Bug#42962: dpkg: rsync method would be useful

[<swift@alum.mit.edu>]

Package: dpkg
Version: 1.4.1.6
Severity: wishlist

Since package-information files on the debian ftp sites change incrementally,
using rsync to download them (in an "update") would save significant time for
users (at least those with ISDN-or-slower connections) and reduce load on the
archive server and the internet.

I think this would be done with a separate rsync "method".

There may be security concerns that would inhibit running an rsync server on
the archive, I have no idea about this issue.

-- System Information
Debian Release: potato
Kernel Version: Linux aleph 2.0.36 #1 Fri Jan 15 18:12:05 EST 1999 i586 unknown

Versions of the packages dpkg depends on:
ii  libc6           2.1.2-0pre7    GNU C Library: Shared libraries and timezone
ii  libncurses4     4.2-3.2        Shared libraries for terminal handling
ii  libstdc++2.9-gl 2.91.66-2      The GNU stdc++ library (EGCS version)