Howto fill a ftp server with the Debian installation CDs

Solution With WOODY and apt-ftparchive

Tested with WOODY, SARGE, ETCH, LENNY

• Install/configure a ftp server that provides e.g. /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds
• Install apt-ftparchive
• Create somewhere a file called apt-ftparchive.conf and put the following lines in it:
  (example works for etch, i386 amd64 and powerpc)
  

  Dir
  {
   ArchiveDir "/var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds/";
   CacheDir "tmp/";
  };
  Default
  {
   Packages::Compress ". gzip";
   DeLinkLimit 0;
   FileMode 0644;
  }
  TreeDefault
  {
   Packages "$(DIST)/$(SECTION)/binary-$(ARCH)/Packages";
   Directory "pool/$(SECTION)";
   Contents "$(DIST)/Contents-$(ARCH)"
  };
  tree "dists/lenny"
  {
   Sections "main contrib non-free";
   Architectures "i386 amd64 powerpc";
  }

• Create directories (in this case lenny (stable) and i386, amd64 and powerpc):
  

  cd /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds
  mkdir tmp
  #i386
  mkdir -p dists/lenny/main/binary-i386
  mkdir -p dists/lenny/contrib/binary-i386
  mkdir -p dists/lenny/non-free/binary-i386
  #amd64
  mkdir -p dists/lenny/main/binary-amd64
  mkdir -p dists/lenny/contrib/binary-amd64
  mkdir -p dists/lenny/non-free/binary-amd64
  #powerpc
  mkdir -p dists/lenny/main/binary-powerpc
  mkdir -p dists/lenny/contrib/binary-powerpc
  mkdir -p dists/lenny/non-free/binary-powerpc
  #
  cd dists
  ln -s lenny stable
  cd ..

• For each cd do: cp -r /cdrom/pool /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds/
• cd /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds/
  apt-ftparchive generate apt-ftparchive.conf
• chown -R ftp.proxy /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds
• find /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds -name TRANS.TBL -exec rm -v '{}' ';'
• client /etc/apt/sources.list:
  deb ftp://your_server/pub/debian/deb-cds/ stable main contrib non-free

Installations

I only use this ftp server for already installed systems, if you use it for fresh installations you'll may face some problems. Just mail me if this is the case.

• Release File

  The Woody installation insists on Release file, the Etch even requires a signed Release file.
  

  cd /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds/dists/lenny/
  echo "Origin: Debian
  Label: Debian
  Suite: stable
  Version: 5.0
  Codename: lenny
  Architectures: amd64 i386 powerpc
  Components: main contrib
  Description: Debian 4.0r0 Released copied from DVD and CD to ftp" > Release
  apt-ftparchive release . >> Release

  See also Debian Syntax Release File.
  In order to be able to sign the Release file you need a gpg key (I'll assume 12345678 is your key id, see gpg --list-keys for the real value):
  

  gpg --gen-key
  gpg --detach-sign --armor --output Release.gpg --local-user 12345678 --sign Release

  Either send this key to a keyserver or offer if for manual download somewhere.
  

  gpg --send-keys 12345678
  gpg --armor --export 12345678 > mykey.txt

  Each client has to accept it once:
  

  cat mykey.txt | apt-key add -

• root, rescue and drivers

  The ftp doesn't contain the root, rescue and drivers floppies. Any need for this?
  

Solution for POTATO With apt-move

• Install/configure a ftp server that provides /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds
• Install apt-move
• /etc/apt-move.conf
  ARCH=i386
LOCALDIR=/var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds
DEBSTABLE=
DEBUNSTABLE=
DEBFROZEN=
DIST=stable
PKGTYPE=binary
SECTIONS="main contrib non-free non-US/main non-US/contrib non-US/non-free"
USSITE=ftp.de.debian.org
NONUSSITE=non-us.debian.org
FILECACHE=/var/cache/apt/archives
LISTSTATE=/var/state/apt/lists
DELETE=no
MAXDELETE=20
LOGFILE=/var/log/apt-move.log
MONITOR=/dev/null

• Create directories:
  mkdir /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds
  mkdir /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds/dists/
  mkdir /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds/dists/potato/
  ln -s potato /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds/dists/stable
  
• Is /var/cache/apt/archives really empty?
• While you're online: apt-move get
• For each CD:
  
  • find /cdrom/ -name *.deb -exec cp -v '{}' /var/cache/apt/archives ';'
  • apt-move move
• apt-move packages
• chown -R ftp.proxy /var/ftp/pub/debian/deb-cds
• client /etc/apt/sources.list deb ftp://your_server/pub/debian/deb-cds/ potato contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main