[ubuntu-za] Updating Without a Local Connection

[Morgan Collett]

On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 18:51, James Cuénod <j3frea at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I am running Kubuntu 8.10 64 bit on my laptop. I am at varsity right now
> and am not allowed to connect my laptop to their network (because the
> lecturers' PCs are all on it). I know that an update script can be
> generated using synaptic (which, strangely, came by default with my
> install - along with adept which I am not too fond of). So my question is
> two fold;
>
> 1. How can I update my sources.list

It sounds like you want to check for updated packages, without a
direct connection. The update scripts don't do that - they only
download packages they already know about.

I suggest you get online somehow, even if you have to pay, and do the
Reload in Synaptic (or sudo apt-get update).

> 2. Does anyone have any words of wisdom regarding generating the update
> script with synaptic. Thanks

Click on package and mark for installation - or "Mark All Updates" if
you want to update packages. Then without clicking Apply, click File /
Generate package download script. That will prompt to save a script
somewhere. That script will look like:

#!/bin/sh
wget -c http://za.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/2/2vcard/2vcard_0.5-3_all.deb

(and more wget lines.)

You can run that on any other system that has wget - another Linux
system, or Windows with wget.

Then bring the resulting deb files on a CD, USB stick etc and run
Synaptic again and do File / Add downloaded packages which will prompt
you for the directory where the debs are.

Regards
Morgan