Seriously though: How often do you install from local directory?
Every time I test one of my package releases before uploading it to sources.redhat.com. Heck, I even locally test package installation before putting them on my cygutils/testing site!
And when I'm on dialup. Unless the new-n-improved setup supports resume, I prefer to download using wget -c when I'm on an unreliable connection. Too many times I've waited half an hour for, oh, binutils, and then setup complains about a download glitch, and erases the partially downloaded file. Note that this is NOT a high priority fix for setup: if it can't do resumable downloads, there are ways around that -- that's what local repos are FOR, after all: when you need to download via some other method or machine.
It should *only* be used when there is no network connection available.
Or when your network connection sucks. Or when you're developing local packages for eventual 'setup-ability'.
--Chuck
