Download cache and cleanup

Debark keeps downloaded .deb files in a local cache called the object store. Later builds reuse matching files from the store, including downloads made for other bundles.

You don’t need to enable caching. A bundle still contains all the files its target needs, so it can be copied and used independently of the cache.

How downloads are reused

Each cached file is identified by its SHA-256 checksum, which is calculated from its contents. When a build needs a file with that checksum, Debark can reuse the cached copy.

A matching download is skipped. A new package version or a missing cached file is downloaded. The build may still need internet access to check repositories and resolve the package request.

Where the store lives

On Linux, the default is ~/.local/share/debark/store, or under XDG_DATA_HOME when set. Windows uses %LOCALAPPDATA%\debark\store.

Use store_dir in the configuration to choose another location. DEBARK_STORE changes the default location when no configured store directory is set. The store commands also accept --store PATH.

For CI, keep this directory between jobs if you want to reuse downloads.

See what is cached

debark store ls

The listing shows package names, versions, architectures, sizes, and checksums. User-supplied objects are marked separately because cleanup protects them.

Refresh an existing bundle

build --update refreshes apt indexes and selects current versions for the request. It reuses cached files where possible and removes superseded bundle files, subject to the pruning rules.

--no-prune keeps superseded files. Retained files that aren’t in the current apt index appear in last-run-unreferenced.txt. They take up space but aren’t made available to apt by that index.

See refreshing bundles for the full workflow.

Reclaiming space with store gc

Pass the bundles whose cached files you want to keep, and preview cleanup first:

debark store gc --dry-run ./bundle-current ./bundle-lab

After reviewing the list, run the same command without --dry-run to remove the listed objects.

Include every bundle whose downloads you want to retain. Debark does not keep a registry of all your bundles. With no bundle arguments, cleanup protects only user-supplied objects and removes other cached objects.

Cleanup changes the store, not existing bundle folders. An already assembled bundle remains usable; a later rebuild may need to download removed objects again.

Disk space and offline installation

The store and bundle are separate locations. Debark uses hardlinks where possible and copies otherwise, so allow enough disk space for a full bundle copy.

On the offline machine, apt skips packages already installed at the selected version. Use --upgrade to include the bundle’s additional upgrade set. See installing a bundle.