NAME

       jablicator - Share package collection choice across machines

SYNOPSIS

       jablicator [--root <path>]

DESCRIPTION

       jablicator  generates an "apt-get"-able package. The package itself is empty. However it has a dependency
       for every non-required Debian package that is on the machine. This program will create and  populate  two
       directories  dists  and  pool  in  your  working  directory.  You  can then move them to a web accessible
       location.

       This utility is designed to reduce software distribution and  maintenance  costs  by  reducing  redundant
       system  administration.   For  example,  I  have spent a lot of time finding and vetting image processing
       software from Debian's large package collection. With this utility, my image  processing  colleague  down
       the hall can easily benefit from the fruit of my labor.

       There  are  many  replication  techniques in Debian. This one has the advantage of using the apt and dpkg
       infrastructure. A disadvantage is the possibility of packages changing out from under you in  the  Debian
       distribution  (especially  in testing or unstable). That means that jablicator output can grow stale over
       time if it is not regenerated.

SECURITY

       The packages produced by this program contain a lot of  information,  including  a  list  of  the  Debian
       packages  installed  on the machine and a listing of apt-get sources. Some system administrators consider
       sharing such information a security risk.

FILES

       /etc/apt/sources.list

OPTIONS

       --root <path>
              Being able to pull in package selections from another install can be helpful, in the  cases  of  a
              non-functional  system, or reading from a hard drive install under Knoppix. In other words, source
              from a root filesystem that is not mounted at the root. This is a rare situation  and  most  users
              should not use this option.

SEE ALSO

       dpkg(8) apt-get(8).

AUTHOR

       Jeff Breidenbach <jab@debian.org>.

THANKS

       Tom Parks, Cliff Weinstein, Burkhard Perkens-Golomb.

Debian/GNU Linux                                 September 2001                                    JABLICATOR(1)