Using equo without internet connection

[nikkipolya]

I am new to Sabayon 4 and 'equo'. Until recently I was using Sabayon 3.2 on my desktop with 'emerge'. I do not have an internet connection at home. I used to download the src packages @ school and carry them back to home and copy them to the portage/distfiles directory. So emerge would check this directory and build it for me, without having to connect to the internet.

Recently I upgraded to Sabayon 4, as it became increasingly difficult to get the src files for 3.2. I like the Sabayon 4 binary install idea, as it saves me a lot of time. So the question is, how can I continue doing the same with 'equo'?

I have noticed that '/var/lib/entropy/packages/${arch}/${version} is where equo is trying to download packages to. But it seems to be using a different name than the name of the downloaded file. So renaming the downloaded file works for me. But is there an easier way to do this like in Sabayon 3.2? Or is there an alternative that I am missing?

Your help is much appreciated!
- Nikki

[WarraWarra]

I am not sure how much you know about equo / entropy / spritz"sulfur" . I presume you are using x86 32bit SL versions and standard branch of SL same as on the cd / dvd's

Yup it can be done, you have a few equo important folders.

/etc/entropy
## This tells equo where to get the files from "repositories.conf" and what version of equo it should get for you 2008, 3.5, 4, etc ##

/var/lib/entropy
## This is where the important stuff is ##

/var/db/entropy
## This should be a temp folder / working folder. ##

var/lib/entropy/client/database/x86/sabayonlinux.org/standard/x86
## This should contain list of files in the database of what is going on and when / where. ##

var/lib/entropy/packages/x86/sabayonlinux.org/standard/x86
## This should contain new software that can be installed using equo / sulfur ##

Equo wants to do this usually:
# Database URL: http://svn.sabayonlinux.org/entropy/sta ... base/x86/4
>> # Database local path: /var/lib/entropy/client/database/x86/sabayonlinux.org/standard/x86/4

If in /etc/entropy version 3.5 is set then above example will end with 3.5 as you will be using 3.5 versions of SL and updating 3.5 to 3.5.

To go from 3.5 to 4 version that includes 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, and this will end up updating your installed to 4.2 you will need too:

Code: Select all

equo --help
equo world upgrade 4

This worked recently for me with 3.5POD . It will also install fixes and you might have to manually reinstall ati or nvidia just to be sure as well as libtest and deptest "equo --help" + normal python-updater and modules-rebuild rebuild if the kernel changed and likely it will change. gcc-config -l to see new gcc and to update it gcc-config -o i686......gnu...4.3.2 , check for correct options using gcc-config --help .

The main idea, you will need to look at however you implement it is to have source below copied to destination below that will end up being on your computer. If in linux at school / university use rsync or wget or ftp program filezilla for best results.
Windows use filezilla if available.

Example: "source to destination"

Code: Select all

http://svn.sabayonlinux.org/entropy/standard/sabayonlinux.org/database/x86/4/*
 /var/lib/entropy/client/database/x86/sabayonlinux.org/standard/x86/4

NB: You should be able to cheat with downloading the smaller files and skip the 400mb packages.db by extracting the compressed version of this to the same destination folder:
Example:

Code: Select all

bzip2 -dv /var/lib/entropy/client/database/x86/sabayonlinux.org/standard/x86/4/packages.db.bz2  /var/lib/entropy/client/database/x86/sabayonlinux.org/standard/x86/4

Make sure your " bzip2 --help " options is correct and fix above if not correct.
Or
Download all on the source to destination where destination is temporarily on usb device and later on computer at home.

This example's should be all that is needed to copy using Greece server and linux at school / university.
Example:
(edit server to closest http ftp rsync server to you)

Code: Select all

rsync -rPmHz rsync://ftp.cc.uoc.gr/mirrors/linux/SabayonLinux/entropy/standard/sabayonlinux.org/database/x86/4/  /var/lib/entropy/client/database/x86/sabayonlinux.org/standard/x86/4

Code: Select all

rsync -rPmHz rsync://ftp.cc.uoc.gr/mirrors/linux/SabayonLinux/entropy/standard/sabayonlinux.org/packages/x86/4/  /var/lib/entropy/packages/x86/4

Where /var/lib/entropy/... is on the USB device or /mnt/USB/var/lib/entropy .

NB: See the /4/ on source and /4 on destination first is closed = content of 4 and second is open = into 4 , if both is /4 "open" then you will end up with /4/4/something.file instead of /4/something.file
Wget you might need to use /4/* to /4 not sure about this " wget --help "

You can also at home copy this folders to the USB device if enough space and then rsync to it / update them using above command and any server at school. This way you only need to copy once to USB and then once to Computer = easier for future updating the USB and PC = update / add missing files. /mnt/USB/var/lib/entropy/*

Please keep in mind that the packages folder will contain close to 23000 packages more or less , any sizes from 1kb to 300mb for openoffice not sure how your school / university internet department will react to this or if they know linux they can setup a rsync "crontab" and download it for you during the night then you can just copy it over to usb = easier on their systems / avoid problems for you.

Once back at home copy or rsync from USB device and then equo update will show connection error = database already updated = good, then

Code: Select all

equo install equo entropy sulfur layman portage
equo conf update

Now you should be able to use sulfur"new spritz version" or equo --help or equo libtest or equo deptest .
equo deptest = same as revdep-rebuild -option.
It will also install fixes and you might have to manually reinstall ati or nvidia just to be sure as well as libtest and deptest "equo --help" and "python-updater" and "modules-rebuild rebuild" if the kernel changed and likely it will change. "gcc-config -l" to see new gcc and to update it gcc-config -o i686......gnu...4.3.2 , check for correct options using gcc-config --help .

Basically only copy database and packages folders of version 4 and copy to USB and later to computer then equo update and use as normal.

Hope this explains it / helps.

[nikkipolya]

Hey WarraWarra, Thanks a ton for your reply! I still have to digest a lot of what you've written. But from what I understood, you seem to propose a solution where in I have to do a ton of downloading at the univ. I am sorry, I forgot to mention in my post that I am not in a position to download so many files in one go. My univ has a slow connection and downloading all/many files is ruled out. Downloading anything heavy (>100MB) is also ruled out for me at the univ.

With Sabayon 3.2 I used to download the specific src packages when ever I needed some-thing specific (yes, the same versions that were in the 3.2 portage, never updated my portage). Now it has become difficult to get old src tar balls for apps, and hence upgraded to 4.0 (got the DVD from a friend). But, I must admit, I am really happy with 3.2 as it had served me really well for close to two years this way without having to update/upgrade anything.

Is there a way for me to get back to using portage from my current installed position onwards? As I am unable to take advantage of the binary packages, as most of the packages I use (mostly scientific libraries/tools) are not in the sabayon repository anyways.

Thanks in advance!

[WarraWarra]

Yup it should be easy enough.

Same as with 3.2 download latest portage snapshot and use portage / emerge to install only what you need + possible dependency's to make it work.
Likely have to write down the --pretend needed files and download.

If you can pm me with what version of SL you have and needed packages I can try to test run it here + needed packages and tar / bz2 the bin files for you onto Ibiblio server then you can download this and use it.

Keep in mind you might want to cut a lot of the useless stuff from make.conf , locale.gen and pm the modded files to build with. This should cut down on missing items and other problems that could happen during install.

Maybe there is someone closer to you that can download equo bins or other files onto dvd and post it to you ?