Dale's Random Ramblings ;-)

Consider: You have a host you like or at least its close too. You have another you would like to replicate the installed package set on.

APT – Is a front end to dselect and dpkg

Do this to functionally replicate it…
On you favorite host

$ dpkg –get-selections > myfavs.selections

file name is totally arbitrary

Check out the text file, it’s just a simple list with install / deinstall

Here is a snippet:

apt						install
apt-utils					install
aptitude					install
aspell						install
aspell-en					install
at						install

There is no header info or anything clever just a list.

Maybe you will need to copy your sources (and othe apt conf stuff) as well.? At least line up the repositories and levels.

Now transfer that file(s) to your (same distro) target unit. Save it somewhere you can read it. then: (with admin permissions)

# dpkg –set-selections < myfavs.selections

You can repeat the first get-selections if you want to check (diff -u) but next you do this:

# apt-get dselect-upgrade

Done.

It’s possible to convert a Debian box to an Ubuntu box this way and visa versa though its gunna break something…