How to quickly create a local apt repository for random packages using a Debian based linux distribution?

This should be distinguished from the situation where you're trying to replicate a full package tree from an official repository and fine tuning sources priority. Random packages mean virtual packages, packages which are compiled locally or copied in a piecemeal fashion for testing purposes. Here's a simple setup based on now obsolete documentation.

First, make a directory to host the packages:

mkdir <packagedir>

Then move your .deb package files there. Execute this command from the directory above the one we just created (make sure permissions allow this!):

dpkg-scanpackages packagedir | gzip > packagedir/Packages.gz

Now create a file with extension .list in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ with the contents:

deb [trusted=yes] file:///path_to_dir_above_packagedir packagedir/

and update the apt database:

apt-get update

At this point the packages in our local repository can be installed like any other package using apt-get install <packagename>. When new packages are added to the local repository, the prescribed dpkg-scanpackages command must be issued again to update the Packages.gz file and apt must be updated before the new packages are made available. Hopefully this can be useful for testing purposes.

If you want to create a repo with the full structure that you need for tools like debootstrap, the simplest way I've found is:

1. Create a repository directory.

   # mkdir -p /opt/debian/conf
   

2. Create an /opt/debian/conf/distributions file with contents like this (adjust as appropriate for the distribution you're using):

   Label: Local APT repository
   Codename: jessie
   Architectures: amd64
   Components: main
   Description: Local APT repository for debootstrap
   

3. Import your package with reprepro:

   # reprepro -b /opt/debian includedeb jessie /path/to/package.db
   

4. Import a bunch of packages with a shell for-loop, e.g.. everything from your APT cache:

   # cd /var/cache/apt/archives
   # for DEB in *.deb
   do
       reprepro -b /opt/debian includedeb jessie "$DEB"
   done
   

This will create an unsigned archive.  It can be used with debootstrap with the --no-check-gpg option.

Though a similar answer already exist and several similar answers are there on AU also, I am posting this answer to recommend the use of apt-ftparchive instead of dpkg-scanpackages

Why apt-ftparchive instead of dpkg-scanpackages?

• dpkg-scanpackages command is provided by dpkg-dev package which doesn't come with installation image of distribution, as per my observation, it may not be installed on your machine. You will first need to install dpkg-dev package to avail dpkg-scanpackages command. And the aim of setting up local repository is usually to manage software packages offline, on a machine which is not connected to internet. Whereas apt-ftparchive command is provided by apt-utils which comes with the usual installation image of the distribution. So, you don't need to install any extra packages.

• Since we are about to do package-management using apt instead of dpkg, why not use apt for scanning packages also? :)

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How to setup APT local repository?

Step 1: Create a directory in which you'll put your debs.

$ mkdir ~/apt-local-repository

Step 2: Add your local directory to the top of repositories' list at /etc/apt/sources.list

$ head -n 1 /etc/apt/sources.list
deb [trusted=yes] file:/home/pandya/apt-local-repository/ ./

• Note that if you'll not set [trusted=yes], you'll need to set --allow-unauthenticated argument while installing packages through apt.

• The line is added to the top of repositories' list to give it highest priority. If you add it to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ instead, apt will try to install it from online repository (as defined at /etc/apt/sources.list) giving your local repository less priority.

Step 3: Put your debs to ~/apt-local-repository

Step 4: Indexing package list using aptftparchive

$ cd ~/apt-local-repository/; apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages

Step 5: Update the apt index/database using sudo apt update

Done. Now you can install your deb package using sudo apt install <packagename>. Just repeat steps 3 to 5 every-time you change your local database.

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Useful tips:

• You can run apt-cache policy </packagename> to investigate whether APT is recognizing your local deb package and giving it highest priority

• You can run sudo apt-get --print-uris install <packagename> to check whether all dependencies are satisfied or you need to download any extra packages. Also it will list urls while would be i) ftp:// for your local repository of the packages you have and/or ii) http:// for dependency packages you need to download.