I would like to install a number of programs on the Pi including Code Blocks, BlueJ (java IDE) and also install some things to get the sound working. However, I do not have internet access on the Pi and so I cannot use apt-get and get it from the Pi store. So, my question is, if possible what is the correct procedure for installing an application on the Pi from a USB flash drive? Is there a way to download a compressed file of the app from the Pi store and save it to a removable drive? Please, don't tell me to connect it to the internet because even though that is the easiest and best way to do this I cannot at the time. Any ideas appreciated.
2 Answers
You're going to have to get access to the packages somehow, so the first question is how do you plan on doing that without Internet access?
If you can find the appropriate .deb file, you could copy it over and install it with dpkg -i debfilename.deb.
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The top level of the Raspbian repository (wheezy and jessie) is here; most stuff is alphabetized under "main". It's all
.debfiles. BlueJ is not packaged there (Code Blocks is), but there's a Raspbian specific version right on their front page.– goldilocks ♦May 27, 2015 at 14:57 -
I wan't to download the .deb files...I think thats what I need...in order to put on a USB stick and unpack and install on pi. I don't want parts of the OS but programs such as Code Blocks. The link above I don't understand...where are the apps? Sorry for the confusion.– NULLMay 27, 2015 at 15:04
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@NULL There is no distinction between parts of the OS and user programs, in terms of packaging. Both OS components such as inits, daemons, kernel images, etc, and applications such as CodeBlocks are available from the repository. May 27, 2015 at 20:55
There are many ways to install packages on machines without internet access.
If you have another computer (that has internet) and an ethernet patch cable, you can simply share your computer's internet connection to your RPi.
One example to get internet to your RPi is described here.
If you either cannot or do not want to get internet to your Pi, you'd have to download each of the packages's precompiled ARM binaries or their source and all of their dependencies, then install them using dpkg -i package.deb or the usual build instructions ./configure && make && make install.
To get the source, you can use apt-get source package-name to download it to your machine and then transfer it via external storage, or you could find their precompiled binaries elsewhere online.
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Great info! So, could I follow your procedure for any file with a .deb extension?– NULLMay 27, 2015 at 18:29
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1@NULL Yes, as long as you also have all dependencies for that deb already installed, or you provide them on that flash drive. May 27, 2015 at 20:53
apt-getand get it from the Pi store" -> Dunno if you meant or there, butapt-gethas nothing to do with the pi store. It's a Debian tool for retrieving things from Debian style repositories, which Raspbian uses. The Pi Store is something put together by the Pi Foundation; Raspbian is independent of this..debfiles, although it is a bit tedious and complicated (ask about this on Unix & Linux).