Ubuntu Manpage: apt-zip-list, apt-zip-inst - Use apt with removable media

NAME

       apt-zip-list, apt-zip-inst - Use apt with removable media

SYNOPSIS

       apt-zip-list  [ --help ] [ --version ] [ --medium=mountpoint ] [ --aptgetaction=action ] [
       --packages=package[,package...] ] [ --fix-broken ] [ --skip-mount ] [ --method=method ]  [
       --options=opt[,opt...] ] [ --accept=accept[,accept...] | --reject=reject[,reject...] ]

       apt-zip-inst  [ --help ] [ --version ] [ --medium=mountpoint ] [ --aptgetaction=action ] [
       --packages=package[,package...] ] [ --fix-broken ] [ --skip-mount ]

DESCRIPTION

This manpage should be up-to-date with version 0.17 of the programs.

The apt-zip-list and apt-zip-inst commands simplify the upgrade process of a non-networked
Debian host using apt(8), by using (preferably high-capacity) removable media, like a ZIP
drive.

apt-zip-list produces two files. One is a script that can be used on another host (maybe
not running a Debian system) to fetch packages previously selected in dselect(8) or
indicated in the command line, the other apt-zip.options saves the options used by apt-
zip-list to indicate to apt-zip-inst what action to perform and/or which packages to
install. Various types of scripts can be generated, by specifying a fetch method
supported by the host that will fetch the packages. If you prefer, the script may
generate a tarball containing the fetched packages. Note that apt-zip-list can be called
as a non-root user.

The name of the script (as well as the name of the tarfile when using the tar option)
contains the name of the Debian host for which the packages are to be fetched. Thus you
can, using the same medium, upgrade several hosts at the same time, provided you have
enough space on this disk. This should work with or without the tar option.

The script is written to the removable medium, which is mounted if necessary, and then
restored to the original unmounted state when applicable. It is the responsibility of the
user then to run the script on a host that will fetch the packages, and to have them (or
the generated archive) copied to the removable medium.

When back on your Debian host, you just run apt-zip-inst, which will take care of the
script-produced files, and call apt(8) to install the packages on your disk.

OPTIONS

COMMON OPTIONS
--help, -h
Show summary of options.

--version, -V
Show version of program.

--medium, -m
Select a removable medium other than the site default. See also --skip-mount.

--aptgetaction, -a
Select the action done by apt-get. Possible actions are dselect-upgrade,upgrade and
dist-upgrade.

If --packages is not set the default is dselect-upgrade (See also apt-zip.conf), if
it is set none is selected.

--packages, -p
Comma-separated list of extra packages to install.

--fix-broken, -f
Run apt-get with the --fix-broken option. See apt-get(8) for more details.

--skip-mount, -s
Allow specifying a non-mountpoint directory to the --medium option. This may help
on laptops only getting point-to-point networking without being routed to. This is
also useful while testing the program, as it allows sending the script into /tmp.

--use-sleep=SEC, -S
Introduces waiting times between downloaded files. Allows the genearation of a
fetch script that will wait some time (configurable). The number parameter
represents the delay between consecutive dowloads. Note that this option is safe:
even if the connected machine does not have a wait command, the script will not
fail.

--no-checksum, --no-md5, -5
This option will command to apt-zip-list to create a script which does not make any
sha256sum checks. Note that if this option is not given at script generation time,
the sha256sum command will be called only after it has been found in the system.
(--no-md5 is maintained for script compatibility, but there is only sha256)

OPTIONS FOR APT-ZIP-LIST
--method, -M
Select a method other than the default one. The wget and wget-dos methods are
currently supported.

--options, -o
Specifies a set of options to be used while generating the script. A warning is
issued only if an option is unkown to apt-zip-list, but all known options may not
be supported by all methods. Options may be given a value, with the option=value
syntax.

Currently available options include:

tar[=gnutarprogram]
causes the dowloaded files to be grouped into a tarball. The name of a tar
program on the download machine can be specified, if different from tar.
Example: tar=gtar.

When used in conjunction with the restart option, a GNU tar must be
specified, so that 2 tarballs man be concatenated - this is only needed on
the 3rd and subsequent runs of the fetch script.

restart
causes the downloaded files to be grouped into a tarball.

--accept , -A / --reject , -R
Comma-separated list of accepted/rejected protocols for download. By default are
only accepted http and ftp.

CONFIG FILE

       The /etc/apt/apt-zip.conf file can be used to  set  defaults:  method,  removable  medium,
       options,  apt-get  action  and  accepted/rejected  protocols.   It  is a self-explainatory
       bourne-shell script snippet.  It allows to provide site defaults for command-line options.

METHOD API

       A  method  is  handled  by  an  executable  object  (usually  a  script)  placed  in   the
       /usr/share/apt-zip/methods/  directory.  This executable is fed on standard input with the
       output of apt-get --print-uris.

       It is communicated the state of requested options using for  each  option  an  environment
       variables named OPTION_OPTNAME, where OPTNAME is the uppercased name of an option.

       Additional  environment  variables  are  also  set,  such as APTZIPVERSION, APTZIPTARFILE,
       APTZIPINSFILE, and OPTIONS.

LIMITATIONS

       • Only one disk can be used.  If your packages do not fit on one,  you  have  to  deselect
         some packages using dselect(8) or you have to select a suitable list of package.

       • The  files  on  an Internet distribution site can change rather frequently.  It is up to
         the user to make sure the site was not updated between the build of the fetch script  by
         apt-zip-list  and the fetch itself, otherwise some required files may not be possible to
         fetch.

FILES

       /etc/apt/apt-zip.conf

       /usr/share/apt-zip/methods/

BUGS

       • The restart feature is really slow.  The tar command on Solaris(tm)  has  an  option  to
         seek  in  the  file  instead  of  assuming a non-seekable device, which greatly improves
         performance.  GNU tar does not seem to be able to do that.

       • Virtually no error-checking is done.  Examples of such error conditions include: -  out-
         of-diskspace  on  both  the  removable  medium  and  in apt archive cache when using tar
         option.

       • Somewhat  consequently,  error-recovery  also  nears  non-existence.   As  examples,  an
         interrupted  fetch  in  tar  mode  has to be restarted from zero; changes in status file
         between runs of apt-zip-list and apt-zip-inst are not detected and may lead to failure.

AUTHOR

       The programs were written by YannDirson <dirson@debian.org>. It was maintained  previously
       by   SantiBejar   <tiarda@yahoo.es>,   and   currently   maintained   by  GiacomoCatenazzi
       <cate@debian.org>  for the Debian GNU/Linux system.

       The source for this reference page is an  SGML  file,  which  can  be  converted  to  UNIX
       manpages using docbook2man(1)