How to tell the "configure apt" part of installer about DVDs that exist only as ".iso" files on a USB stick?

Rick Thomas

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May 16, 2013, 9:00:02 AM5/16/13

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Here's the situation...

I want to try installing without internet access. I have excellent
internet access at home, but there are enough folks on the users list
who don't enjoy that privilege. I'd like to be able to help them with
useful answers. Hence my questions...

I've jigdo'ed a full set of the install DVDs. I can fit the iso's on
three 16GB USB sticks. I can boot the machine from a "netinst" CD and
do most of the install from it. When the install comes to the part
where it's configuring apt, I tell it *not* to use any internet mirrors.

At the part where it asks about CDs other than the initial installer
disk, I'm ready with the USB sticks inserted. By switching to the
<alt>-F2 console, the DVD images can be loop mounted from there.

So here's the part I can't figure out...

How do I tell the installer to look at the /dev/loop* devices
instead-of/in-addition-to the physical CDROM drive?

Thanks!

Rick

PS: Wouldn't it be nifty if the installer could do all that without
switching to the <alt>-F2 console for behind-the-scenes magic?

Once I get the magic worked out, I'll submit a wishlist bug for such a
feature.

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Robert Thomas Hayes Link

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May 16, 2013, 11:20:01 AM5/16/13

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Rick:

If you go through the "Expert Install" option, using a network mirror
becomes optional, as does network detection and configuration.

hth

rl

Peace,

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Rick Thomas

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May 17, 2013, 1:50:02 AM5/17/13

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> Rick Thomas wrote:
>> Here's the situation...
>>
>> I want to try installing without internet access. I have excellent
>> internet access at home, but there are enough folks on the users list
>> who don't enjoy that privilege. I'd like to be able to help them with
>> useful answers. Hence my questions...
>>
>> I've jigdo'ed a full set of the install DVDs. I can fit the iso's on
>> three 16GB USB sticks. I can boot the machine from a "netinst" CD and
>> do most of the install from it. When the install comes to the part
>> where it's configuring apt, I tell it *not* to use any internet
>> mirrors.
>>
>> At the part where it asks about CDs other than the initial installer
>> disk, I'm ready with the USB sticks inserted. By switching to the
>> <alt>-F2 console, the DVD images can be loop mounted from there.
>>
>> So here's the part I can't figure out...
>>
>> How do I tell the installer to look at the /dev/loop* devices
>> instead-of/in-addition-to the physical CDROM drive?
>>
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Rick
>>
>>
>> PS: Wouldn't it be nifty if the installer could do all that without
>> switching to the <alt>-F2 console for behind-the-scenes magic?
>>
>> Once I get the magic worked out, I'll submit a wishlist bug for such a
>> feature.
>>

On May 16, 2013, at 8:07 AM, Robert Thomas Hayes Link <r...@robertlink.org> replied:

> Rick:
>
> If you go through the "Expert Install" option, using a network mirror
> becomes optional, as does network detection and configuration.

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the reply.

I know how to tell it not to go to the internet mirrors. What I haven't been able to figure out is how to tell it that I have available *already mounted* CD images (in this case actually DVD images, but who's counting?) and it should use them for what it needs.

Is there, for example, some way to edit the /target/etc/apt.conf file? Would that work?

Failing that, can I somehow build a single huge (e.g. 64GB) USB stick from the contents of the DVD images, and get it to use that?

The fundamental problem I'm having is how to tell it to look somewhere other than the one CD drive it has already discovered. What I'd like is an option to answer the question "Do you want to add another CD?" with, for example, the name of a disk device or a (directory where that disk device is mounted) rather than a simple "yes" or "no", as now.

And once again, wouldn't it be fun if the installer could do that all by itself, perhaps on the basis of some kind of pre-seeding option…

Enjoy!

Rick

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