How do I do updates?

[joseph2020]

info: 120 items/139 MB of updates...dialup 56K modem...Ubuntu 8.1....Old desktop PC

this will take hours/days at dialup speeds, (my isp will drop me after 4 hours constant) how can i do updates? I have a minimal update list with only important security updates available.

I have been doing updates a few at a time, but it's getting old unchecking ALL those boxes manually, when I only need 4 - 10 to be updated at one time. Any ideas to fix this would be appreciated as I I only have 2 ideas:
idea1

Is there a way to start update manager with all the boxes unchecked and let me choose which ones to use?

idea2

Can I download the Ubuntu repositories to a flashdrive at wifi speeds and use that as the default repository to update my system?

Thanks in advance.

[devils casper]

Can I download the Ubuntu repositories to a flashdrive at wifi speeds and use that as the default repository to update my system?

Yes you can and its very easy.

Execute this

sudo apt-get clean all
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get -qq --print-uris dist-upgrade | cut -d\' -f 2 > urls

Above code will create a file urls having complete address of all available updates.

Download all packages listed in that file. You can use any Download Package in Windows OS or if you have Linux OS in other machine, execute this

wget < urls

Copy all downloaded packages to /var/cache/apt/archives folder.

Execute this to install those :

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

[kmitnick]

Hi and welcome,

sudo apt-get -qq --print-uris dist-upgrade | cut -d\' -f 2 > urls

didn't work with me, I liked the idea and I wanted to use, but I have an empty text file, please devils casper see it again.

[devils casper]

It means your machine is fully updated.
Does executing sudo apt-get dist-upgrade list any package?

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Try to extract full path of a new package and its dependencies, if any, using above code.

sudo apt-get -qq --print-uris install htop | cut -d\' -f 2 > urls

[kmitnick]

I see now i get nth by executing dist-upgrade,that's why that I have an empty text file, thnx

[devils casper]

That code works fine and I have used it in several Debian and Ubuntu machines.
Execute this

sudo apt-get -qq --print-uris install abiword | cut -d\' -f 2 > urls
less urls

Is urls file empty again?

Pick any un-installed package from Synaptic and try to extract its urls using above code.

Btw, are you execute correct command? Any chance of typos?

[kmitnick]

no i know it works but my box is up to date now so I have just updated it and used your code so thnx I will try it next time.

[joseph2020]

devils casper,

I think I need to make my question more detailed. I want to download the updates to a winxp laptop, transfer the files to a flashdrive, and then plug the flashdrive into the Ubuntu dektop, and do the updates from there.

sudo apt-get clean all
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get -qq --print-uris dist-upgrade | cut -d\' -f 2 > urls

the "sudo" tells me I would be downloading to a linux box, and this is not the case. I would be downloading to a winxp box. I am pretty much thoroughly confused most of the time when it comes to Linux, so the simpler the approach the better the chance that I will attempt it.

I think the first thing I would need is the url for the repositories for Ubuntu., right?

Thanks again.

[elija]

The file produced will contain the urls for the packages that need updating. You can take that to an internet cafe, library or somewhere with a fast connection and download them to your flash.

[joseph2020]

I am so confused at this point, I'm not even sure how to ask the question.

elija, thanks for your reply...let me see if I have it right.

So I am to download the url to my desktop Ubuntu box, then copy those files to the flashdrive, then put the flashdrive in my winxp laptop, and download the updates with xp at high speeds, and then transfer those back to the Linux box via the flashdrive.

Do I have it right?

Also, I do NOT wish to upgrade to Ubuntu 9.04, just mainly the security and functionality updates. I'm not sure how many of these I actually need, but I have no way to find that out, so I'll have to update them all and be safe.

Thanks again