| Installation methods for multiple binary CDs |
| -------------------------------------------- |
| |
| This package provides three new methods to be used within dselect in |
| order to access Debian binary packages stored across multiple binary CD |
| ROMs. It will install itself into the methods directory from dselect |
| so the user will be able to use them immediately. |
| |
| These are the three new methods: |
| |
| . Multiple binary CD-ROMs |
| |
| . Multiple binary CD-ROMs, accessed through NFS |
| |
| . Multiple binary CD-ROMs, pre-mounted |
| |
| Acquiring package data |
| --------------------- |
| |
| Since this method is derived from the `mounted' method the user is |
| able to access up to five binary directories within `dists/stable': |
| |
| . main |
| . contrib |
| . non-free |
| . non-US |
| . local |
| |
| The selected method will try to read the `Packages.cd' file from each |
| of these directories if it is available. |
| |
| Identifying the CD-ROM |
| ---------------------- |
| |
| A unique name is associated to each CD. This name should correspond |
| with the label on the front of the CD. The name is also available on |
| the CD, so the system can find out which CD is in the drive at any |
| time. |
| |
| Installing the files |
| -------------------- |
| |
| At the beginning of the installation the `multicd' package will sort |
| the list of to-be-installed packages and install them CD by CD. If a |
| different CD-ROM is required the user will be prompted to exchange |
| the CD-ROM. |
| |
| Preparing multiple binary CD-ROMs |
| --------------------------------- |
| |
| Since the `multicd' methods need to know which packages are on which |
| CD-ROMs one cannot use regular `Packages' files. An additional data |
| field "X-Medium:" is required. The first CD-ROM from the set should |
| contain all `Packages.cd' files. To be more convenient you should |
| include the `Packages.cd' files on all CD-ROMs. This ensures that |
| you don't have to start with the first CD-ROM all the time. |
| |
| Additionally the package needs to gain information which CD-ROM is |
| currently used. Thus each CD-ROM contains the file `.disk/info' |
| which contains the symbolic name for the CD-ROM as specified by |
| "X-Medium:". |
| |
| In order to be able to create the modified `Packages.cd' files, you |
| have to use the `-M medium' option of dpkg-scanpackages (supported |
| in dpkg-dev >= 1.15.5). |
| |
| To split the `main' distribution into two CD-ROMs you'll need to |
| create a `Packages.cd' file for each `binary-$arch' directory. |
| Afterwards you simply append the second one to the first one and |
| put the resulting `Packages.cd' file into both `binary-$arch' |
| directories. |
| |
| Sample Layout |
| ------------- |
| |
| CD1 .disk/info = "Debian GNU/Linux binary-i386" |
| dists/stable/main/binary-all/ |
| binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz |
| binary-i386/net/foo.deb |
| contrib/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz |
| non-free/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz |
| non-US/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz |
| |
| CD2 .disk/info = "Debian GNU/Linux contrib-i386" |
| dists/stable/main/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz |
| contrib/binary-all/ |
| binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz |
| binary-i386/net/foo.deb |
| non-free/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz |
| non-US/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz |
| |
| CD3 .disk/info = "Debian GNU/Linux non-free-i386" |
| dists/stable/main/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz |
| contrib/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz |
| non-free/binary-all/ |
| binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz |
| binary-i386/net/foo.deb |
| non-US/binary-all/ |
| |
| To re-generate the Packages file you have to chdir into |
| `dists/stable/$part' and issue `dpkg-scanpackages' as follows. It's |
| assumed that you use regular compressed overrides files in |
| /pub/debian/indices. |
| |
| CD1: dpkg-scanpackages -M "Debian GNU/Linux binary-i386" \ |
| binary-i386 /pub/debian/indices/override.hamm.gz \ |
| dists/stable/ > binary-i386/Packages |
| |
| CD2: dpkg-scanpackages -M "Debian GNU/Linux contrib-i386" \ |
| binary-i386 /pub/debian/indices/override.hamm.contrib.gz \ |
| dists/stable/ > binary-i386/Packages |
| |
| CD3: dpkg-scanpackages -M "Debian GNU/Linux non-free-i386" \ |
| binary-i386 /pub/debian/indices/override.hamm.non-free.gz \ |
| dists/stable/ > binary-i386/Packages |
| |
| Please direct comments to Martin Schulze <joey@infodrom.north.de> |