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<html><head>
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<title>swim - IMPORTANT DEBIAN DATABASES FOR NOT-INSTALLED
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DATABASES
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</title>
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<link rev=made href="mailto:mttrader@access.mountain.net">
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</head><body>
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<h1>
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swim - chapter 6<br>
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IMPORTANT DEBIAN DATABASES FOR NOT-INSTALLED
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DATABASES
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</h1>
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<hr>
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<h2><A name="s-downimportant">
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6.1 A. downloading the important databases with --ftp.
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</A></h2>
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<pre>usage: swim --ftp
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options: --Contents <DF|directory>
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--Packages <DF|directory>
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[--dists <distribution>] [--arch <architecture>]
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[--onec] [--Release_only]</pre>
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<hr>
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<h2><A name="s6.2">
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6.2 OVERVIEW
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</A></h2>
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<strong>swim</strong> provides a method so that all information about
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an existing Debian distribution is quickly accessible through databases.
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Debian already provides flat file databases for all its distributions. One
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database called ``<em>Contents-(architecture)</em>'' provides a complete
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listing of all the files associated with each package, the other much more
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important database called ``<em>Packages</em>'' provides everything from
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the Package's description, to all the dependencies for that package. The
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Packages database is a crucial database for other important Debian
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administrative tools like <strong>dpkg</strong> and <strong>apt</strong>.
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<hr>
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<h2><A name="s-dd">
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6.3 DISTRIBUTION DEFINED
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</A></h2>
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Debian Distributions choose a name which reflect the development state of
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that distribution. The distribution named ``<em>unstable</em>'' is where
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the majority of the development processing occurs, after <em>unstable</em>
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has reached a certain level of maturity, it's copied over to a new
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distribution called ``<em>frozen</em>'' which is tested extensively before
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becoming the new ``<em>stable</em>'' distribution. The <em>frozen
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distribution</em> retains the <em>Release version number</em> of the
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<em>unstable distribution</em>, and the <em>unstable distribution</em>
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receives a new <em>Release version number</em>. Eventually,
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<em>frozen</em> becomes <em>stable</em>, and at this point both
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<em>frozen</em>, and the older <em>stable distribution</em> are removed.
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Code names are associated with the <em>Release Version number</em> given
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for each of the distributions. This is much better for mirroring Debian
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sites.
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<P>
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<strong>swim</strong> was designed to ignore these code names, and instead
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shows the user the <em>Release version number</em> associated with the
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distribution. Swim users must always use the real distribution name, or
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swim will not work properly. This is a nice feature because it allows user
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to make decisions related to the management of their databases, and makes
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research much more easier.
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<P>
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The other Debian distribution which swim recognizes is
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<em>experimental</em>. This distribution <em>does not have any Release
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version number</em>, and contains packages which are considered risky
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because of their development level.
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<P>
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<hr>
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<h2><A name="s6.4">
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6.4 SECTIONS
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</A></h2>
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Each Debian distribution has sections related to the relationship of
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each of the packages to the <em>Debian's Policy Manual</em>. In
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``<em>main</em>'' there are packages which have a correct relationship
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with these Policies. Packages in ``<em>contrib</em>'' comply with the
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<em>DFSG</em> (<em>Debian Free Software Guidelines</em> found in the
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<em>Debian Policy Manual</em>) but have various limitations like requiring
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a package which is found in non-free, or is not in the Debian archive.
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Packages in ``<em>non-free</em>'' do not comply with the <em>DFSG</em> but
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are electronically distributable across international borders. The
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``<em>non-us</em>'' section is found outside of the United States and
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exists for packages which have export restrictions.
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<P>
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<hr>
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<h2><A name="s6.5">
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6.5 ARCHITECTURES
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</A></h2>
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Distributions also have architecture specific sections since not all
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packages compiled for one architecture can run on all other
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archictectures, however, there are a large percentage of packages which do
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run on all architectures. The architectures are <em>alpha</em>,
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<em>arm</em>, <em>i386</em>, <em>m68k</em>, <em>powerpc</em>,
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<em>sparc</em>, and more recently <em>hurd-i386</em> which represents
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packages for the hurd GNU kernel for the i386 architecture.
