd also went into this directory. If not and if they were not updated, you might miss some core stuff. Does anyone know better?

Last edited by mutlu_inek (2008-10-12 15:43:20)

Vintendo · 2008-10-12 16:38:02

the packages that are downloaded during an ftp-install are downloaded to /var/cache/pacman/pkg/, unless you chose not to keep them.

Last edited by Vintendo (2008-10-12 16:42:09)

ezzetabi · 2008-10-13 08:08:02

Here the sum of all the knowledge obtained here:
Old system:

pacman -Suy #for updating
pacman -Qqe > list #to have the list of the installed packages
yes | pacman -Sc # to delete old packages
scp /var/cache/pacman/pkg/* root@othersystem.address:/var/cache/pacman/pkg
scp list root@othersystem.address:/root

New system (as root)

cd /root
pacman --noconfirm -Sy `cat list`

So the new system should install from the cache every file you had in the old system and download only if needed.

greenfuse · 2008-10-13 11:26:18

No need to create a local repo. Just copy from /var/cache/pacman/pkg from one computer to the next.

You could also mount /var/cache/pacman/pkg as a nfs share between the two. It worked for me.

kaola_linux · 2008-10-26 13:50:22

I followed every step here, I also made my own package list and transferred it to the other system. The problem is when I issue these command pacman --noconfirm -Sy `cat list`
it says something about not located from the database hence I can't install...:/

Also if I did copy the packages, how do I make them installable on the other system without the use of internet?

Thanks alot for the replies guyz
I followed every step here, I also made my own package list and transferred it to the other system. The problem is when I issue these command

pacman --noconfirm -Sy `cat list`

Also if I did copy the packages, how do I make them installable on the other system without the use of internet?

Thanks alot for the replies guyz

creslin · 2008-10-26 13:55:48

It looks like you're using kdemod.. did you enable the community and kdemod repos on the new system?

Arch Linux

#1 2008-10-12 03:32:26

How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

#2 2008-10-12 08:29:44

Re: How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

#3 2008-10-12 08:31:51

Re: How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

#4 2008-10-12 09:22:03

Re: How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

#5 2008-10-12 09:44:23

Re: How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

#6 2008-10-12 15:41:37

Re: How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

#7 2008-10-12 16:38:02

Re: How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

#8 2008-10-13 08:08:02

Re: How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

#9 2008-10-13 11:26:18

Re: How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

#10 2008-10-26 13:50:22

Re: How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

#11 2008-10-26 13:55:48

Re: How To Backup All Installed Packages and Dependencies On Pacman

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