Daily images (with non-free firmware included) available from here:
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/un...ding-firmware/

You could install Debian on an external drive and transport that to an online box and boot it from there to install, update/upgrade packages.

Or even a copy of your install on a usb stick. Slow in my experience. A live session with persistence is faster and you can upgrade it too.

This will put the upgraded packages in /var/cache/apt/archives. Copy that file to your install and you could upgrade and install packages that way too.

I think they are weekly images.

Methinks apt-offline is broken.

I tried using apt-offline from the latest Jessie as I said I would. I saw exactly the same 3rd hurdle symptoms. I have come to the conclusion that apt-offline does not work anymore. I aim to file a bug report with apt-offline's bug reporting system in a few days when I get around to it.

It's not possible for me to use anything other than windows to connect to the 'net, so connecting with cloned systems is not going to work for me.


Nobody seems to offer DVD-4 for Wheezy 7.8. On reflection, it also seems quite stupid to download 3 DVDs to just install the header files for 2 very simple and basic libraries. I have also become aware that the kernel sources are not on the first Debian DVD, this increases the volume of the warning bells that tell me Debian is not for me.

I had chosen Debian because of apt-offline. I now do not think apt-offline has worked for some time. The simpler alternatives to apt-offline seem to require an initial connection to be web to obtain the update list, which isn't going to happen. I am therefore giving up on Debian for a while.


.

I have not touched Slackware since 7.1; but I am going to give Slackware a second chance. Perhaps it's slim package management system will reduce my offline problem.


*EDIT: Grrr, there are no weekly, or even yearly isos for Slackware, the DVD's are all sooooo old -useless!*

*EDIT2: Ah, after reading everywhere that they don't exist, I found alienbase*

Just tried it here on an isolated squeeze vm and doing the download on another debian box and it works as advertised.
Either you're doing it wrong or there is something wrong with the windows step or client.

I think the problem may be using the jessie version of apt-offline in a wheezy system -- try it again with the wheezy version and read the "don't suffer from shiny new stuff" bit in my signature link:
https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDeb...Stuff_Syndrome

My most recent attempt was pure jessie. I should have been clearer, but I did say:


Just to clarify, this vm had never seen an apt 'update'? and never otherwise seen any package list?
I expect things will work smoothly once a system has got a first package list. My problem was errors when trying to install the first package list obtained per-instructions. If it works from scratch with debian-debian, that is quite interesting.

If you were feeling energetic, you could try installing one of the update .zips I obtained on windows and see if it messes up your vm with the same error messages I printed above. But if Slackware does what I want, it would be academic now.
for wheezie_down zip 10M
for jessie_down zip 34k


They only supply isos for release builds. The latest release build is dated 2013-11-07, that is ridiculous. It's not just a case of shinny stuff; I would actually like a new kernel and recent libraries if I am installing and can't upgrade.

I solved the problem in Edit2. Hard to find, but the very nice person at alienbase.nl does offer 3rd partly current Slackware isos. Combined with Slackbuilds.org it might suit me better. Thanks for your interest and help. I should know later today...