For those looking to install Ubuntu without a high speed internet connection, a set of DVDs with the entire contents of the repositories would be a great tool. The idea being that armed with the DVDs, you really don’t need a net connection for retrieving any packages, since between the DVDs you have every package that is present in the software repositories.
Though there is no “official” set of DVDs, one can find such DVD sets for sale at some shops online. The catch is, of course, that the DVD sets are expensive. Why pay for something that is free? Ubuntu is 100% free, and we like it that way.
I just ran across some detailed instructions to create a set of Ubuntu DVDs. In fact, it is one better than a set of detailed instructions - it is script that you can use to create such DVDs. A few months ago I had started on writing a bunch of commands in python that would do the job - but never got done. The “How-To Make Ubuntu DVDs Including Main, the Universe and Everything” article seems to use some Ruby scripts. I know little about Ruby, but as long as the task is completed, the programming language matters little.
The script promises to generate 4 DVD images (.iso files), and might require as much as 30 GB of hard disk space. I usually try out the tips I post here first - but this time, since I don’t have 30 GB of hard disk space to spare, I have not been able to try this technique. I have a tight budget - with a laptop, I really can’t have all the HDD space I want
So it would be great if some of you could try this one out, and let me know how it goes.