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<P>
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<hr>
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<h2><A name="s6.6">
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6.6 SWIMZ.LIST
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</A></h2>
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<strong>--ftp</strong> uses a file called <em>swimz.list</em> which
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has the same type of format (see format below) as the
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<em>sources.list(5)</em> which <strong>apt</strong> uses. There are some
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differences. The <strong>first difference</strong> mentioned above (see
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<A href="#s-dd">DISTRIBUTION DEFINED
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, section 6.3</A>) requires that the distribution names never should be the
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code names for the <em>Release version</em>. <strong>Secondly</strong>,
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<strong>apt</strong> only retrieves databases specific to one
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archictecture, normally the one you are running <strong>apt</strong> on.
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With <strong>swim</strong> though you can fetch databases for any, or
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every architecture by adding the architecture to ``deb'' with a hyphen
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(deb-hurd-i386). If deb has no architecture appended it is assumed that
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the architecture you want is the same as the system you are running
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<strong>swim</strong> on. <strong>Thirdly</strong>, at this time
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<strong>swim</strong> only supports the ftp method.
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<strong>Fourthly</strong>, you can change <em>swimz.list</em> as often as
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you want without worrying about databases being removed so that that the
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<em>swimz.list</em> and the downloaded databases match. This would occur
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with <strong>apt's</strong> <em>sources.list(5)</em> if you removed a
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site. <strong>Fifthly</strong>, databases are kept in a compressed state.
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<strong>Sixthly</strong> because the list is used for both Contents and
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Packages, more flexibility is provided by only allowing the default
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distribution/archictecture or distribution/architecture provided on the
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commandline to be downloaded.
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<P>
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For <strong>apt</strong> users: If you are using <strong>apt</strong>, and
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<strong>swim</strong> together it is a good strategy to use the real
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distribution name in the <em>sources list(8)</em>, and to have an exact
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copy of the <em>sources.list(5)</em> ftp sites in the <em>swimz.list</em>.
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Packages databases specific to the architecture <strong>apt</strong> is
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using can be retrieved using <strong>swim --apt --update</strong> (this
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also will keep track of the Release version), and then
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<strong>swim</strong> can be used to fetch the architecture specific
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<em>Contents database</em> as shown below. It should also be of interest
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to note that Packages downloaded by either swim or apt can be used
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interchangeably by using 'cp -a' and 'gzip -d' or 'gzip -9'.
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<P>
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Here is a brief outline of the format required by <em>swimz.list</em>.
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<P>
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<strong>deb uri distribution [section ... ]</strong>
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<P>
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<strong>deb</strong> - represents a standard Debian distribution. And is
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simply written as deb or with the architecture appended
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(<strong>deb</strong> or <strong>deb-alpha</strong>).
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<P>
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<strong>uri</strong> - Universal Resource Identifier is exactly how you
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would enter an address into a web browser. This address is the base of a
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Debian distribution, generally this is right before the directory called
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``<em>dists</em>''. So if <em>dists</em> is found in
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<em>/stuff/pub/debian/dists</em>, and the site is
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<strong>somewhere.com</strong> then the uri would be
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<em>ftp://somewhere.com/stuff/pub/debian</em>.
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<P>
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<strong>distribution</strong> - This can be <em>unstable</em>,
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<em>frozen</em>, <em>stable</em>, <em>experimental</em>. Distribution can
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also be a path which must end with a slash like
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<em>unstable/binary-i386/</em>. This is used when there is no section as
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in the experimental distribution or in sites which do not have symlinks to
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the non-us section. No section would be mentioned in this situation.
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<P>
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<strong>section</strong> - <em>main</em>, <em>contrib</em>,
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<em>non-free</em>, <em>non-US</em> (write it this way).
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<P>
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<hr>
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<h2><A name="s6.7">
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6.7 SWIMZ.LIST EXAMPLES
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</A></h2>
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Examples (each on one line):
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<P>
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<strong>deb-alpha ftp://somewhere.com/stuff/pub/debian unstable main contrib non-US</strong>
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<P>
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This will fetch the alpha databases from somewhere.com for the unstable
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distribution for the main, contrib and non-US sections.
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<P>
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Note: In these next two examples you can not append any architecture to deb
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with a hyphen.
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<P>
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<strong>deb ftp://somewhere.com/stuff/pub/debian project/experimental/</strong>
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<P>
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This will fetch the experimental database, but there is not a
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Contents-(architecture) database for this distribution. Notice that it ends
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with a slash.
