Ubuntu QA:
BlogBrainstormPackage status
Log in
Ubuntu QA
The Ubuntu community has contributed 16602 ideas, 102352 comments, 2137701 votes
Idea sandbox Idea sandbox
Popular ideas Popular ideas
Ideas in development Ideas in development
Implemented ideas Implemented ideas
Idea #10178: Lets make updates faster and smaller!

bug This idea is a duplicate of Idea #13: Delta (patch based) updates.
Written by mmat2 the 22 Jun 08 at 17:10. Category: System. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
Why don't we make updates for Ubuntu faster and smaller? Each time system is updated, whole packages are downloaded, even when only one file in package was modified! And what happens when package is about 100MB large? Yes, the whole package is downloaded... It's wasting time and bytes!

In Fedora package manager, Yum, there is a plugin called Presto. It downloads only changed part of package (since last update) in special kind of RPM (package format used by Fedora) - Delta RPM. We can develop something similar to Presto.

To do this, we will have to modify APT and create new, special repositories with special DEBs. Yes, we will need some time to do this but I think it will be worth it!

Sorry for my terrible English. I'm from Poland.

256
votes
closed
Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #10178
Written by mmat2 the 22 Jun 08 at 17:10.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #10178 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

Propose your solution

Attachments
spec Blueprint apt-sync: Ubuntu


Duplicates


Comments
droetker wrote on the 22 Jun 08 at 17:49
dupe.

kacperg333 wrote on the 22 Jun 08 at 20:38
Yeah, it's a good idea. I've thought about it sometime. Someone should do something with that.

fordplay wrote on the 22 Jun 08 at 21:49
Defiantly need to start using something like delta. Also the download manager should download over http and bit torrent at the same time. This will speed up downloads and reduce costs for the ubuntu team.

Eldmannen wrote on the 22 Jun 08 at 21:52
My 100 mbit/s Internet connection is so awesome.
Downloading updates at 5-9 mbyte/s is great.

smartboyathome wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 00:25
The problem with this is what if you have not updated in say, a couple weeks? Then you have to download and apply each version in order not to break anything.

gmatht wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 03:44
See: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/apt-sync

master5o1 wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 05:52
Is Delta RPM shortened to DPM or DRM? XD

slymi2005 wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 06:08
This is a fantastic idea as it would greatly reduce the time it takes to do updates. This has been one of the few problems I've had with Ubuntu as it simply doesn't make sense to download an entire package again when only a portion is being updated.

yussri wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 06:50
This really is very good idea , specially when using slow internet connections it will save hours of download & put much less pressure on the server side , so Yes

mmat2 wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 08:34
@smartboyathome: I've thought about it. I think that modified APT should download all partial DEBs, merge them and then apply it. But before it should check that if update using partial packages won't be bigger than normally...

@master5o1: Delta RPM -> DRPM ;-)

@gmatht: Look when was this page updated - 2 years ago. Following the links took me to page which was updated year ago.

@fordplay: Partial DEBs and BitTorrent downloads? Looks nice - updates in a few seconds...

Auzy wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 09:19
I think the discussions should be moved to:
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/13/

Please check for dupes next time..

mmat2 wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 09:29
Oh, sorry for duplicate. I was checking for dupes, but I didn't find them...

Vadim P. wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 12:26
The delta idea for .debs is known

jrusinek wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 15:08
openSUSE has fastest updates I ever saw. DeltaRPMs and "patches" are applied.

For example my last update contained 37 packages and whole process took 15 minutes. Great, isn't it :) ?

Vadim P. wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 16:14
Not really, because if you use the 'select best server' thing in ubuntu, you get download speeds of up to 600kb/s (or more depending where you are), and they all apply very, very quickly. I had an 80mb update that was done total in under 2 mins.

Craig73 wrote on the 25 Jun 08 at 13:37
Multiple people have commented this is a dub - so why isn't this linked to the other idea as a dup?

Knurhiem wrote on the 30 Jun 08 at 03:01
The problem where I live is not the speed, here in Australia we use the damned "Download Quota". Smaller updates would be wonderful here. As an aside, it is funny how ISPs here promote their services for their awesome speed, when the download quota is very limited.

chipbennett wrote on the 1 Jul 08 at 16:06
This idea is listed as a Proposed Duplicate for Idea #13:
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/13/

Its status is "Pending Approval"


Post your comment