copying *.deb files into /var/cache/apt/archives ?

[chris]

On Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:45:35 +0800
Goh Lip <g.lip at gmx.com> wrote:

> On 07/27/2010 09:06 PM, Mihamina Rakotomandimby wrote:
> >> a24061 at ducksburg.com :
> >> If I do a distribution upgrade on my machine at work, then
> >> copy the /var/cache/apt/archives/*.deb files onto a USB hard
> >> drive, take it home, and copy them
> >> into /var/cache/apt/archives there (where the network
> >> connection is much slower), would the distribution upgrade
> >> successfully pick them up (to save downloading time)?
> >
> > When I made that, it worked.
> >
> 
> Strange that it could work just like that. (make sure nothing is 
> downloaded). Adam, if that works out as Mihamina said, would
> appreciate if you let us know, or others could confirm this as
> well.
> 
> If not, then at the directory where the deb files are copied to,
> sudo dpkg-scanpackages . /dev/null | gzip -9c > Packages.gz
> 
> This will generate a package.gz too. Then burn all to cd. At the 
> computer where it is to be updated,
> sudo apt-cdrom add
> 
> A prompt will ask to name the cd and further
> sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade will prompt you to
> put the cd if the packages are in the cd.
> 
> Of course, you can use an iso file instead of cd by
> mount -o loop xxxx.iso /media/cdrom
> instead. (at another bash tab)
> 
> Regards - Goh Lip
> 

or, simpler, apt-oncd, which is in the Ubuntu repositories.  I use
this to update 10 machines monthly

Cheers the kiwi