update a network of ubuntu desktops from a server

Question

I need to update 100+ workstations that run ubuntu.

The problem is that i want them to download the packages from a local server so that they don't use to much internet bandwidth.

I net a kind of caching proxy for this that downloads a specific package only once an than distributes it to all the workstation.

Zoredache · Accepted Answer · 2009-05-04T02:30:46.310

6

There are many available tools

You can even simply install a simple cache like squid and simply adjust the maximum_object_size so it will cache larger files like the package updates.

edited May 04 '09 at 02:30

answered May 04 '09 at 02:25

Zoredache

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Yes, I think putting a cacheing proxy like squid in place is an all-round beneficial solution. – Brent May 04 '09 at 03:30
I have used apt-proxy and it hangs from time to time – nicudotro May 04 '09 at 16:07

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered May 04 '09 at 02:26

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I recommend approx over the alternatives, as it tends to fail the least.

answered May 04 '09 at 02:26

womble

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I haven't used approx before, how well does it handle clients using different releases? – Zoredache May 04 '09 at 02:32
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It looks, from the client side, like apt-proxy (acts exactly like a regular Debian/Ubuntu repository, just on a different port by default), so it handles different releases perfectly. It's been a lot more reliable for me, though (no need to restart it every couple of days, like I had to with current apt-proxy releases). – womble May 04 '09 at 03:12

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered May 06 '09 at 12:37

I'd recommend apt-cacher, it won't create a full mirror of the entire repository but instead will download and retain anything someone requests though it. It will also stream directly to the first user, so there's no unnecessary wait. It's also a lot more stable than apt-proxy.

Also has a nice web reporting interface so you can check its actually working and how much bandwidth you're saving.

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Jun 04 '09 at 08:07

A slightly alternative system is to use debmirror to make a complete mirror of the distributions you want. It takes more disk space and the initial download is a little heavy, but you can keep it up to date over night and then you won't have to wait when you want to download new packages in the future. I've also found it slightly more reliable than using the proxy server.

update a network of ubuntu desktops from a server

4 Answers4