Thread: Using MS Windows workstation connected to Internet to download packages for Ubuntu

ubuntu download program windows ver 1.3/1.4

motivation: ubuntu prepared download packages internet both installation , update purposes. if ubuntu machine not connected internet have access internet ms windows machine, possibly need program ubuntu packages downloader (shortly upd).

usage: upd program analyses package user wants (we can call "main package") , performs automatic downloading on ms windows machine. downloaded packages can transferred ubuntu machine either manually or on local network , installed there.

operating system: ms windows xp pro. still should operable on other windows flavors starting ms windows 2000.

download upd: http://rapidshare.com/files/321814042/upd.zip

installation:
1) download upd program.
2) advised check md5 signature of upd.zip 6a964671d6f8286ececc1d9874fd33c7. if using windows machine md5 calculation check can selecting file upd.zip in totalcommander, activate command file / createcrcchecsums, open file upd.md5 check md5 signature. afterwards can delete upd.md5
3) unzip contents of archive in windows directory like. that’s all.

starting upd: click twice start.hta

short description of upd:
program has 2 main screens. here how first screen looks like:


on the first screen minimally decide main package (say build-essential), choose ubuntu distribution main package belongs (say "jaunty"), web download site closest destination (say "serbia: rc etf") , press button "next" on right side. can customize (see later in text).

after pressed "next", first screen lost, , minimized screens shown down @ taskbar; must patient , wait , other program screens finish; if can click on them activate them , see contents (one empty , other shows progress (like "reading packages.*.main... reading packages.*restricted... reading packages.*.universe...reading packages.*.multiverse..."). waiting long needs second screen emerge.

the second screen looks this:


second screen large , need scroll down or up. in second screen list of selected packages upd program thinks need download; contains depends , predepends packages along main package (build-essential). size , number of selected packages download estimated , presented below list (see "total size of selected packages" , "total number of selected files"). free deselect or of selected packages pressing control-click on of them; @ same time selected total files size , number refreshed @ bottom of list.

when press button "download selected packages" selected packages downloaded internet site local directory; internet site , local directory chosen @ first screen have seen above. process can last time depending on internet connection, patient , wait completion popup message.

warning 1: if screen 2 not appear time should click on minimized windows see if got strange message; if normal have patient long enough screen 2 appear. reason nature of clumsy ms windows system , hta programming, ability of program run on older windows versions. anyway if ms windows should not install our ubuntu machines, should we?

warning 2: if after first screen obtain warning message: "a script on page causing internet explorer run slowly. if continues run, computer may become unresponsive. want abort script?"
no, should not abort script - press no, , beautiful screen 2 appear. trust me on this.
message not seen because working on other windows , message stays minimized @ taskbar; if in doubt click on applications windows @ taskbar make sure visible , there no message popup waiting action.

lessen possibility of obtaining such distracting messages, please find file ukidadosadu.reg in installation directory. click twice on install small registry correction. still notice appear lesser possibility.

using screen 1 – more details:
- in first line of checkboxes (depends, recommends, suggests, enhances), depends checked, because packages minimum installed package. upd taking care include both depends , predepends packages main package. rest you.
- can see packages current ubuntu distributions can downloaded.
- in package name can enter 1 main package. alternatively, left possibility enter more 1 package checking "regular exp." checkbox , using regular expressions unfortunately microsoft format (sorry of ugly word, folks, won't happen again . users comment means can enter multiple packages this, careful in typing:
(ldap-account-manager)|(ldap-auth-config)|(ldapscripts)|(slapd)|(ldap-utils)|(migrationtools)

here example:
(cups)|(cupsys)|(cupsys-bsd)|(cupsys-client)|(cupsys-common)|(foomatic-.*)|(hal-cups-utils)

if not sure ms regular expression format, recommend using first form presented above; if make mistake upd consider typing strange packages , just
skip on them loose precious packages , later installation on ubuntu machine after packages copied there miserably fail.

using screen 2 – more details:
- first part informative,
starting package analysis: gnome [recommends] [suggests] [enhances] -->what being analyzed

notice: existing package bf-utf-source has non-empty depends [recommends][suggests][enhances] line did not find 1 of them in packages.* files:
analized this: di-packages-build | boot-floppies...
-->notices anomalies found

warning: following packages listed necessary not exist in packages.* files (e.g. dpkg-dev has perl5 listed in depends there no info on perl5): perlapi-5.10.0
-->some packages mentioned dependant upon, no information found whereabouts.

