Bug#982461: apt: Please provide a configuration option for disabling fsync()-s

[Balint Reczey <balint.reczey@canonical.com>]

Source: apt
Version:
Severity: wishlist

Hi,

I run eatmydata apt ... frequently and it is used widely by others
when there is no need to fsync()-s during package installations or
removals, but it is nice to save time and wear off SSDs later.

Using fsync() is unlikely to bring any benefit when a system is very
unlikely to crash or it is cheap to recreate in case of an
installation failure like it is the case for provisioning containers.
Also using fsync is fairly pointless when apt-btrfs-snapshot is
installed and a snapshot is taken after the apt operation anyway.

Ideally dpkg would provide a command line option for skipping fsync,
but it is not yet the case: #923423.

On APT's side I'd like to propose a config option which when set would
prefix dpkg calls with eatmydata until dpkg has a better interface for
disabling fsyncs.

apt-btrfs-snapshot and similar tools could ship a config file snippet
setting the option,

Cheers,
Balint

-- 
Balint Reczey
Ubuntu & Debian Developer