Recipe 3.3. Installing Debian Packages from CD-ROM

3.3.1 Problem

You want to install packages from a CD-ROM. The process we've just described assumes you want to download software from an archive. How do you add a CD to sources.list?

3.3.2 Solution

Modify /etc/apt/sources.list with the apt-cdrom command. This is the only way to add CD archives to sources.list. There must be a disk in the drive, but it does not need to be mounted. Then type:

# apt-cdrom add

Using CD-ROM mount point /cdrom/

Unmounting CD-ROM

Please insert a Disc in the drive and press enter

Mounting CD-ROM

Identifying.. [0eabc03d10414e59dfa1622326e20da7-2]

Scanning Disc for index files..  Found 1 package indexes and 0 source indexes.

This Disc is called:

 'Libranet GNU/Linux 2.8.1 CD2'

Reading Package Indexes... Done

Wrote 1271 records.

Writing new source list

Source List entries for this Disc are:

deb cdrom:[Libranet GNU/Linux 2.8.1 CD2]/ archive/

Repeat this process for the rest of the CDs in your set.

Use the -d switch to add a CD in a different CD drive:

# apt-cdrom -d /cdrom1 add

To identify a disk, use:

$ apt-cdrom ident

Using CD-ROM mount point /cdrom/

Mounting CD-ROM

Identifying.. [0eabc03d10414e59dfa1622326e20da7-2]

Stored Label: 'Libranet GNU/Linux 2.8.1 CD2'

$

3.3.3 Discussion

apt-get selects the newest versions of packages to install from the available sources. As the Linux world advances swiftly, your online sources will always be the newest. To make sure a program gets installed from a CD, comment out the other lines in your sources.list.

Remember to run apt-get update every time you change your sources.list.

3.3.4 See Also

apt-cdrom(8), apt-get(8)
Debian on CD, the ISO archives (http://www.debian.org/CD/http-ftp/)

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