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<P>
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<strong>deb ftp://somewhere.com/stuff/pub/debian-non-US stable/binary-i386/</strong>
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<P>
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This will fetch the i386 databases for the stable distribution for non-us,
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<hr>
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<h2><A name="s-ftp">
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6.8 FTP OR APT?
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</A></h2>
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How you use major mode <strong>--ftp</strong> depends on your goals.
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Even if you are using <strong>apt</strong>, you may be interested in
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keeping tabs on different architectures. In this case you would have to
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download the <em>Packages databases</em> specific to these architectures.
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If you are only interested in the architecture which <strong>apt</strong>
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is interested in, then you only need to use <strong>--ftp</strong> to
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fetch the <em>Contents database(s)</em>. But, because it isn't a
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requirement to set up a virtual filesystem, you are not required to fetch
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the Contents database. The <strong>advantages</strong> of fetching the
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Contents database is determined by the method you choose to make the
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database (see <A href="ch-notinstalled.html">MAKING NOT-INSTALLED DATABASES
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, chapter 7</A>). These advantages include the
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ability to <em>view a listing of the files and directories</em> associated
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with a package, the ability to <em>query files and directories</em> to
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find out which packages relate to them, and the ability to perform a
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<em>powersearch</em> on all the files and directories to find the
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associated packages.
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<P>
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<hr>
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<h2><A name="s6.9">
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6.9 OPTIONS
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</A></h2>
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<strong>Remember:</strong> If you want to download a different
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distribution/architecture other than the default specified in your
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configuration file, you must specify this on the commandline.
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<P>
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<strong>--Packages</strong> determines where you want the Packages
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database as well as the Release data put when they are downloaded. The
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<strong>DF argument</strong> implies that the databases will be put in
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your default directory (see <code>swimrc(5)).</code> These databases can later
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be located by the major modes <strong>--initndb and --rebuildndb</strong>
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just by using <strong>DF</strong> as an argument. Alternatively, these
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databases can be put in any directory you choose by providing a
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<strong>directory as an argument</strong>.
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<P>
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<strong>--Contents</strong> determines where you want the
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<em>Content-(architecture)</em> <code>database(s)</code> put. (see
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--Packages).
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<P>
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<strong>--onec</strong> will download only one Contents-arch per
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distribution/architecture specified on the commandline or by default.
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<P>
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<strong>--Release_only</strong> will download only the Release data for
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the <em>swimz.list</em> or particular <em>Package(s)</em> mentioned on the
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command line.
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<P>
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<strong>--dists</strong> will only find the distribution which corresponds
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to the argument provided this option.
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<P>
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<strong>--arch</strong> will only find the architecture which corresponds
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to the argument provided this option. The different architecture needs to
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be specified in swimz.list with a hyphen and the architecture appended to
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deb (deb-(arch)).
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<hr>
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<h2><A name="s6.10">
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6.10 B. downloading the important databases with apt, and maintenance
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options.
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</A></h2>
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usage: <strong>swim --apt</strong>
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<P>
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options: <strong>[--update] [--clean] [--autoclean] [--check]</strong>
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<P>
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Please read <A href="#s-downimportant">A. downloading the important databases with --ftp.
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, section 6.1</A> for more information.
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<P>
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<strong>--update</strong> calls <strong>apt</strong> to download the
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Packages databases.
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<P>
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<strong>--clean</strong> is a call to an <strong>apt</strong> option to
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remove any packages stored in <strong>apt's</strong> storage area for
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downloaded packages. The default for this storage area is
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<em>/var/cache/apt/arhives</em>
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<P>
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<strong>--autoclean</strong> will only clean out packages which are not
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found in apt's cache.
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<P>
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<strong>--check</strong> tests and updates apt's cache.
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<hr>
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swim
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- <A href="index.html#copyright">
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Copyright <20> 1999 Jonathan D. Rosenbaum
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</A>
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<br>
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<A href="index.html#toc">Contents</A>; <A href="ch-notinstalled.html">next</A>; <A href="ch-makinginst.html">back</A>.
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<br>
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<address>15 June 1999<br>
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Jonathan D. Rosenbaum<A href="mailto:mttrader@access.mountain.net">mttrader@access.mountain.net</A></address>
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</body></html>
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