Is there an alternative to Keryx for offline linux machines?

[elludium_q-36]

Keryx http://keryxproject.org/ was a great, free project that allowed to add and update packages on an offline machine via a USB drive.

However, it seems that it has now gone fully commercial but the site's blog and download links are currently broken... Jumping through the redirect hoops, to get to a download, you read: "Try us out free for 30 days." and get a 404 error.

It was great while it lasted and had a good run. I think I still have a 1.0 .deb but what's next?

[sithlord48]

Re: Is there an alternative to Keryx for offline linux machines?

muon will do that.. use the "save package list" "download pacakge lists" and " add packages from" . i think you can also do it with the synaptic package manager as well.

[elludium_q-36]

Re: Is there an alternative to Keryx for offline linux machines?

I'm using 10.04 (and still have an 8.04.4 box) but don't see muon in the repositories.

In my installation or 8.04, I could never get Synaptic Package Manager to install manually downloaded packages.

[elludium_q-36]

Re: Is there an alternative to Keryx for offline linux machines?

It looks like Muon was not released 'til 10.10 Maverick. One reason for sticking by the Long Term Support releases is that I am OFFLINE at home.

I plan to go to 12.04 around SEP 2012, so that any major bugs have been worked out...

Keryx did work nicely in that from a USB drive, it downloaded any fixes/updates, new package lists, install choices, etc. for the "project" machine and installed them just like a native package manager, automagically. No going through each package with gDebi, etc. and finding out dependencies were not satisifed.

I'm sure in this economy and in less fortunate areas of the world, there are many who have offline machines. I hope that another solution can be developed that lives in the repositories, from a NON COMMERCIAL developer... :-|

[sithlord48]

Re: Is there an alternative to Keryx for offline linux machines?

you can download the packages on any machine from your repo its not as nice since you will have to do it manually but it can be done.. yes with the older versions you get on muon, long time since i used synaptic but i could have swarn that it did it. what about good ol' adept does that have a similar option? (on your 8.04 machine)


just checked in synaptic use the "generate package download script" and "add downloaded packages" entries seam to be similar to the muon options.

or you can try something like this
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ap...ine/Repository

[elludium_q-36]

Re: Is there an alternative to Keryx for offline linux machines?

Thanks sithlord48,

I'll take a look at the links at home. I use Firefox portable apps on public windows machines [ http://portableapps.com/ ]. Firefox has an add-on, Read it Later, which allows me to read pages whilst offline [ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...read-it-later/ ], [ http://readitlaterlist.com/firefox/ ]. Of course, since it's a windows copy, I have to run it under Wine [ http://www.winehq.org/ ] or copy the RIL pages to a local Firefox profile...

Thanks.

Perhaps someone also knows of another solution...

[Guest]

Re: Is there an alternative to Keryx for offline linux machines?

Hi,

we can generate list of packages needed for apt-get with this command
sudo apt-get --print-uris -y install kubuntu-restricted-extras vlc | grep "'" | cut -d\' -f2 > list.txt

we can change that red part with other command, like 'upgrade'. and it will generate list of packages needed inside list.txt file.
and then we can use downloader that support import from text files (for example wget and downthemall-firefox addon)
but we still need internet access for refreshing package list though

[elludium_q-36]

Re: Is there an alternative to Keryx for offline linux machines?

The other problem is that I could never get a package download script to run on a windows machine, despite the "helpful" posts elsewhere.

The fact of the matter is that most public machines are windows based, 'though I have seen a few Apple boxes.

[elludium_q-36]

Re: Is there an alternative to Keryx for offline linux machines?

Also Jasbutut,

It looks like your reccomendation needs the ONLINE computer to be GNU/Linux based and most public computers are Windows.

[elludium_q-36]

Re: Is there an alternative to Keryx for offline linux machines?

I did try to get help on UbuntuForums.org but got the standard canned responses from those who probably just wanted to increase their post count with my thread. They didn't like my response >

I just revisited http://keryxproject.org/ and although it seems to have had some design work done, it's as commercial as ever and I can't find my way to a download link. I don't see references to launchpad, etc. either.

Even when I had it running, I couldn't get it to install packages on my 8.04 machine, even with dependencies satisfied (Yes I had the correct version of Keryx for 8.04). It did seem to work fine on a windows box but I had to run it under WINE on my Kubuntu 8.04 box and then, it would only update package information, etc. I had to manually install each .deb, in order of dependency with GDebi, etc.

I've not been able to use generated download scripts from Synaptic Package Manager and it wouldn't add downloaded packages, as they were GREYED out.

I had no luck with "Sushi, huh?" and from the read-me, it's abandon-ware.

I had hoped a developer would make a solution and put it in a repository...