Where are packages cached localy on the machine that installs them?

[Gabriel Dragffy]

stan wrote:
> I want to make one machine the "master" for packages, so once I have
> downloaded them, I cna NFS mount that location on other machines, and avoid
> them having to also download the same pacages before installing them.
> 
> I assume that if I try to install a package, this loaction is checked
> first. right? Alos, how can I share the lisy fo available packages thet is
> created by an apy-get update?
> 
> The big picture here is to create a situation where only one machine at a
> particular loacation need internet access, and all of it's brothers ate are
> to share the vaialble packages, without them having to directly access the
> internet. (Yes it's a stupid requirent).
> 

Hi, i had exactly the same requirement. Here broadband is expensive and 
downloading packages more than once is a costly exercise. By far your 
best best is to setup apt-cacher by "sudo aptitude install apt-cacher 
-y"  and then "man apt-cacher" to get information about it. Basically 
you can edit the config file for it in /etc/defaults  and in 
/etc/apt-cacher and it's pretty easy. You can then also import existing 
packages in to it's database and add the location of that computer in to 
the other computer's sources.list.

One other thing you will need to change is in /etc/apt/apt.conf and 
remove :http: from the proxy config line.

I know it may seem a little indepth but I whole-heartedly recommend it. 
Once you read and understand the man pages of apt-cacher things become 
clear. Let me know if i could help any more.

Gabe