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cAPTain

Lightweight, standalone RESTful HTTP server for distributing Debian packages

cAPTain is a simple, lightweight HTTP server for storing and distributing custom Debian packages around your organisation. It is designed to make it as easy as possible to use Debian packages for code deployments and to ease other system administration tasks.

Each cAPTain instance is a HTTP APT repo - simpy point a /etc/apt/sources.list entry at your instance for instant package distribution!

Why use cAPTain?

  • Zero configuration -- just start uploading your packages using HTTP PUT.
  • Integrates better into the Debian system over dpkg -i, especially in automatically resolving dependencies and repository pinning.
  • Supports an arbitrary number of repositories - one cAPTain instance can keep your "live" and "staging" packages from each other, as well as separating your own backports or forks.
  • Older package versions are be automatically deleted/rotated, keeping repository size manageable whilst still allowing downgrades.
  • Packages are automatically GPG signed, improving security as well as preventing annoying warnings. Key distribution is built-in - no need to store your public key elsewhere.
  • No configuring heavyweight solutions such as dak , provisioning a separate HTTP server, and stringing together arcane dpkg commands.

Quick start

  1. Start the server with:

    $ ./captaind

  2. In another terminal, upload your package:

    $ curl --upload-file my-package.deb http://127.0.0.1:3333/reponame

    Tip

    reponame can any arbitrary repository name. If it doesn't exist, cAPTain will automatically create it for you.

  3. Configure your sources.list:

    $ echo 'deb http://127.0.0.1:3333 reponame main' >> /etc/apt/sources.list

  4. Save your cAPTain instance's GPG key:

    $ curl http://127.0.0.1:3333 > /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/server.gpg

  5. Install your packages:

    $ apt-get update
$ apt-get install my-package

Miscellaneous

Uploading multiple files

Each upload will refresh the repository from scratch. However, you can save some processing time for large repos by skipping refreshing the repo until the end by POSTing to the repo URL:

for X in *.deb; do
    curl --upload-file ${X} http://127.0.0.1:3333/reponame?refresh_repo=0
done

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3333/reponame

Removing versions

Versions are automatically rotated, but to manually remove a specific version, first just locate and remove that file:

$ rm /path/to/dists/reponame/.../python-bcrypt_0.4-1_amd64.deb

Then refresh that repository:

$ curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:3333/reponame

Uploading via a pipe

To upload using curl from a pipe, ensure you use --data-binary:

$ curl -X PUT --data-binary @- http://127.0.0.1:3333/reponame < my-package.deb

Creating a new GPG key

cAPTain ships with a dummy key for getting started quickly. To create your own key, run:

$ gpg --homedir=/path/to/gpg-home --gen-key

Choose all the defaults, making sure not to specify a passphrase.

Links

Homepage/documentation:
https://apt-captain.readthedocs.org/
View/download code
https://github.com/thread/captain
File a bug
https://github.com/thread/captain/issues