I've always installed Ubuntu desktop (many versions and flavors) with a decent internet connection, but now I find myself preparing for my first-ever server install (13.04 chosen for the need of Grizzly), in a place without broadband. I therefore wish to prepare for installing everything from media, which I would download before I wander off to the Boonies.
How can I download all the files I would need for a complete Open Stack install, on a single machine, before I leave the blue blanket of my broadband connection?
Once downloaded and a basic install performed, would I install additional packages needed by apt after revising /etc/apt/sources.lst to point to where the Big Pile o' Files be, or would I manually install each with dpkg, or, on the Gripping Hand, do it in a way I do not yet recognize?
I would just install the packages I wanted before moving in that circumstance. This might be useful if you can download packages elsewhere, save them to a flash drive, then copy to your Big Pile o' Files.
Lucky for you, someone has already figured it out:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AptGet/Offline/Repository/
And another thread for reference:
How can I install software or packages without Internet (offline)?