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

[Amedee Van Gasse (ub)]

On Tue, July 27, 2010 14:46, Adam Funk wrote:
> 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)?

Provided that both machines are the same architecture (for example both
are x86) then yes, this will work.

In fact, it is a well known and accepted procedure in Debian and Ubuntu to
put /var/cache/apt/archives on an NFS share, if you have:
* a local network with lots of similar machines
* fast local network connection
* slow internet connection
* one machine with direct internet connection that always stays on.

One step further would be to run an apt proxy, but that would be outside
the scope of your question.

In any case, you can apply the "download once, install anywhere" strategy,
for machines with the same arch.

-- 
Amedee