Bug#913389: installation-guide: Updating advice for choosing a network mirror (Section 6.3.5.1.3)
Control: tags -1 + pending
Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk> wrote:
> On Sat, 2018-11-10 at 11:52 +0000, Brian Potkin wrote:
> > Package: installation-guide
> > Severity: normal
> > Tags: d-i patch
> >
> >
> >
> > The present "6.3.5.1.3. Choosing a network mirror" at
> >
> > https://www.debian.org/releases/testing/i386/install.txt.en
> >
> > has four paragraphs. Each paragraph is treated separately in what
> > follows and the proposals are based on #797340, #907704 and the daily
> > i386 testing netinst for 2018-11-09.
> >
> > Paragraph 1
> > -----------
> > Split into two for readability. There should probably be a link to
> > deb.debian.org.
> >
> > ======================= Patch begins =======================================
> >
> > If you have selected to use a network mirror during the installation (optional
> > for CD/DVD/USB installs, required for netboot images), you will be presented with a
> > list of geographically nearby (and therefore hopefully fast) network mirrors
> > based upon your country selection earlier in the installation process. Choosing
> > the offered default is usually fine.
> >
> > The offered default is deb.debian.org, which does not have packages itself, but
> > the name has SRV records in the DNS that lets apt find places that do, and then apt
> > is redirected to an up-to-date and (hopefully) fast host. Note that this mirror also
> > supports TLS and is under the umbrella of the Debian System Administration (DSA) team.
> >
> > ======================= Patch ends =========================================
>
> This seems to go into more technical detail than is necessary, and the
> use of long parentheticals makes it hard to read. I would like to
> suggest a shorter explanation:
>
> --- BEGIN ---
> Unless you chose not to use a network mirror, you will be presented
> with a list of network mirrors based upon your country selection
> earlier in the installation process. Choosing the offered default is
> usually fine.
>
> The offered default is deb.debian.org, which is not a mirror itself but
> will redirect to a mirror that should be up-to-date and fast. These
> mirrors support TLS (https protocol). This service is maintained by the
> Debian System Administration (DSA) team.
> --- END ---
>
> - Not using a network mirror is very unusual, so I worded the first
> sentence accordingly rather than going into detail.
> - "Redirection" is not very precise but is far more likely to be
> understood than "SRV record".
> - From reading the bug log, I think that TLS is not supported by all
> mirrors behind deb.debian.org, but if you try to use it you will only
> hit mirrors that do support it.
> - "TLS" is not as widely understood as the (strictly obsolete) "SSL".
> Adding a mention of "https" should make this clearer.
>
> > Paragraph 2
> > -----------
> > There isn't any facility to specify a mirror by hand. This paragraph is
> > redundant if this is intentional.
>
> I have a daily image from October 26th which prompts again for country
> before the mirror selection. The option to specify a mirror by hand is
> at the top of the country list.
>
> > Paragraph 3
> > -----------
> > I don't know anything about IPv6. If deb.debian.org is IPv6-capable it
> > could be mentioned in the second half of the first paragraph.
> >
> > ======================= Patch begins =======================================
> >
> > The offered default is deb.debian.org, which does not have packages itself, but
> > the name has SRV records in the DNS that lets apt find places that do, and then apt
> > is redirected to an up-to-date and (hopefully) fast host. Note that this mirror also
> > supports TLS and takes into account the protocol you connect to it with (if you use
> > IPv6, it will refer you to an IPv6-capable mirror). deb.debian.org is under the
> > umbrella of the Debian System Administration (DSA) team.
> >
> > ======================= Patch ends =======================================
>
> --- BEGIN ---
> The offered default is deb.debian.org, which is not a mirror itself but
> will redirect to a mirror that should be up-to-date and fast. These
> mirrors support TLS (https protocol) and IPv6. This service is
> maintained by the Debian System Administration (DSA) team.
> --- END ---
>
> I.e. add "and IPv6" to the second sentence.
>
> > Paragraph 4
> > -----------
> > Appears to be redundant.
>
> Definitely - httpredir.debian.org is now a deprecated alias for
> deb.debian.org.
This has not been applied in time for Buster, sorry.
Now committed. Thanks
Tagging this bug as pending.
Holger
--
Holger Wansing <hwansing@mailbox.org>
PGP-Fingerprint: 496A C6E8 1442 4B34 8508 3529 59F1 87CA 156E B076
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