Preface

Author: $Author: fgerlits $
Version: $Revision: 3064 $
Location: $URL: svn://code.campware.org/campcaster/trunk/campcaster/doc/repositoryCdHowto.html $

Scope

This document describes the process of creating a repository CD containing the Campcaster deb packages.

Introduction

A repository CD is a CD which contains the Campcaster deb packages, plus all the other deb packages which Campcaster depends on. Such a CD can be used to install Campcaster on computers with limited or no internet connectivity. The repository CD creation process consists of the following steps:

collect the necessary deb packages
create the package listing
create the iso image
test the iso image

Collect the necessary deb packages

Start with a fresh Ubuntu system installed from the install CD, with no additional packages. Add the universe repository and the campware.org repository

deb https://www.campware.org/ubuntu dapper main

to /etc/apt/sources.list. Type

sudo apt-get clean

to clean the package cache, and install Campcaster normally. Install any other deb packages you want to be on the repository CD. Now copy the packages into your home directory:

cd
mkdir repository
cd repository
mkdir pool
cp -v /var/cache/apt/archives/*.deb pool/

Create the package listing

Type

cd ~/repository
apt-ftparchive packages pool | gzip -9c > Packages.gz

this will create a Packages.gz file containing the list of packages.

Create the iso image

Type

cd ~/repository
mkisofs -J -r -pad -v -V "Campcaster repository CD" 
        -o ../Campcaster-repository.iso .

Note the space and dot at the end of the command. The volume label (-V) can be up to 32 characters long.

It’s OK to add more files to the CD; apt-cdrom (or, equivalently, Synaptic’s “Add CD-ROM” button) is smart enough to find the repository among all the other stuff.

Test the iso image

Burn the iso file to a CD:

cdrecord -scanbus
cdrecord -v dev=ATA:1,0,0 ~/Campcaster-repository.iso

(change 1,0,0 to whatever scanbus told you, of course). Then try adding the CD as a repository with

apt-cdrom add

You can also use Nautilus and Synaptic instead of mkisofs, cdrecord and apt-cdrom.

TODO: it’s probably possible to mount and check the iso without burning it to a CD first.