[Wishlist] Include limit-rate bandwidth option

Bug #193558 reported by NoOp
52
This bug affects 8 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
One Hundred Papercuts
Invalid
Undecided
Unassigned
Software Properties
New
Undecided
Unassigned
Software Updater
Invalid
Undecided
Unassigned
update-manager (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Wishlist
Unassigned
Declined for Intrepid by Brian Murray
Declined for Karmic by Sebastien Bacher
Declined for Lucid by Sebastien Bacher
Declined for Maverick by Sebastien Bacher

Bug Description

Binary package hint: update-manager

Please consider implementing a --limit-rate=amount option in update-manager.

Currently the update-manager does not offer the ability to limit the bandwidth rate of the update download similar to --limit-rate=amount in wget and gwget (at least not that I am aware of).

 This creates a problem in that the update download will grab all bandwidth on DSL link and browsing, downloading, and other internet usage comes to a crawl for both the user doing the update, and other users/machines connecting to the same link. The same problem occurs when using apt-get from the command line.
  This also creates an hidden problem for users that have their security updates set to download and install automatically. That user (typically one that is not very linux aware) is unaware that the update-manager has grabbed the entire link bandwidth at the start of their Ubuntu session, and then complains that "Ubuntu is slow, the network using Ubuntu is slow", etc., etc.

The option should be included in both the Synaptic Repository Updates section - or Synaptic Settings|Preferences|Network section - and the System|Administration|Update Manager gui as well.

Revision history for this message
Greg Grossmeier (greg.grossmeier) wrote :

Thank you for reporting this bug and making Ubuntu better.

This is actually implemented in apt (the underlying program which update-manager, synaptic, and adpet use) but is not exposed to the GUIs as of yet due to lack of documentation.

You can see the example in the apt documentation here: /usr/share/doc/apt/examples/configure-index.gz

Setting to Confirmed/Wishlist

Best!

Changed in update-manager:
importance: Undecided → Wishlist
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Savvas Radevic (medigeek) wrote :

I agree, this would be a great option, since ubuntu downloads security updates automatically

Revision history for this message
akudewan (akudewan) wrote :

+1 from me. Hope to see this feature soon...

Revision history for this message
RomeoJava (romeojava+launchpad) wrote :

I've added this to the hundredpapercuts project (https://edge.launchpad.net/hundredpapercuts) because although it may be considered a feature request, I still think it is a major usability issue, not just affecting the usability of the Ubuntu user, but often (on DSL/Cable connections) all the users on the network by saturating the whole Internet connection when downloading updates. I often have to explain to my my wife that the internet connection hasn't 'died' as such, it is just 'very busy' as Ubuntu is updating itself...

Revision history for this message
David Siegel (djsiegel-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

This is a feature request, not a trivially fixable usability issue;
therefore, it is not a paper cut.

Remeojava, you are right, it is a usability issue, although it's too big for hundredpapercuts. *It's still a valid issue and should be fixed, though.*

Changed in hundredpapercuts:
status: New → Invalid
Revision history for this message
Savvas Radevic (medigeek) wrote :

Until the solution comes:
(A) execute in Terminal: sudo apt-get -o Acquire::http::Dl-Limit=80 upgrade
It will limit the download to 80kb/s
or

(B) 1. Execute in Terminal:

gksu gedit /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/custom-limit-bandwidth

 2. Add these lines:

Acquire
{
  http
  {
    Dl-Limit "80"; // 80Kb/sec maximum download rate
  };
};

 3. Edit "80" to your preference.
 4. Save and close gedit (text editor)

 5. Execute in Terminal:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

 5. Enjoy!

Revision history for this message
NoOp (glgxg) wrote :

 I've found that creating an 'apt.conf' file:

$ cat /etc/apt/apt.conf
//---------------------------
// Options for limiting Update Manager download speeds
Acquire
{
Queue-Mode "access"; // host|access
http
{
Dl-Limit "100"; // 100Kb/sec maximum download rate
};
};
//--------------------------

works for me. It limits the downloads at 1Mb on a 1.5Mb DSL and leaves enough bandwidth that I can still browse, email, etc., during the downloads.

Revision history for this message
Michael Vogt (mvo) wrote :

I close the upstream task, one task is enough. This sounds like we "just" need to expose the feature of apt more in the UI (maybe in software-preferences)?

Changed in update-manager:
status: New → Invalid
Revision history for this message
torzsmokus (torzsmokus) wrote :

low-priority downloading (QoS) should be implemented in update-manager rather than (or in addition to) a hard limit.

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