Linux Mint Forums

by **clem** on Sat Sep 08, 2012 11:33 am

Hi everybody,

Today we added a new package in LMDE called "mint-debian-mirrors".

This package is updated every time there's a change in our list of LMDE mirrors and it does the following every time you upgrade/install it:

- It speed-tests each LMDE mirror
- It shows you the list of mirrors and their speed and asks you to select one
- It saves your /etc/apt/sources.list to /etc/apt/sources.list.bk
- It makes your APT sources point to the mirror you selected

This ensures you're using the fastest mirror available in your area and it spreads the loads on the mirrors, ensuring faster download speeds and up to date sources for everybody.

If for any reason you want to select your mirror again, this package also provides a command called: "mint-choose-debian-mirror".

Finally, this package works with both latest and incoming and it doesn't do anything if it finds "debian.org" anywhere in your sources.list (for those who switched to testing or unstable).

mint-debian-mirrors is already present in the LMDE repositories. Feel free to install it and please give us your feedback if you encounter any problem with it.

In a few days and in preparation for UP5, this package will be added as a dependency to mintupdate-debian.

by **exploder** on Sat Sep 08, 2012 11:44 am

Very nice! Thanks Clem! Nice to see good things going on with the LMDE release.

by **rivenathos** on Sat Sep 08, 2012 1:04 pm

This is excellent! Thanks!

by **zerozero** on Sat Sep 08, 2012 2:19 pm

Clem,
i'm having problems with mint-debian-mirrors:
my original sources.list

Code: Select all: zerozero@wine ~ $ inxi -r Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import incoming deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming testing main contrib non-free deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/security testing/updates main contrib non-free deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/multimedia testing main non-free deb http://liquorix.net/debian sid main

mint-debian-mirrors installed, prompt to chose the mirror and

Code: Select all: zerozero@wine ~ $ inxi -r Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/latest testing main contrib non-free deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/latest/security testing/updates main contrib non-free deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/latest/multimedia testing main non-free

1- i was reverted to latest
2- lost multiarch
3- lost packages.linuxmint

UPDATE:
didn't lost multiarch after all

Code: Select all: zerozero@wine ~ $ mint-choose-debian-mirror [sudo] password for zerozero: Current server: http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian (latest) Server http://debian.linuxmint.com - 144Kbps Server http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian - 604Kbps Server http://debian.lth.se/lmde - 254Kbps Best server: http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian Selected server: http://debian.linuxmint.com Saving old /etc/apt/sources.list in /etc/apt/sources.list.bk Updating /etc/apt/sources.list zerozero@wine ~ $ inxi -r Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest testing main contrib non-free deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/security testing/updates main contrib non-free deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/multimedia testing main non-free zerozero@wine ~ $ apt update Get:1 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing InRelease [185 kB] Get:2 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates InRelease [87.8 kB] Ign http://debian.linuxmint.com testing InRelease Get:3 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/main amd64 Packages [5,705 kB] Get:4 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/contrib amd64 Packages [43.9 kB] Get:5 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/non-free amd64 Packages [74.5 kB] Get:6 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/main i386 Packages [5,722 kB] Get:7 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/contrib i386 Packages [44.3 kB] Get:8 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/non-free i386 Packages [73.0 kB] Get:9 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/contrib Translation-en [36.2 kB] Get:10 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/main Translation-en [3,787 kB] Get:11 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/non-free Translation-en [63.1 kB] Get:12 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/main amd64 Packages [14 B] Get:13 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/contrib amd64 Packages [14 B] Get:14 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/non-free amd64 Packages [14 B] Get:15 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/main i386 Packages [14 B] Get:16 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/contrib i386 Packages [14 B] Get:17 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/non-free i386 Packages [14 B] Get:18 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing Release.gpg [198 B] Get:19 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing Release [32.1 kB] Get:20 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/main amd64 Packages [72.0 kB] Get:21 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/non-free amd64 Packages [3,120 B] Get:22 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/main i386 Packages [72.8 kB] Get:23 http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/non-free i386 Packages [4,685 B] Ign http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/contrib Translation-en_GB Ign http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/contrib Translation-en Ign http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/main Translation-en_GB Ign http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/main Translation-en Ign http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/non-free Translation-en_GB Ign http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/updates/non-free Translation-en Ign http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/main Translation-en_GB Ign http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/main Translation-en Ign http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/non-free Translation-en_GB Ign http://debian.linuxmint.com testing/non-free Translation-en Fetched 16.0 MB in 42s (381 kB/s) Reading package lists... Done zerozero@wine ~ $

