Quick question

[Guest]

Hi. Longtime Linux user here, but new to Kubuntu and the debian style package format. I suspect I'm just not understanding how this works.

I hopefully have a quick question. I see in the man page for dpkg that it tells you the following:
To make a local copy of the package selection states:
dpkg --get-selections >myselections

You might transfer this file to another computer, and install it there with:
dpkg --clear-selections
dpkg --set-selections <myselections

Note that this will not actually install or remove anything, but just set the selection state
on the requested packages. You will need some other application to actually download and
install the requested packages. For example, run dselect and choose "Install".

How do I apply these selections without dselect, as I don't appear to have it installed? I've looked at the man pages for apt-get, I've used aptitude a bit and also used Adept, and it's not immediately obvious to me how to apply these changes? I was expecting to maybe open Adept and see the package in a "marked for install, but not applied" state, but I don't see that. Both aptitute and Adept list the packages as "not installed" after running the --set-selections command. Am I doing something wrong?

Obviously, my goal here it to save a set of packages and be able to quickly install this set of packages on future Kubuntu machines. Any other tips on how I should accomplish this?

Thanks in advance for your help.

-David

[bmccosar]

Re: Quick question

The different package managers have different styles; you don't have to use dselect.

For example, in Synaptic:

Under File-> you will find 5 options:

Read Markings
Save Markings
Save Markings As...
Generate Package Download Script
Add Downloaded Packages

These all accomplish the same idea as the dpkg example, BUT if you want to carbon copy your packages to another computer, you need to check the "Save full state, not only changes" box.

The output is a simple text file. You probably need to edit it, unless you want to watch the hardware-specific drivers you've downloaded for the other machine play musical chairs with the ones on the list ;-)

[Guest]

Re: Quick question

Thanks for the quick reply, but do you know HOW it's done with some of the various methods? You mentioned Synaptic. I'm a big fan of KDE, so I use Kubuntu, there are no options such as those in Adept that I could find. I was wondering how to accomplish this in Kubuntu, or more generic manner such as using dpkg.

For instance, after using dpkg --set-selection, what do I do to apply the changes? I'm wondering if there is a dpkg --apply or something like that.

Thanks again!

-David

[bmccosar]

Re: Quick question

Yeah, actually, Synaptic is my one holdover from standard Ubuntu. It has a very clean interface, and I got used to getting the job done quickly with it. I use KDE as well, but Adept just never did it for me.

I opened it in another window and had a look; sure enough, like you said, it's not there.

For programming and compiling, a 'clone installed packages' feature is almost essential. Hopefully it'll be there in future releases. But for now, if you're able, I'd say use Synaptic.

Hey, GTK+ had to win sometime ;-)