Comment 4 for bug 147080

I also needed this to use a local mirror on my ISP.
Here's my method I just applied to get this working (excuse my wiki syntax :-)) - it's definitely a hacky workaround as you can see, but it saves much time in the long run:

Upgrading to ''Hardy Heron'' following [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HardyUpgrades HardyUpgrades]:
 * `apt-get update && apt-get upgrade` (this updated `update-manager-core`)
 * Patched `upgrade-manager-core` to allow me to hijack the mirrors list during the upgrade
{{{
--- /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/UpdateManager/Core/DistUpgradeFetcherCore.py.orig 2007-09-28 16:25:58.000000000 +0200
+++ /usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/UpdateManager/Core/DistUpgradeFetcherCore.py 2008-05-08 15:05:17.000000000 +0200
@@ -143,6 +143,8 @@
             return error(_("Could not run the upgrade tool"),
                          _("This is most likely a bug in the upgrade tool. "
                           "Please report it as a bug"))
+ print "MAKE YOUR ADJUSTMENTS NOW!!! YOU HAVE 60 SECONDS!"
+ import time ; time.sleep(60)
         return True

     def _expandUri(self, uri):
}}}
 * During the wait period suspended the `do-release-upgrade` script, and edited the list of mirrors in `/tmp/tmpoKPvWP/mirrors.cfg`:
{{{
--- mirrors.cfg.orig 2008-04-17 17:58:31.000000000 +0200
+++ mirrors.cfg 2008-05-08 15:08:58.000000000 +0200
@@ -219,6 +219,8 @@
 ftp://debian.nsu.ru/ubuntu/(i386andamd64)

 #===SouthAfrica===
+http://mirror.frogfoot.net/ubuntu/
+http://za.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/
 ftp://ftp.is.co.za/ubuntu/
 ftp://ftp.leg.uct.ac.za/pub/linux/ubuntu/
 ftp://ftp.sun.ac.za/ftp/ubuntu/
}}}
 * Allowed the upgrade to continue and voila it works from the Frogfoot mirrors, and the ZA ones for `backports`...
 * Revert the change to the Python file above... (obviously I saved it...)