How to use a .iso image as a CD-ROM Repository?

This question has already been answered as part of an answer to a different question: How to make USB drive as local repository

The easiest way to add the image as a software source is to burn it to a CD/DVD. You then need to go to System -> Administration -> Software Sources, click 'Other Software' and click 'Add CD-ROM...'.

If you want to use the ISO image as a software source without burning it, the process will be a bit more complicated. You will need to open a terminal Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal and run these commands:

sudo mkdir /aptoncd-mountpoint

sudo mount /media/USB/aptoncd.iso ~/aptoncd-mountpoint -oloop

sudo apt-cdrom -d=/aptoncd-mountpoint add

(source: http://www.debianhelp.org/node/10486)

Try this

mkdir /media/mountpoint  
mount -t iso9660 -o loop /pathtoiso.iso /media/mountpoint  

then add deb file:///media/mountpoint distro main contrib to /etc/sources.list with text editor and not with some GUI tool, then update from package manager.

The above steps didn't worked for me. Anyways I happened to work it out with the help of debian user list and it worked.

Here are the steps.

1. Assume you have the iso file in /home/iso-files/ folder. I had the debian-7.1.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso in /home/iso-files folder

2. Make a new folder in /media

   mkdir /media/dvd1-mountpoint
   

   you will have to run the above command as root

3. Run the following command as root

   mount ~/iso-files/debian-7.1.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso /media/dvd1-mountpoint -o loop 
   

4. Add an entry to /etc/fstab as follows

   ~/iso-files/debian-7.1.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso /media/dvd1-mountpoint iso9660 loop,ro,user,noauto 0       0
   

5. Make an entry in your /etc/apt/sources.list as follows

   deb file:/media/dvd1-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib
   

6. Comment out everything else in /etc/apt/sources.list by adding a # at the start of every entry. only the above line should be uncommented.

7. Run the following command as root

   apt-get update
   

8. Install any package name and now it should work.

   apt-get install somePackage
   

9. You can check if your entry in fstab is correct or not by unmounting the dvd and then directly mounting the mountpoint

   umount /media/dvd1-mountpoint
   mount /meida/dvd1-mountpoint
   

10. If you plan to automount the dvd at start up you should remove user,noauto from entry in /etc/fstab

The above steps are working just perfectly for me. It should work for you also! I know I am pretty late to answer you, but anyways!

sudo mount  ~/Desktop/ubuntu-12.04.3-desktop-i386.iso /media/apt
sudo apt-cdrom --no-mount -d=/media/apt add

This works.

I found the answer here: http://ubuntuguide.net/4-ways-to-upgrade-to-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhalonlineoffline (number 4).

Essentially, what it suggests is mounting the ISO as a CDROM. This probably fools the system into believing the ISO image is a real CD.

sudo mount -t iso9660 -o loop PATH/TO/ISO /cdrom

(I'm using this method to upgrade from 11.10 to 12.04 Alpha2, because it won't fit on a CD and for some reason my system isn't happy with USB drives.)

I method described by dv3500ea does not working now. (I think it worked in past). It displays a message like:

    W: Failed to mount '/dev/sr0' to '/media/apt/'
    E: Unable to locate any package files, perhaps this is not a Debian Disc or the wrong architecture?

I fount this workaround useful:

After doing dv3500ea's method's first two steps, (I write this again for user's convenience)

sudo mkdir /aptoncd-mountpoint
sudo mount /media/USB/aptoncd.iso /aptoncd-mountpoint -o loop

you should run this:

sudo ln -s /aptoncd-mountpoint /media/apt

If it gives you error, saying /media/apt does not exists, create one with this

sudo mkdir /media/apt

Then run the third command of dv5300ea's command(slightly changed):

sudo apt-cdrom add

This should perfectly work.

my :

mount -t iso9660 -o loop  /media/Disk1/debian-7.6.0-i386-DVD-1.iso /media/dvd1-mountpoint
mount -t iso9660 -o loop  /media/Disk1/debian-7.6.0-i386-DVD-2.iso /media/dvd2-mountpoint
mount -t iso9660 -o loop  /media/Disk1/debian-7.6.0-i386-DVD-3.iso /media/dvd3-mountpoint
mount -t iso9660 -o loop  /media/Disk1/debian-update-7.6.0-i386-DVD-1.iso /media/dvd4-mountpoint
mount -t iso9660 -o loop  /media/Disk1/debian-update-7.6.0-i386-DVD-2.iso /media/dvd5-mountpoint

echo "deb file:/media/dvd1-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list
echo "deb file:/media/dvd2-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list
echo "deb file:/media/dvd3-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list
echo "deb file:/media/dvd4-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list
echo "deb file:/media/dvd5-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list

echo "deb http://packages.dotdeb.org wheezy all" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list

wget http://www.dotdeb.org/dotdeb.gpg
cat dotdeb.gpg | apt-key add -

apt-get update    
apt-get upgrade
apt-get autoremove

Slight change to this, helped me get it working especially in a amd64/i386 mixed environment.

** Instead of using the mount command I just permanently mounted the iso in /etc/fstab **

mount -t iso9660 -o loop  /media/Disk1/debian-7.6.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso /media/dvd1-mountpoint
mount -t iso9660 -o loop  /media/Disk1/debian-7.6.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso /media/dvd2-mountpoint
mount -t iso9660 -o loop  /media/Disk1/debian-7.6.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso /media/dvd3-mountpoint 
mount -t iso9660 -o loop  /media/Disk1/debian-7.6.0-i386-DVD-1.iso /media/dvd4-mountpoint
mount -t iso9660 -o loop  /media/Disk1/debian-7.6.0-i386-DVD-2.iso /media/dvd5-mountpoint
mount -t iso9660 -o loop  /media/Disk1/debian-7.6.0-i386-DVD-3.iso /media/dvd6-mountpoint

echo "deb [arch=amd64] file:/media/dvd1-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list
echo "deb [arch=amd64] file:/media/dvd2-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list
echo "deb [arch=amd64] file:/media/dvd3-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list
echo "deb [arch=i386] file:/media/dvd4-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list
echo "deb [arch=i386] file:/media/dvd5-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list
echo "deb [arch=i386] file:/media/dvd6-mountpoint/ wheezy main contrib" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list

echo "deb http://packages.dotdeb.org wheezy all" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dotdeb.list

wget http://www.dotdeb.org/dotdeb.gpg
cat dotdeb.gpg | apt-key add -

apt-get update    
apt-get upgrade
apt-get autoremove

Salam

Personal Repositories in Ubuntu: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/Personal

to add mount point to sourcelist add

deb file:/aptoncd-mountpoint

in general:

deb file:/usr/local/mydebs ./

< Alexare asked: I have all images of Debian, Ubuntu and Ubuntustudio as .iso. How can I use them as repository to install my desired packages with sudo apt-get install package-name? >

my answer:

I open the iso file with file-roller, extract from there the directories '.../dists/' and '.../pool/' to an empty directory (on a hard disk or extraible media, e.g. usb stick) and add to /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb file:/path_to/that_directory distro main [contrib]

Then I open aptitude as root and update the source

Done.

You can add on the media and in sources.list more then one of these files.

Probe it if you like with 'apt-get' instead using aptitude, I don't know if that works.