Many linux distros like Opensuse support this feature of adding iso as software repository. This has many advantages :
When installing a package it has to satisfy its dependencies, If have an iso on hard drive (Ubuntu or Debian dvd) then the installation of these packages will be done easily. Many frequently used packages are readily available on DVD.
Adding iso as software repository will make installation of packages easy. This is particularly useful for users using low-speed internet.
The first step is to mount the iso. For detailed tutorial on mounting iso in Ubuntu can be found here.
Adding Ubuntu (Jaunty) iso as software repo :
- Open Software Sources from Administration under System Preferences. Enter password when prompted.
Select Add from Third-Party Software tab and add the following code
deb file:///media/ubuntu-9.04-alternate-i386 jaunty main restricted
and click Add Source and close.
You can either select Reload or close in the next window.
That’s it, you have added iso as repo. But in order to use that iso you have to reload your software sources. This can be done in Synaptic Manager too. Make sure you connect to internet when reloading software sources.
Inside story : I used Ubuntu Jaunty in this tutorial. But if you want to use Debian or other, then the code that we are adding may change. Let me show you what we actually are doing in this tutorial. In this tutorial we are adding the location of packages that reside in Ubuntu CD. Insert Ubuntu CD into CD drive, if you have one. Explore the CD. You can see that there are folders named dists, doc,install etc. Synaptic Manager checks the folder dists for packages. Inside dists, you can see jaunty and inside jaunty you find the folders Main and restricted. Got the idea? Yes, in the code we are using this order only. The location of these folders may differ when using iso of other distros. Make changes to code as required. I hope this helps you when adding iso of other distros. If you have anytrouble following this tutorial please leave a comment.
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