[clug] Advice request on upgrade to Debian Squeeze - local mirrors?

[Felix Karpfen]

On Fri, 18 Mar 2011 07:55:17 +1100, Rob Bolin wrote:
> 
> 8 DVDs?  I only ever download the latest netinst image (180Mb) from
> http://www.debian.org/distrib/netinst and then install anything and
> everything else from mirrors. 

Halfway there.

My monthly "broadband" quota is modest and the download speeds are 
throttled when the quota is exceeded.  So I do not think that a full "net 
upgrade" is viable on my setup.

But a "2-step upgrade" is on the cards - especially as the "Debian 
release notes" already recommend something that sounds similar to my ears.

The Debian routine reads:

Use "apt-get" to

1. run "update" and "upgrade"
2. install new kernel image and new udev and then reboot; and then
3. run "dist-upgrade.

I was curious to know if other CLUG members have tried my suggested 
variation.  

The suggestion is based on the hope is that "apt-get" will look at the 
contents of the newly-installed DVD first, then check the suggested 
mirror and, where possible, use a local file in preference to the mirror 
file.  At present, I have no grounds for entertaining this hope!

> The sources I use are:
> 
> deb http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates main contrib non-free> 
> deb http://security.debian.org/ testing/updates main contrib non-free 
> **deb http://mirror.linux.org.au/debian stable main non-free contrib**
> deb http://mirror.linux.org.au/debian testing main non-free contrib 
> deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org testing main

It looks as though you run "testing" on your box.  In which case, the 
additional downloads may be modest when "testing" becomes "stable".  

I am very grateful for the reference to "deb http://mirror.linux.org.au/
debian".  I take it that "http" is smart enough to identify and use the 
closest mirror.

Thank you for the prompt and helpful advice.

Felix

-- 
Felix Karpfen
Public Key 72FDF9DF (DH/DSA)