[suggestion] apt-cacher ubuntu release names

[Maddes]

A common issue when using apt-cacher is that ´do-release-upgrade´ will fail getting the files for the new release (WARNING:root:file '<release>.tar.gz.gpg' missing).
Reason is that apt-cacher does not know the new release name and therefore rejects to retrieve files for it. Most people don't know that behaviour and even admins forget about it.

To enhance the user experience I suggest to add a new file:
/etc/apt-cacher/conf.d/00ubuntu_releases

This file should only contain the "ubuntu_release_names" configuation option with all known release names.
Example:
ubuntu_release_names = dapper, edgy, feisty, gutsy, hardy, intrepid, jaunty, karmic, lucid, maverick, natty, oneiric, precise, quantal, raring, saucy, trusty, utopic, vivid, wily, xenial

If a new release is available then just this config file has to be enhanced and all users will get the updated package and are then able to "do-release-upgrade" with apt-cacher.

I even suggest to put this config file in a separate package (e.g. apt-cacher-ubuntu), that is installed along with the apt-cacher package and which is valid for all platforms and all releases (as it is just a simple text file).

Kind regards
Maddes

[Maddes (maddes.b)]

The related issue is normally reported with package "ubuntu-release-upgrader".

[Maddes (maddes.b)]

Examples of related bug reports are #1509176 #1533375 #1509176

[Eduard Bloch (edi-gmx)]

They are hardly related. One is a bug of installer (crashing, wtf?) and was actually for apt-cacher (wtf?) and not acng . The other one is something I would like to solve in a more generic approach. Third one is the first one (wtf?).

First: Adding an extra package with just one config line sounds ridiculous, sorry.

Second: I will not add some very special cute variable for a very special distribution. What I could add is a way to accumulate multiple *PatternEx variables so you can just extend the config as you need it. Then you can go and create your toy package in any way you like it (like adding brute force solutions a-la '.*/wily\.t*z.*'.

Third: I's still prefer to see a solution which is based on an URL location and does not care about the particular name.

Fourth: I am sick of seeing Ubuntu guys inventing more and more funny file paths on their servers that are somehow becoming mandatory in the update process. Can this not be somehow unified and the relevant information distributed a way ahead in a sane way?

[Eduard Bloch (edi-gmx)]

And fifth, for those who care: I don't know about upgrading to willy, but at least a clean installation of 14.04 is possible with the latest version, and I can even click there around to see the changelog.

https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/apt-cacher-ng/apt-cacher-ng.git/tree/ChangeLog?h=upstream/sid
apt-cacher-ng (0.9.0) MAXIMUM-OVERDRIVE; urgency=low

  * FIX: Ubuntu Installer's ReleaseNotes fetching was interpreted incorrectly
    forced redirection of ISP to its auth page. Now keeping the target page
    in doubt, just making sure it's reloaded next time.

I will test a wily upgrade later this week and see what happens.