I'm installing Debian gradually; until I get it online I have Windows, in its own partition, set up for Internet use. I use Windows to download Debian packages I'm interested in onto my hard drive, creating a partial mirror of the Debian distribution; I then install those packages by accessing the Windows partition from Debian. What's the significance of Packages (or Packages.gz) files in this case?
1) Does dpkg/dselect/apt assume that all packages listed in a Packages file are available on my hard drive? If so, should I manually create a stripped-down Packages file that describes only the few dozen packages I've downloaded? 2) Alternatively, is Packages used only to provide additional data to the package management tools - that is, do the tools scan for .deb packages that I've actually downloaded, then use the Packages file only to extract further information about those few packages? I suspect it's 1), because dselect in particular shows guff about packages I've never downloaded but that are described in the Packages file (which I have downloaded). Any help appreciated Lloyd
