Re: RFDisscusion: Big Packages.gz and Statistics and Comparing solution
>>>>> " " == zhaoway <zw@debian.org> writes:
> [A quick reply. And thanks for discuss with me! And no need to
> Cc: me anymore, I updated my DB info.]
> On Sun, Jan 07, 2001 at 05:51:26PM +0100, Goswin Brederlow
> wrote:
>> The problem is that people want to browse descriptions to find
>> a package fairly often or just run "apt-cache show package" to
>> see what a package is about. So you need a method to download
>> all descriptions.
> The big Packages.gz is still there. No conflict between the two
> method. And the newest, most updated information is always on
> freshmeat.net. ;)
>> As far as I see theres no server support needed for rsync
>> support to operate better on compressed files.
> Um, I don't know. But doesn't RSYNC need a server side RSYNC to
> run? Or, can I expect a HTTP server to provide RSYNC? (Maybe I
> am stupid, I'll read RSYNC man page, later.)
Yes, eigther rsyncd or rshd/sshd needs to be running. But thats
already the case.
What I ment was that the new feature to uncompress archives before
rsyncing can (hoepfully) be done without any changes to existing
servers and without unpacking on the server side. All old servers
should do fine. Thats what I aim to archive.
>> If you update often, saving 1 Byte every time is worth it. If
>> you update seldomely, it doesn't realy matter that you download
>> a big Packages.gz. You would have to downlaod all the small
>> Packages.gz files also.
> There is an approach to help this. But that is another
> story. Later.
>> So you see, between potato and woody diff saves about 60%.
>> Also note that rsync usually performs better than cvs, since it
>> does not include the to be removed lines in the download.
> Pretty sounding argument. My only critic on DIFF or RSYNC now
> is just server support now. (Again, I'll read RSYNC man page
> later. ;-)
> The point is, can a storage server which provides merely HTTP
> and/or FTP service do the job for apt-get?
Nope, but rsync servers already exist. Time to push people to convert
their services by pushing the users to use them.
Also think of the benefit when updating. With some extra code on the
client side (for example in apt) a pseudo deb can be created from the
installed version and then rsynced against the new version. You
wouldn't need a local mirror and you still save a lot of download.
Of cause this all needs support to rsync compressed archives
uncompressed in the rsync client.
MfG
Goswin
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