Saving automatically downloaded binary packages

[IdOp]

When installing binary packages with the pkg_add(1) command, it will download the package and any packages it depends on from a remote server (if the PKG_PATH variable is set up for this), and then install the packages and delete them.

Is there any way to save (i.e., keep) all the binary packages that have been downloaded from a remote site?

Thanks for any insights.

[s0xxx]

I thought there was a variable to be set for that but just couldn't find it. Maybe I'm just trippin'. Anyway, one way to save the downloaded binary packages is to use pkgtools/pkgin. It's described as:

pkgin is aimed at being an apt / yum like tool for managing pkgsrc binary packages. It relies on pkg_summary(5) for installation, removal and upgrade of packages and associated dependencies, using a remote repository.

It make's a cache of installed binary package in /var/db/pkgin/cache/ directory.

pkgin has recently been added to DragonFlyBSD base: http://leaf.dragonflybsd.org/mailarc.../msg00088.html

[s0xxx]

Ah, yes - I run into this also, sadly its a draft only:

http://wiki.netbsd.se/pkgsrc.conf

[J65nko]

BTW in OpenBSD this can easily achieved by setting and exporting the PKG_CACHE variable. In 2006 somebody in http://mail-index.netbsd.org/pkgsrc-...msg016871.html asked this feature to be implemented in NetBSD.

[Beastie]

Same with FreeBSD:

Originally Posted by man pkg_add

-K, --keep Keep any downloaded package in PKGDIR if it is defined or in current directory by default.

[IdOp]

@ s0xxx: Thanks, I've downloaded pkgin and will check it out as the opportunity permits. It looks like they're working on it with pkgsrc.conf

@ J65nko: +1 for OpenBSD on this one.

[s0xxx]

@J64nko

Yes, I actually saw that PR but forgot to post the link to it. There is some talk about the saving of downloaded packages in this thread also.

@IdOp

I don't think anyone is working on it, the page was last updated on November 2007. I also couldn't find any recent reference to it, I just posted it 'cause I run into it on wiki.