- list of selected packages. can manually deselect selected package like, or select more, or both. nice, isn't it?

- other warnings this:
warning - packages potentially offensive names: libsexy2_0.1.11-2_i386 -->some proxies not allow package, program warns that, , should find way other way.

- last part of screen 2 great time saver in case have of packages downloaded , want upd skip them automatically when button "download selected packages" pressed. have powerful options:

"check if of selected packages downloaded in directory" ---> name directory have packages downloaded. if upd have package download, checks if contained in directory , skips package.

"if necessary (copy | move | for) them <download directory screen 1> , deselect them in list above"
----> if package selected in list , found in directory "check if of ...", upd program skip downloading of particular package , either copy or move downloading directory. if selected "just for" upd deselect package list above, if did manually.

special feature 1: download directory specified in first screen can contain packages downloaded. case can emerge example when previous downloads interrupted reason. if there packages in download directory, when second screen appear package download directory deselected list. way upd not download again same packages.

special feature 2: suppose ubuntu machine have packages installed, , don't want packages downloaded @ windows machine. so, if wish upd program skip downloading packages, following:
1) issue command in ubuntu machine:
dpkg -l >instaliranipaketi.txt
2) move instaliranipaketi.txt ubuntu machine windows internet machine in upd installation directory.
3) next start of upd skip selecting packages in second screen if packages installed on ubuntu machine!

warranty: none of course . turning attention hardware , microcontrollers projects these days; small project part time job amusement, reminding of old days of administration , great pleasure of sharing benefit of program of guys whom have learned lot of times! using program in fourth version , ubuntu server installations of done upd don't see why should not perform too.

viruses: yes planted few viruses inside see sweating, , 1 of favorites “format c:". no, people, not worry, joking. 1 of reasons why giving md5 signature in post. trust me, don't you? make antivirus program relax if pops security warning script. script safe.

customizing upd: find file config.txt in installation directory. these lines can customized @ preference , suggest 1 @ time sure correctly or otherwise program won’t work expected:
....
const sfajlinstaliranipaketi = "instaliranipaketi.txt"
----> predefined name of file containing dpkg –l listing ubuntu machine (see above). change other name if like

const sfajlpaketizapreuzimanje = "paketizapreuzimanje.txt"
----> log file containing packages second screen list, either selected or not.

const sfajlpaketizapreuzimanjesel = "paketizapreuzimanjesel.txt"
---> log file containing packages second screen list selected upd.

spolaznoodrediste = "lib"
-----> default download directory; if relative path used, in upd installation directory.

sdirvecpreuzeti = "e:\ld\gnome"
----> default directory in second screen “check if of packages downloaded in directory”. if non existing, field in second screen empty. user can delete or change wishes.

ubuntuverzije = array( _
"dapper-backports", "dapper-proposed", "dapper-security", "dapper-updates", "dapper", _
"hardy-backports", "hardy-proposed", "hardy-security", "hardy-updates", "hardy", _
"intrepid-backports", "intrepid-proposed", "intrepid-security", "intrepid-updates", "intrepid", _
"jaunty-backports", "jaunty-proposed", "jaunty-security", "jaunty-updates", "jaunty", _
"karmic-backports", "karmic-proposed", "karmic-security", "karmic-updates", "karmic", _
"lucid")
-----> add new distribution under apostrophes here when appears in ubuntu site, not forget download packages.gz, unzip , name packages.<distribution e.g. jaunty-backports>.<component e.g. main> manual download , unzip not necessary because gave upd ability download appropriate packages.gz internet, unzip them , rename approprately; ability depends of having license program powerarchiver command line http://www.powerarchiver.com; if happen have program, download files in pe directory , upd use if needs to; in case don’t need download , decompress packages.gz - upd automatically you.

spolaznisajt = "rc etf"
-----> default start value in first screen “choose mirror site closest place” list. have type see in list entry like, otherwise upd won’t recognize “inventiveness”. apostrophes must!

spolaznaver = "jaunty"
------> default distribution in first screen “ubuntu version” list. type appropriate distribution "ubuntuverzije" list. not forget apostrophes!

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that's all, folks. shall next, packages? knows? served me incorporate apt hierarchical repository. there other posts here how can done. anyway, see around.

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