Bug#747321: floods APT repositories without i18n/Translation-* files with unneeded requests -- please avoid requesting those unless they are known to be present
Package: apt
Version: 1.0.3
Severity: normal
Background: we are hosting APT repository
(http://neuro.debian.net/debian) with backport builds for all supported
Debian and Ubuntu releases. We are not providing i18n support, thus no
RELEASE/SUITE/i18n/ provided by the server, neither Translation-* files
are listed in RELEASE/Release file). But all the apt clients bombard
server with requests for Translation-* files for different locales and
trying different compression extensions, e.g.
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/contrib/binary-amd64/Packages.bz2 HTTP/1.1" 304 -
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/non-free/binary-amd64/Packages.bz2 HTTP/1.1" 304 -
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/main/binary-i386/Packages.bz2 HTTP/1.1" 304 -
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/contrib/binary-i386/Packages.bz2 HTTP/1.1" 304 -
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/non-free/binary-i386/Packages.bz2 HTTP/1.1" 304 -
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/contrib/i18n/Translation-en.bz2 HTTP/1.1" 404 331
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/main/i18n/Translation-en.bz2 HTTP/1.1" 404 328
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/non-free/i18n/Translation-en.bz2 HTTP/1.1" 404 332
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/contrib/i18n/Translation-en.xz HTTP/1.1" 404 328
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/main/i18n/Translation-en.xz HTTP/1.1" 404 325
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/non-free/i18n/Translation-en.xz HTTP/1.1" 404 329
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/contrib/i18n/Translation-en.xz HTTP/1.1" 404 330
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/main/i18n/Translation-en.xz HTTP/1.1" 404 327
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/non-free/i18n/Translation-en.xz HTTP/1.1" 404 331
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/contrib/i18n/Translation-en.lzma HTTP/1.1" 404 330
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/main/i18n/Translation-en.lzma HTTP/1.1" 404 327
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/non-free/i18n/Translation-en.lzma HTTP/1.1" 404 331
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/contrib/i18n/Translation-en.lzma HTTP/1.1" 404 332
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/main/i18n/Translation-en.lzma HTTP/1.1" 404 329
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/non-free/i18n/Translation-en.lzma HTTP/1.1" 404 333
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/contrib/i18n/Translation-en.gz HTTP/1.1" 404 328
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/main/i18n/Translation-en.gz HTTP/1.1" 404 325
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/non-free/i18n/Translation-en.gz HTTP/1.1" 404 329
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/contrib/i18n/Translation-en.gz HTTP/1.1" 404 330
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/main/i18n/Translation-en.gz HTTP/1.1" 404 327
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/non-free/i18n/Translation-en.gz HTTP/1.1" 404 331
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/contrib/i18n/Translation-en HTTP/1.1" 404 325
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/main/i18n/Translation-en HTTP/1.1" 404 322
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/data/non-free/i18n/Translation-en HTTP/1.1" 404 326
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/contrib/i18n/Translation-en HTTP/1.1" 404 327
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/main/i18n/Translation-en HTTP/1.1" 404 324
- - [07/May/2014:09:34:30 -0400] "GET /debian/dists/raring/non-free/i18n/Translation-en HTTP/1.1" 404 328
As you can see -- those often constitute the MAJORITY of the logged
transactions to the server, leading to wasted bandwith and log files
"pollution" and disk space waste.
Per brief discussion on the IRC, one of the viable alternatives is just to not
request those unless those ARE listed in Release file but concern was that it
might break Ubuntu (and thus possibly other derivatives). IMHO that sounds
like the right way to go, and indeed some coordination with derivatives migth
be necessary.
Alternative could be to add an option to Release file to allow explicitly state
which Translations (languages/compressions) migth be found on the server, and
if empty -- assume that None. But in a way that would be a duplication since
"proper" Debian Release file already lists those i18n/Translation files, and
theoretically no fishing expedition for them should be necessary .
Cheers!
-- Package-specific info:
-- (/etc/apt/preferences present, but not submitted) --
-- (/etc/apt/sources.list present, but not submitted) --
-- System Information:
Debian Release: jessie/sid
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (900, 'testing'), (600, 'unstable'), (300, 'experimental')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Foreign Architectures: i386
Kernel: Linux 3.13-1-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Versions of packages apt depends on:
ii debian-archive-keyring 2012.4
ii gnupg 1.4.12-7
ii libapt-pkg4.12 0.9.16.1
ii libc6 2.18-4
ii libgcc1 1:4.8.2-1
ii libstdc++6 4.8.2-1
apt recommends no packages.
Versions of packages apt suggests:
ii apt-doc 0.9.8.2
ii aptitude 0.6.8.2-1
ii dpkg-dev 1.16.10
ii python-apt 0.8.9
ii synaptic 0.80.2
-- no debconf information
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