by **clem** on Sat Sep 08, 2012 3:42 pm

Hi zerozero,

I see... I can reproduce it and I see exactly why it's doing that

It thinks your current mirror is [arch=amd64,i386] and it starts by removing all lines using it

)

I'll have that fixed with an update either tonight or tomorrow morning. I forgot to take multi-arch into account.

Thanks,
Clem.

by **clem** on Sat Sep 08, 2012 3:43 pm

The liquorix line should have stayed though... I'll check that as well.

by **zerozero** on Sat Sep 08, 2012 3:46 pm

Clem, i'm testing now in a vanilla incoming VM, will let you know the outcome in minutes.

edit:
yeahh, should be multiarch, now works:
before:

Code: Select all: zerozero@wine ~ $ inxi -r Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import incoming deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming testing main contrib non-free deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/security testing/updates main contrib non-free deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/multimedia testing main non-free

after (i had to enable backport and romeo to find mint-debian-mirrors hence the difference and in the way i ticked sources as well)

Code: Select all: zerozero@wine ~ $ inxi -r Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import incoming backport romeo deb-src http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import incoming backport romeo #Added by software-properties deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/incoming testing main contrib non-free deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/incoming/security testing/updates main contrib non-free deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/incoming/multimedia testing main non-free

by **clem** on Sat Sep 08, 2012 5:36 pm

Hi zerozero,

Problem fixed in version 2012.09.08.2. You can specify [arch=amd64,i386] in your sources again, it now handles it.

Let me know if you find anything else. We'll add it as a dependency in mintupdate-debian on Monday.

by **zerozero** on Sat Sep 08, 2012 6:31 pm

Thanks Clem :wink:

now i can't break it: i added multiarch, liquorix and Bimsebasse ppa

Code: Select all: zerozero@wine ~ $ inxi -r Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import incoming backport romeo deb-src http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import incoming backport romeo #Added by software-properties deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming testing main contrib non-free deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/security testing/updates main contrib non-free deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/multimedia testing main non-free deb http://liquorix.net/debian sid main deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/bimsebasse/cinnamonextras/ubuntu oneiric main deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/bimsebasse/cinnamonextras/ubuntu oneiric main

after upgrading to 2012.09.08.2 it handled it with no problems

Code: Select all: zerozero@wine ~ $ inxi -r Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import incoming backport romeo deb-src http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import incoming backport romeo #Added by software-properties deb http://liquorix.net/debian sid main deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/bimsebasse/cinnamonextras/ubuntu oneiric main deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/bimsebasse/cinnamonextras/ubuntu oneiric main deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/incoming testing main contrib non-free deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/incoming/security testing/updates main contrib non-free deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/incoming/multimedia testing main non-free

by **LZux** on Sun Sep 09, 2012 7:00 am

Hi, the script doesnt seem to cope with comments. My source list (below) was read and was updated with sources for 'incoming'.
I get round the problem by removing the lines for the 'incoming' from the sources.list before running ' mint-choose-debian-mirror'
Good idea for fastest mirror!

