I've just finished installing yet another computer which in all likelihood will replace my current server [just have "a few more tweaks" to make] As this one has LOTS more disc space than my current server, I'm thinking of making it a source for future installs. From what I've read here, I *think* I just need to copy all of the CD's to "some location" that can be shared somehow [samba/nfs/ftp] I'm thinking I should also mirror the YOU site so that in addition to installing new systems, I can immediately update them to be "current" as well. I wonder, however, if I were to place the "update" files from the YOU server in the same location as they were originally on the CD, would the "installation" process automatically install the latest version, thus cutting out the extra "update immediately" step? [or am I smoking something you can't buy at the corner drugstore?] Also, during the copy, a few files failed to read from the CD -- some were trivial [like the DOS utilities on the first CD] others were more significant [like k_smp...] In theory, I should be able to download the current version(s) from the suse site to replace those that couldn't be copied locally, right? [I've done enough installs with this set of CD's that scratches are a very good possibility, hence it is not surprising to see some unreadable files...] Is it possible to "rsynch" the ftp directory that SuSE provides as an installation point with what I've just copied to get those files? Likewise, could/should I rsynch the "patch" or "new version" files from the YOU servers over their originals, or should I try to set up the "patch" files as another area of the install directory? [if I'm not making sense, I'll blame it on having a cold...] -- Yet another Blog: http://osnut.homelinux.net
On Tue, 25 Feb 2003 13:03, Tom Emerson wrote:
I've just finished installing yet another computer which in all likelihood will replace my current server [just have "a few more tweaks" to make] As this one has LOTS more disc space than my current server, I'm thinking of making it a source for future installs. From what I've read here, I *think* I just need to copy all of the CD's to "some location" that can be shared somehow [samba/nfs/ftp]
I'm thinking I should also mirror the YOU site so that in addition to installing new systems, I can immediately update them to be "current" as well. I wonder, however, if I were to place the "update" files from the YOU server in the same location as they were originally on the CD, would the "installation" process automatically install the latest version, thus cutting out the extra "update immediately" step? [or am I smoking something you can't buy at the corner drugstore?]
Also, during the copy, a few files failed to read from the CD -- some were trivial [like the DOS utilities on the first CD] others were more significant [like k_smp...] In theory, I should be able to download the current version(s) from the suse site to replace those that couldn't be copied locally, right? [I've done enough installs with this set of CD's that scratches are a very good possibility, hence it is not surprising to see some unreadable files...]
Is it possible to "rsynch" the ftp directory that SuSE provides as an installation point with what I've just copied to get those files? Likewise, could/should I rsynch the "patch" or "new version" files from the YOU servers over their originals, or should I try to set up the "patch" files as another area of the install directory? [if I'm not making sense, I'll blame it on having a cold...]
I just automated all YOU updates at work. Have a look at this SDB article. Mirroring the Update Directories for YOU http://sdb.suse.de/sdb/en/html/mlasars_yousync.html and if you want to automate YOU updates have a look at Using YaST2 in Text Mode http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/yast2_ncurses.html -- Regards, Graham Smith ---------------------------------------------------------
On Monday 24 February 2003 7:06 pm, Graham Smith wrote:
On Tue, 25 Feb 2003 13:03, Tom Emerson wrote:
I've just finished installing yet another computer which ... I'm thinking of making it a source for future installs. [and updates] [...] Is it possible to "rsynch" the ftp directory that SuSE provides ... ?
I just automated all YOU updates at work. Have a look at this SDB article. Mirroring the Update Directories for YOU http://sdb.suse.de/sdb/en/html/mlasars_yousync.html
Thanks -- I think I've seen that article before, just wanted confirmation that it is still relative current and "nothing new" has come out. It is interesting to note a comment or two they make: "Situation You want to mirror the current patches and updates locally and distribute them to other computers on your network. This might be necessary if the machines are protected by a firewall or if you want to save bandwidth. The configuration of a local YOU server exceeds the scope of our free of charge installation support. However, you are welcome to refer to our Business Support Service." This is interesting because one would think it is in SuSE's best interest to reduce the "load" from their own servers and ISP connections [they are in germany, after all, where I hear they charge by the byte in either direction ;) ] They further compound this by saying the following: "Mirroring the Packages First, find a server that allows mirroring (not ftp.suse.com) and read the server's mirror policy carefully. For mirroring purposes, use, for example, rsync" Again, why NOT ftp.suse.com? How will a "mirroring" operation differ from a client performing a legitimate update? [ok, semi-easy answer: not EVERYONE installs EVERY package, yet an rsynch operation WILL get every package. What they fail to realize or remember is that rsynch will get every package ONCE, then only download packages that are new or updated.] To further round this out, I still think it would be better to download the [potentially] 100's of packages that "aren't part of the 'default' installation, but are available as an update" than it would to repeatedly download the packages that ARE part of the update. After all, the "unneeded" download occurs once, yet from what I've seen, YOU repeatedly downloads "update" packages even if the "update" has been applied and the FTP server indicates the update file hasn't changed since it was actually used... -- Yet another Blog: http://osnut.homelinux.net
Another viable solution to this is using fou4s depending on how much you want to replicate. I am using fou4s successfully to patches update. See http://fou4s.gaugusch.at/ On Tuesday 25 February 2003 11:53, Tom Emerson wrote:
On Monday 24 February 2003 7:06 pm, Graham Smith wrote:
On Tue, 25 Feb 2003 13:03, Tom Emerson wrote:
I've just finished installing yet another computer which ... I'm thinking of making it a source for future installs. [and updates]
[...]
