52

Package Management Tools

Then create symbolic links for  stable ,  contrib , and if available,  non free .

Make these links point to their respective places in the mounted archive. As

an example: If the mount point is /mnt/dist/debian and the path on the CD 

ROM to binary i386 is /bo/binary i386, then the link would be made by the

following commands:

cd /mnt/dist

ln  s debian/bo main

with similar constructions for the contrib and non free sections.

Once the directory structures are in place then just give /mnt/dist as the  top

level  of the distribution. If this seems too complicated then simply answer

 none  to the first prompt and then give the explicit path to each of the

parts of the distribution being installed. (See the Notes section on page 53 for

details.)

floppy:

This is not a recommended installation method. Floppies are notorious for

their failure rates. If there is a machine with an archive and Linux, and

floppies are going to be made on that machine for one that only has floppy

drives, it would be far more successful to bring the machines close enough

together to install a null modem cable between them and establish a SLIP

connection between the two machines and proceed with an FTP installation.

If this is impossible. . . , then the problem becomes one where you must have

far too much idle time on your hands. CD ROM drives are cheap. Buy one. If

you wish to install the complete binary distribution, it rings in at just under

400 MB. Even on 1.44 MB floppies that's still around 280 floppies.

For a limited number of packages this method has a reasonable chance of

success. The best approach for this is to place all of the .deb files for the