how to use bash to feed packages to apt a group at a time

Usermaxn

7/11/24, 7:15 PM

I need to feed apt a group of packages at a time.

I need to know how to do the following psuedo code in a bash function:

for every 5 packages in package list {
    apt install -y 5 packages ;
    sleep 10
}

Edit: the reason I need to do this is that, during setup stage, the daemon server throws an error and causes a timeout if there is more than 5 packages. this leads to most packages having broken installations. I would have to run apt install 40 times due to the large number of installs. that is why I ask this question.

1 + 3

apt

bash

pLumo

7/11/24, 7:25 PM

To avoid downvotes, you should add more details, especially why do you need to do this. For me it seems like this is a [XY-Problem](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/66377/what-is-the-xy-problem).

steeldriver

7/11/24, 8:15 PM

What "daemon server" exactly? Are you connecting to repositories directly, or via a proxy? What error is thrown, and what part of the operation times out?

Usermaxn

8/5/24, 1:47 PM

it was the freedict packages. the unpacking stage would throw an error about some server.

Score:2

Ubuntu

pLumo

7/11/24, 7:22 PM

use xargs

xargs -a package_list_file -n 5 apt install -y

If you need the sleep, you can use sh -c:

xargs -a package_list_file -n 5 sh -c 'apt install -y "$@"; sleep 10' xargs-sh

+ 0

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