freebsd-update painfully slow - slower than source code build of world and kernel

[Daniel Bond]

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Regarding portsnap in my previous post, I think you misunderstood me.  
This is not a new "one time" problem regarding a specific case,  
portsnap is allways slow. This is observed from
heavy usage of it, over a long period of time.

Great to see that there will be an update2.freebsd.org -  
unfortunately, that a new release generates more traffic than update- 
server handles is not acceptable (imho). People should be able to  
upgrade to a new release, once it is out. Sadly, I don't think one  
more mirror will cut it. Especially if it is going to be of the same  
quality as the other portsnap mirrors. Also, sadly CP isn't looking  
for more mirrors, while a large chunk of users trying to upgrade *are*  
looking for mirrors.

Look at CVSUP mirrors, they have always worked fine, even directly  
after a new release. We even have a few of them here in Norway, and  
they are fast as hell. Look how many there are of them, spread around  
the world.. This works out great!

It is easy for anyone to setup a CVSup mirror. It is open and well  
documented. Anyone could create a CVSup mirror, any where they please  
and mirror FreeBSD's sourcecode and ports.

However, freebsd-update is closed. I've searched the web for how the  
protocol works, how the server-part of it works, with metadata,  
checksums and all. How the mirroring of it works, basicly. There are  
no public available documents on this. Do we have to reverse-engineer  
it, or what?

I think Colin made a really nice tool, but he needs opening up (for  
the project and everyone's good) - he is controlling the service with  
a iron grip, dictating who gets to host a mirror and who dosn't. I'm  
sure the service is allways very good for CP, the servers are probably  
on his LAN or somewhere close, and he has the power to create mirrors  
where ever he pleases, at home, at office.. but nobody else can have  
that power..



Regards,


Daniel Bond.


On Jan 6, 2009, at 11:26 AM, Christopher Arnold wrote:

>
>
> On Tue, 6 Jan 2009, Daniel Bond wrote:
>
>> I'm not sure where to post this, I had trouble finding a suitable  
>> mailing-list. Please point me in the right direction, if this is  
>> the wrong place to post this message.
>>
> I think freebsd-ports would have been the place.
>
>> Yesterday I was struck by happiness, as I noticed 7.1-RELEASE was  
>> out on ftp.freebsd.org - and decided to start off by upgrading one  
>> of my companies development servers.
>> Usually an update with FreeBSD-update is quite quick, but today and  
>> yesterday it has just been to slow to use, after two days of trying  
>> - I've still not completed a single upgrade. The
>> server in question is connected to gigabit internet.
>>
>> I think it is embarrassing that the binary update tool, is actually  
>> slower to use than compiling the whole operating system and kernel  
>> - even on a slow machine! The reason for this,
>> is not the tool it self, the tool is excellent - but there are no  
>> mirrors.. We need some mirrors, or such a great tool is not really  
>> usable at all (except for the really patient).
>>
> This is a known issue that Colin sent out a message about to freebsd- 
> ports and freebsd-questions.
>
> Basically there is a surge in in traffic right now due to the 7.1  
> release. And there is another update machine on the way.
>
> The message is included belov my sig.
>
> 	/Chris
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> For the benefit of those of you who are noticing problems with  
> portsnap
> right
> now: The release of FreeBSD 7.1 has resulted in a very large amount of
> traffic
> to update1.freebsd.org, which is hosted by the same box as
> portsnap-master...
> so the portsnap mirrors are having some trouble syncing right now.   
> If you
> find
> that portsnap doesn't work, please be patient -- once the flood of  
> people
> upgrading systems to 7.1-RELEASE has subsided things should get back  
> to
> normal.
>
> (Before people ask: update2.freebsd.org is going to exist soon.  No,  
> I'm not looking for more mirrors right now.)
>
> -- 
> Colin Percival
> Security Officer, FreeBSD | freebsd.org | The power to serve
> Founder / author, Tarsnap | tarsnap.com | Online backups for the truly
> paranoid
>
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