$my_number can be changed to how many lines you would like
``swim -qf <>'' to print out, before the program asks for
-t or --total. Exception: If -i is
used in the query and there is more than one package then the total will
be presented.
Hint: -t can be used with all the various
--scripts family members to view the title of the script file
regardless of this variable setting, and if -t has to be
used, the titles will be displayed, which makes sense.
$my_number = 23;
--stdin is used.
$HISTORY = 10;
$package_tool = "/usr/bin/ar";
--apt and -xyz assign $apt the
value ``yes''.
Example: $apt = "yes";
--help and
swim called without any options. There is an option
--nopager or -n. more comes from the
required package util-linux, whereas less comes from a
standard package called less. Values: ``less'', ``more'', or ``most''
or...
$ENV{PAGER} = "less";
$architecture and/or
$distribution to avoid having to use --arch and
--dists everytime the not-installed databases are accessed
with -n or made or altered.
Architectures are always being added so check with Debian to find a list. There is alpha, arm, hurd-i386 (alternative kernel to linux), i386, m68k, powerpc, sparc. Just use the arch found after the hyphen in the Contents-(arch) file.
$architecture = "i386";
The distribution can be either stable, unstable, frozen, or experimental (rare). These represent the state of development that the packages are under. The unstable distribution can have lot's of changes within a very short time period, and frozen may or may not be available.
$distribution = "unstable";
Distributions are divided into sections. These sections were called distributions in the version 2.4.1.0 packaging manual, because they were at one time separate distributions, but this has since changed.
You can determine which of the sections main, non-free, contrib or
non-US to pull out of the Contents file if you don't want to use
--main, --contrib, --non-free, and
--non-us to selectively pick the sections.
For efficiency, you should choose the sections which you will be pulling
out of the Packages file(s) being targetted.
Rule: Use ``non-US'' not ``non-us''.
@user_defined_section = qw(main contrib non-free non-US);
The next two variables determine the location of the DF (default directory/file system)
The default directory keeps track of Contents and/or Packages databases retrieved with --ftp. The Contents and Packages databases and Release file are give names specific to the distribution and architectures they represent using the naming convention found in apt's sources directory. You also have the freedom not to use the default directory, in which case swim will still do the renaming and keeping track of the mtime, but you will have to remember where you put the files.
$default_directory = '/root/.swim';
The default root directory (DRD) is the key to easy management of binary packages, source, dsc, and diff files received from --ftp, and provides an easy way to put together a personalized distribution. This directory can be a real ftp site on your computer, or put wherever else you are allowed to have directories. The DRD is always placed below the value assigned to $default_directory. According to the previous assignment to $default_directory, if the DRD is ``/pub/a/debian'' then the full path would be ``/root/.swim/pub/a/debian''.
Example: When a package is downloaded it will be placed in dists/distribution/section/architecture/subject below the DRD.
Rule: debian must be the final directory before dists, this is because other distributions are placed alongside debian, like debian-non-US or personal (specialized distribution).
$default_root_directory = '/pub/debian';
Because you may be using a real ftp site, this variable allows you to determine what permissions swim will assign for directories it creates below the DRD.
$permission = '0755';
$tmp a RAM disk. See package loadlin for initrd documentation and
an explanation for making such a disk. There is also documentation in
/usr/src/kernel-source.version/Documentation. Whether this will speed
things up is a subject of experimentation.
$tmp = "/tmp";
$firewall = 0; (FTP firewall machine name) $port = 0; (defaults to 23) $timeout = 120; (120 seconds) $debug = 0; (1 will turn on STDERR) $passive = 0; (1 will enable)