Seeking Advice: Managing a Local APT Package Mirror with Custom Tags Using Aptly

[Samadhan Fuke]

Hello Aptly community,

I'm looking for some advice and best practices on managing a local APT package mirror with custom tags. Here’s the scenario I’m working with:

The Goal

I need to organize the packages on my local APT mirror with custom tags, allowing client machines to install packages based on these tags.

My Current Setup

1. Set Up the Local APT Mirror:
   I'm using the `apt-mirror` package to prepare a local APT Debian packages mirror. It has a
   very simple configuration and is working fine for me.
    By using this local mirror, we are saving a lot of Internet bandwidth while installing
    multiple Debian clients in our network.

3. Frequent Installations with FAI:
   We perform installations very frequently using the FAI (Fully Automated Installation) tool,
    and we've integrated the local APT mirror with it.

The Need for Tags

Now, we're looking to implement a Debian packages tagging approach. The idea is to assign tags to each Debian package and install them based on these tags. This would help streamline our installation process even further.

Exploring Aptly

I came across the `aptly` tool and it seems like it might solve this problem.
However, I am not entirely sure how to best implement this with Aptly, or if there are better approaches.

Questions :
- What are the best practices for managing and distributing package tags with Aptly?
- Are there any specific features in Aptly that support tagging and installing packages based on these tags?
- Any tips on automating this process to reduce manual work?

I appreciate any insights, experiences, or recommendations you can share.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Best regards,
Samadhan