[ubuntu-uk] gradual Distribution update

[Stephen Garton]

Afternoon All,

I look after my mother in laws's ubuntu box - currently running hardy.
She only has a 512 broadband connection, and a full upgrade needs to
download ~1.8GB of packages.

I have ssh access to the machine, when it is turned on. What I would
like to do is log on when I know the machine is online, and start
downloading the packages ready for installing at a later date. When I
have downloaded all the packages, I can give her a call and say 'don't
turn it off until I call back' and run the update.

Doing it this way would mean that it wouldn't matter if she shut the
machine down while the packages were downloading, as when I next
logged in they would start again from where they left off (similar to
the way it works if you hit Ctrl+C whilst packages are downloading
using sudo aptitude dist-upgrade)

Could I & Should I do the update this way, or should I wait until she
goes on holiday in january, and leave the computer turned on and do it
in one fell swoop?

TIA

Steve Garton
http://www.sheepeatingtaz.co.uk