apt-get/synaptic bandwidth limiting (mini-HOWTO)

[francesc]

I'm sure many of you miss an option to limit the donwload-rate in apt-get, it's quite useful if you share bandwidth, ... so I decided to write a mini-HOWTO about it.

Download bandwidth limiting can be accomplished using trickle (an user-space bandwidth shaper) with the http and ftp file retrieval "plug-ins" of apt.

First of all you have to install trickle, then you have to make apt-get use trickle for downloads, for example with the http method :

dpkg-divert --local --rename /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
echo '#!/bin/sh' > /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
echo '/usr/bin/trickle -s -d 25 /usr/lib/apt/methods/http.distrib' >> usr/lib/apt/methods/http
chmod 755 /usr/lib/apt/methods/http

Repeat this process for the ftp method (if you have any ftp repository) replacing http for ftp.

The "-d 25" sets the rate-limit to 25KB/s. You may want to remove the -s/-d switches and configure trickled.

If you want to remove it:

rm /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
dpkg-divert --local --remove /usr/lib/apt/methods/http

[tkiesel]

dpkg-divert --local --rename /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
echo '#!/bin/sh' > /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
echo '/usr/bin/trickle -s -d 25 /usr/lib/apt/methods/http.distrib' >> usr/lib/apt/methods/http
chmod 755 /usr/lib/apt/methods/http

Executing the first line works just fine, with the consequence that /usr/lib/apt/methods/http disappears and /usr/lib/apt/methods/http.distrib appears. However, when trying to execute the second line, the fact that /usr/lib/apt/methods/http no longer exists gets in the way.

tkiesel@gecko:~ $ sudo echo '#!/bin/sh' > /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
bash: /usr/lib/apt/methods/http: Permission denied

I'm hoping to make my apt play nice with my MMORPG gaming brother-in-law, and would very much like getting this to work.

[deathburger]

tkiesel@gecko:~ $ sudo echo '#!/bin/sh' > /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
bash: /usr/lib/apt/methods/http: Permission denied

Try 'sudo bash' first? Some things seem to like to work only when you've got a root shell.

[enbuyukfener]

Thanks for this.

For those having issues, switch to the root user before running this to make things easier.

At the console:

su
>Password: *****

Also, on the 3rd line, you might want to change the path at the end to /usr/lib/apt/methods/http (note the slash at the start). This is assuming most will run the commands from their home directory.

[bwhite82]

Tiny correction, on Ubuntu systems, I belive the command has to be:

sudo su

[gsmanners]

Another thing that would work is to make a shortcut with this command:

trickle -s -d 25 gksu synaptic

[Mithrilhall]

You could also try Wondershaper and if you're looking for something with more features you can go with MasterShaper.

http://lartc.org/wondershaper/ - Available via apt-get

www.mastershaper.org/

[tkmunzwa]

dpkg-divert --local --rename /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
echo '#!/bin/sh' > /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
echo '/usr/bin/trickle -s -d 25 /usr/lib/apt/methods/http.distrib' >> usr/lib/apt/methods/http
chmod 755 /usr/lib/apt/methods/http

For me, the second line was failng with a "File not found" error, then I noticed the path is missing the initial '/'

All in all, tt should be

sudo su
dpkg-divert --local --rename /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
echo '#!/bin/sh' > /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
echo '/usr/bin/trickle -s -d 25 /usr/lib/apt/methods/http.distrib' >>  /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
chmod 755 /usr/lib/apt/methods/http

The traffic shaping is working brilliantly for me. Previously, my hardy box at the office was clobbering the bandwidth on every update, the boss was not very pleased.

[airtonix]

 			 				trickle -s -d 25 sudo gnome-terminal

You could also try Wondershaper and if you're looking for something with more features you can go with MasterShaper.

Havent tried mastershaper, walthough i did try wondershaper when two of us were playing mmorpgs in a house of 5 that all used the net, we resorted to squid.

[michallo]

I've found better sollution on internet.
Create /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/76download file with content:
Acquire
{
Queue-mode "access";
http
{
Dl-Limit "25";
};
};

After that apt-get will be limited to 25KB/s