* Paul Andreassen (paul@andreassen.com.au) [011120 04:01]: > > Hi, > > I've noticed that the .deb files are archives of tar.gz files. This isn't a > good format to maximise rsync's performance. If we changed to zip or > similar, in which individual files are compressed separately, rsync will > find more similarities in different versions and download faster. > > What do you think? This is just what I think; I can't back it up with real data or even extensive experience: yes, rsync will be able to optimize more if each file is compressed individually, but then gzip won't be able to optimize as much. In general, you get better compression by putting all the files together first and then compressing, hence the ubiquitous .tar.gz (otherwise everybody would just be distributing .tars full of .gzs). The result would be that the deb archives would be much larger. My thinking is that the effects are about of the same magnitude, and that the end result would be the same download time (larger file, optimized in transit) but more disk usage. Again, this is pure speculation. Maybe someone should do a quick test to put some real numbers behind it. good times, Vineet -- Satan laughs when # "I disapprove of what you say, but I will we kill each other. # defend to the death your right to say it." Peace is the only way. # --Beatrice Hall, The Friends of Voltaire, 1906
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