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+Installation methods for multiple binary CDs
+--------------------------------------------
+
+ This package provides three new methods to be used within dselect in
+ order to access Debian binary packages stored across multiple binary CD
+ ROMs. It will install itself into the methods directory from dselect
+ so the user will be able to use them immediately.
+
+ These are the three new methods:
+
+ . Multiple binary CD-ROMs
+
+ . Multiple binary CD-ROMs, accessed through NFS
+
+ . Multiple binary CD-ROMs, pre-mounted
+
+Acquiring package data
+---------------------
+
+ Since this method is derived from the 'mounted' method the user is
+ able to access up to five binary directories within 'dists/stable':
+
+ . main
+ . contrib
+ . non-free
+ . local
+
+ The selected method will try to read the 'Packages.cd' file from each
+ of these directories if it is available.
+
+Identifying the CD-ROM
+----------------------
+
+ A unique name is associated to each CD. This name should correspond
+ with the label on the front of the CD. The name is also available on
+ the CD, so the system can find out which CD is in the drive at any
+ time.
+
+Installing the files
+--------------------
+
+ At the beginning of the installation the 'multicd' package will sort
+ the list of to-be-installed packages and install them CD by CD. If a
+ different CD-ROM is required the user will be prompted to exchange
+ the CD-ROM.
+
+Preparing multiple binary CD-ROMs
+---------------------------------
+
+ Since the 'multicd' methods need to know which packages are on which
+ CD-ROMs one cannot use regular 'Packages' files. An additional data
+ field "X-Medium:" is required. The first CD-ROM from the set should
+ contain all 'Packages.cd' files. To be more convenient you should
+ include the 'Packages.cd' files on all CD-ROMs. This ensures that
+ you don't have to start with the first CD-ROM all the time.
+
+ Additionally the package needs to gain information which CD-ROM is
+ currently used. Thus each CD-ROM contains the file '.disk/info'
+ which contains the symbolic name for the CD-ROM as specified by
+ "X-Medium:".
+
+ In order to be able to create the modified 'Packages.cd' files, you
+ have to use the '-M medium' option of dpkg-scanpackages (supported
+ in dpkg-dev >= 1.15.5).
+
+ To split the 'main' distribution into two CD-ROMs you'll need to
+ create a 'Packages.cd' file for each 'binary-$arch' directory.
+ Afterwards you simply append the second one to the first one and
+ put the resulting 'Packages.cd' file into both 'binary-$arch'
+ directories.
+
+Sample Layout
+-------------
+
+ CD1 .disk/info = "Debian GNU/Linux binary-i386"
+ dists/stable/main/binary-all/
+ binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz
+ binary-i386/net/foo.deb
+ contrib/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz
+ non-free/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz
+
+ CD2 .disk/info = "Debian GNU/Linux contrib-i386"
+ dists/stable/main/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz
+ contrib/binary-all/
+ binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz
+ binary-i386/net/foo.deb
+ non-free/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz
+
+ CD3 .disk/info = "Debian GNU/Linux non-free-i386"
+ dists/stable/main/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz
+ contrib/binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz
+ non-free/binary-all/
+ binary-i386/Packages.cd.gz
+ binary-i386/net/foo.deb
+
+ To re-generate the Packages file you have to chdir into
+ 'dists/stable/$part' and issue 'dpkg-scanpackages' as follows. It's
+ assumed that you use regular compressed overrides files in
+ /pub/debian/indices.
+
+ CD1: dpkg-scanpackages -M "Debian GNU/Linux binary-i386" \
+ binary-i386 /pub/debian/indices/override.hamm.gz \
+ dists/stable/ > binary-i386/Packages
+
+ CD2: dpkg-scanpackages -M "Debian GNU/Linux contrib-i386" \
+ binary-i386 /pub/debian/indices/override.hamm.contrib.gz \
+ dists/stable/ > binary-i386/Packages
+
+ CD3: dpkg-scanpackages -M "Debian GNU/Linux non-free-i386" \
+ binary-i386 /pub/debian/indices/override.hamm.non-free.gz \
+ dists/stable/ > binary-i386/Packages
+
+Please direct comments to Martin Schulze <joey@infodrom.north.de>