On Tue 13 Jun 2017 at 12:51:10 -0500, Richard Owlett wrote: > On 06/13/2017 12:26 PM, Brian wrote: > >On Tue 13 Jun 2017 at 11:32:03 -0500, Richard Owlett wrote: > > > >>On 06/13/2017 09:41 AM, Darac Marjal wrote: > >> > >>>Secondly, you > >>>start apt-cacher-ng running (it appears[1] to need minimal > >>>configuration). Thirdly, you import your already downloaded files[2] > >>>(you'll find apt's cache at /var/cache/apt/archive/*.deb). > >> > >>My hope had been to copy those somewhere to that would be available > >>locally without a need for a LAN. That may not be feasible. > > > >It *is* feasible. You have done it in the past. Use a USB stick as an > >archive. > > > > That's always been a goal. I've always used a set of DVD's never a netinst > iso. I had never experimented with just how much could be done with netinst > without any internet connectivity.
In terms of installing Debian, the netinst ISO gives you very little more that you would get from using a set of DVDs. The difference lies in point releases for security and perceived major changes. A network connected machine would pick these up; you would need a new set of DVDs to get them. Being bandwidth constrained is a consideration, but updates to a stable installation rarely involve more than a few 10s of MB. And it doesn't have to be done anyway; it is your choice. I'd suggest that for your situation (no connectivity to the internet for the Debian machine and no malign users), you could just let point releases pass you by. -- Brian.
