Re: [Apt-proxy-users] first impressions of apt-proxy-v2

[Chris H. <chr...@gm...>]

Hi Craig,

Thank you very much for testing out v2.  Your feedback is really helpful.
I've not had any time yet to look at these issues, and Manuel is still on
holiday, so nothing has happened yet.

On Thu, Aug 01, 2002 at 06:29:50AM -0000, Craig Foster wrote:
> I installed apt-proxy-v2 and started it up with a simple 'apt-proxy-v2&'.=
 =20
> Here are my first impressions (and a few questions).
>=20
> 1)  Overall performance seems really good.  It is much faster than v1.

Well, that was the main goal so at least we're on target there :)

> 2)  After an 'apt-get update' apt-proxy-v2 eats up all spare CPU cycles f=
or a=20
> good while (on my K6-233 test box) after the download is completed.  Memo=
ry=20
> usage also increases during this time.  What is it doing?

I've seen similar behaviour and I suspect it may be in the database code.
It builds databases of files in the cache and access times and I suspect
there may be a problem.

> 3)  apt-proxy-v2 seems to cache both Package/Release files  and packages =
just=20
> fine, but it never serves up the cached files!  Instead it downloads them=
=20
> from the backend with every request.  The debugging messages say:
>=20
> [debug:9]CHECKING_CACHED
> [debug:9]NOT_CACHED
>=20
> even when the file has been cached.  This is great for building a partial=
=20
> mirror, but kinda defeats the purpose of a proxy, eh? ;-)

Heh, well, I'd suspected something like that was happening but you've
confimed it now.

> 4)  Over time, apt-proxy-v2 continues to grow in memory with each success=
ive=20
> download.  I've generally killed the process when it reached around 40MB =
in=20
> memory.

Oops, something has a nice memory leak I guess.

> 5)  What is the proper way to start apt-proxy-v2?  I've just been doing=
=20
> a 'apt-proxy-v2&' from the command prompt for testing.  Do I need any=20
> parameters?  Is it designed to run under inetd or as a standalone server?

Currently as a standalone server, although the twisted guys added inetd
support for us recently.  The package installs an init.d script, so you can
start/stop with /etc/init.d/apt-proxy-v2 start|stop.

For testing in the foreground, there is a script called aptest in the source
package - just run that from the command line.  You can run that script
directly within a working directory of a CVS checkout.

> 6)  Is it safe to use the same cache directory for v1 and v2?  It sure wo=
uld=20
> be nice not to have 2 separate partial mirrors being built while I test t=
his=20
> thing out!

I'm not sure - I wanted to check with Manuel before doing it myself!

> Overall, that's not bad for an alpha package!  I'll be following its prog=
ress=20
> closely.  Let me know how many of these issues are matters of my usage an=
d=20
> configuration.

Thanks again for your feedback.  I don't think your usage or configuration
caused any of the problems.

Chris