Hi
I am using ubuntu 8.04.When I install software from internet then files are downloaded to /var/cache/apt/archives so i keep those debian files in safe place so that I can install that software on another stand-alone computer.
MY question
When we run 'apt-get update' for first time after fresh install it downloads some files.
Can i store those files & point to them for a networkless computer which has no internet ?
If this is possible it will allow me to 'apt-get check' on stand-alone computer to see if any package is not proper.
Thank You.

There are ways to use one computer as a software repository to use for another computer.
You can use apt-move to make a CD of the packages you have downloaded so you can then install them on another computer:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AptMoveHowto
You can also use apt on CD for this:
http://aptoncd.sourceforge.net/
If you computers are on a home network, you can use apt-cacher so one computer can serve as a network repository for other computers on the network:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Apt-Cacher-Server
http://www.debuntu.org/how-to-set-up...ith-apt-cacher
I have never actually done any of this myself. I have just read about them and know they exist.
Remember, just running sudo apt-get update does not actually install any software. It just updates the repositories in your /etc/apt/sources.list to sync with what is current on the Ubuntu repos. You have to actually install the software to get the packages you want onto your system.

Actually I know that 'apt-get update' means OS gets list of available software & their dependencies so that when user uses 'apt-get install software' then it knows whether software is available & what needs to be downloaded.
I want to say that
If i download the files that 'apt-get update' does then where should I put them on stand-alone computer so that OS thinks files are already present so no need of downloading & utilizes them.What do you say?

OH

so, your saying you just want the OS to recognize that the list's have been updated?

you could simply copy the whole /etc/apt folder to the other PC's /etc
it would overwrite everything in the other PC's apt folder though..

But, I'm not sure if that would do it so wait for more experienced Members to help too

You should put the files in
Take a look at
http://jedrm.wordpress.com/2006/09/1...h-no-internet/
for a guide how to install packages on a computer with no internet

Copying the /etc/apt folder will only copy the conf files like sources list and preferences.

I ran 'apt-get update' with network enabled then I turned off network connection & ran 'apt-get install-essential' so that I can know what debian files are needed.It said to update 2 & install 7 new packages but after 4 fetched failed it gave up.I want to get all 9 debian file links.How can I do that?

The correct syntax is
What do you want to install?
essential is no package

sorry my typo.I ran as root

apt-get install build-essential

My question is how can we get list of links to download for required software.?
As has been mentioned above command with disabled network only tried 4 packages instead of 9 which it downloads if I am connected.

For dapper
http://packages.ubuntu.com/dapper/build-essential

You are pointing me to package 'build-essential' while my intention is to get a command which specifies links of debian file needed to install any software I specify.As shown above apt-get install does not do that.

tip to get links of needed debian files
(1)apt-get install SoftwareName
with disabled internet
is best bet to find the debian files needed to install.
(2)apt-get install SoftwareName --no-download
so that even if computer is online you can still abort downloading when prompted.

TIP for all
I get packages.gz & sources.gz from http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/ of my distro .
store them in corresponding folder /root/main,universe,restricted,multiverse.
Then I add line to /etc/apt/sources.list
deb file:/root main/
deb-src file:/root main/
comment all other lines (except cdrom because from it you can install build-essential,dpkg-dev etc.)if your computer has no internet(that is why we are setting up repository on our pc).
Now Run
apt-get update > /dev/null
If you don't get error then you can use
apt-get install softwareName
to get links of needed debian files.

I get packages.gz from binary-i386 folder but don't know significance of folder debian-installer.
Backport means the packages your distro has allowed on previous version.i think ?