/etc/apt/sources.list before choose mirror:-
#
# Stable with UP
deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest testing main contrib non-free
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/multimedia testing main non-free
#
# UP5 for testing/incoming
# deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import incoming
# deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming testing main contrib non-free
# deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
# deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/multimedia testing main non-free
#
# Virtualbox
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian squeeze contrib
#

------------------
After mint-choose-debian-mirror:-
#
# Stable with UP
deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
#
# UP5 for testing
# deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import incoming
#
# Virtualbox
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian squeeze contrib
#

deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linux ... n/incoming testing main contrib non-free
deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linux ... g/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linux ... multimedia testing main non-free

by **ketoth** on Sun Sep 09, 2012 5:58 pm

Smoothly came around the launchpads and others I had, keeping the package and.. keeping my debian distro

The package could have been a bit more verbose, instead of hanging at APT's "configuring" status (like pre-opening the box and telling "speed test in progress, please wait"). Not a problem here because there are just 3 to test, but if later more mirrors come up this will result in a "nothing seems to happen for a few seconds during the test".

By the way if you want to bootstrap a mirror but don't want to overload the main server, do it NOW: rsync://mirror.rts-informatique.fr::debian (when UP5 comes latest I will have to shut down the rsync to save the bandwidth).
Also if you encounter any problem with mirror.rts-informatique.fr, PM me asap.

Happy testing

by **clem** on Mon Sep 10, 2012 4:31 am

Hi,

It is verbose in console mode but it only uses debconf to ask the question.

Thanks for the feedback about the comments, we'll try to add support for that in it.

by **clem** on Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:04 am

OK, version 2012.09.10 now supports commented lines and it doesn't change the layout of the sources.list anymore.

I think we're ready to go live with this. I'll wait a couple more hours to give anyone a chance to send more feedback.

by **GeneC** on Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:37 am

Clem

Just installed and tried out version 2012.09.10. I have plenty of commented lines, and multiarch

Code: Select all: apt-cache policy mint-debian-mirrors mint-debian-mirrors: Installed: 2012.09.10 Candidate: 2012.09.10 Version table: *** 2012.09.10 0 700 http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/linuxmint-packages/ debian/main amd64 Packages 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Works fine. Did not change layout. (Appears I already had the fastest mirror selected.)

Before

Code: Select all: gene@zordon:~$ inxi -r Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/linuxmint-packages/ debian main upstream incoming backport romeo import #"Mint" deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ unstable main contrib non-free #"SID" deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://www.deb-multimedia.org sid main non-free #"SID Multimedia" deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main #"Chrome" deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://liquorix.net/debian/ sid main #"Liquorix" deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://www.duinsoft.nl/pkg debs all #"JAVA"

After

Code: Select all: gene@zordon:~$ inxi -r Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/linuxmint-packages/ debian main upstream incoming backport romeo import #"Mint" deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ unstable main contrib non-free #"SID" deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://www.deb-multimedia.org sid main non-free #"SID Multimedia" deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main #"Chrome" deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://liquorix.net/debian/ sid main #"Liquorix" deb [arch=amd64,i386] http://www.duinsoft.nl/pkg debs all #"JAVA"

by **GeneC** on Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:22 am

Tested on another partition pointing to Update Pack 5. Works fine. (Selected server in France)

Code: Select all: gene@zordon:~$ inxi -r Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import incoming backport romeo #"Mint" deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/incoming testing main contrib non-free #"MINT Incoming" deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/incoming/security testing/updates main contrib non-free #"MINT Incoming Security" deb http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/incoming/multimedia testing main non-free #"MINT Incoming MultiMedia" deb http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main #"Chrome" deb http://liquorix.net/debian/ sid main #"Liquorix" deb http://www.duinsoft.nl/pkg debs all #"JAVA"

by **clem** on Mon Sep 10, 2012 9:45 am

Thanks GeneC.

by **BostonPeng** on Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:47 pm

I'm also seeing a package called mint-mirrors. Should I ignore that one or grab them both?

Code: Select all: ~$ apt policy mint-mirrors mint-mirrors: Installed: (none) Candidate: 1.0.1 Version table: 1.0.1 0 500 http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian/main i386 Packages

by **clem** on Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:50 pm

"mint-mirrors" is different, it just contains mirrors for software-properties-gtk (for the main Mint repo).

by **BostonPeng** on Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:54 pm

Thanks for the quick response clem. I'll ignore mint-mirrors then.

by **Frannoe** on Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:47 am

It seems to work perfectly now.
A much needed income if used generically by users avoid collapse in updates.
Thanks Clem!!!

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