Is it possible to "rsynch" the ftp directory that SuSE provides ... ?
I just automated all YOU updates at work. Have a look at this SDB article. Mirroring the Update Directories for YOU http://sdb.suse.de/sdb/en/html/mlasars_yousync.html
Thanks -- I think I've seen that article before, just wanted confirmation that it is still relative current and "nothing new" has come out. It is interesting to note a comment or two they make:
"Situation You want to mirror the current patches and updates locally and distribute them to other computers on your network. This might be necessary if the machines are protected by a firewall or if you want to save bandwidth.
The configuration of a local YOU server exceeds the scope of our free of charge installation support. However, you are welcome to refer to our Business Support Service."
This is interesting because one would think it is in SuSE's best interest to reduce the "load" from their own servers and ISP connections [they are in germany, after all, where I hear they charge by the byte in either direction ;) ] They further compound this by saying the following:
"Mirroring the Packages First, find a server that allows mirroring (not ftp.suse.com) and read the server's mirror policy carefully. For mirroring purposes, use, for example, rsync"
Again, why NOT ftp.suse.com? How will a "mirroring" operation differ from a client performing a legitimate update? [ok, semi-easy answer: not EVERYONE installs EVERY package, yet an rsynch operation WILL get every package. What they fail to realize or remember is that rsynch will get every package ONCE, then only download packages that are new or updated.]
To further round this out, I still think it would be better to download the [potentially] 100's of packages that "aren't part of the 'default' installation, but are available as an update" than it would to repeatedly download the packages that ARE part of the update. After all, the "unneeded" download occurs once, yet from what I've seen, YOU repeatedly downloads "update" packages even if the "update" has been applied and the FTP server indicates the update file hasn't changed since it was actually used...
-- Jim Hamilton Perth, Australia
The 03.02.24 at 19:53, Tom Emerson wrote: [Suse says]
The configuration of a local YOU server exceeds the scope of our free of charge installation support. However, you are welcome to refer to our Business Support Service."
Yeah, that's funny. But it is very simple task, at least, to do it manually.
First, find a server that allows mirroring (not ftp.suse.com) and read the server's mirror policy carefully. For mirroring purposes, use, for example, rsync"
Again, why NOT ftp.suse.com? How will a "mirroring" operation differ from a client performing a legitimate update?
Yes, I asked myself that same quuestion. Maybe, what they do not want is lots of cron jobs checking every file many times a week or day, to see if they change, and then download new files. But, if you manually download by ftp a complete dir... that's not an automated mirroring.
To further round this out, I still think it would be better to download the [potentially] 100's of packages that "aren't part of the 'default' installation, but are available as an update" than it would to repeatedly download the packages that ARE part of the update. After all, the "unneeded" download occurs once, yet from what I've seen, YOU repeatedly downloads "update" packages even if the "update" has been applied and the FTP server indicates the update file hasn't changed since it was actually used...
No, not really. What it repeatedly downloads is the list of patches; also, if a session fails on a single file, the whole session fails, and all those packages are downloaded again the next time you fire up YOU. If the session succeeds, the updates are not downloaded again. The "don't delete patches" click box is almost useless... -- Cheers, Carlos Robinson
I've found out some interesting things about this... On Monday 24 February 2003 6:03 pm, Tom Emerson wrote:
I've just finished installing ... I'm thinking of making it a source for future installs. ... I'm thinking I should also mirror the YOU site... I wonder if I were to place the "update" files from the YOU server in the same location as they were originally on the CD, would the "installation" process automatically install the latest version
It turns out the "-n" flag when given to rsync does everything but the actual file transfer, i.e., it shows you what it is going to do. I did this expecting to "pick up" the handful of files that didn't copy correctly from the CD's, but I didn't expect what I found -- according to rsynch, there are nearly 3gb of files that have to be "updated" At first, I thought that "ok, maybe the directory structure is different", so that it ends up deleting a file in location "a" only to download it to location "b", so I took a closer look at what it was going "todo": dave:~ # grep xmms-plug todo_8.1 deleting suse/nosrc/xmms-plugins-1.2.7-112.nosrc.rpm deleting suse/i586/xmms-plugins-1.2.7-112.i586.rpm suse/i586/xmms-plugins-1.2.7-131.i586.rpm suse/nosrc/xmms-plugins-1.2.7-131.nosrc.rpm ok, the file is actually in the same location, but look at this: on the CD, I have version 1.2.7-112, yet the website shows the version as 1.2.7-131! Furthermore, the "YOU" directory does NOT contain this "update" -- Yet another Blog: http://osnut.homelinux.net
participants (4)
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Carlos E. R.
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Graham Smith
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Jim Hamilton
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Tom Emerson