Install and configure apt-cacher on Untangle UTM

[tmedcalf]

Is good if you have multiple systems that use deb packages (apt-get, aptitude, synaptic,...) to accelerate new builds and updates.
After enabling the appropriate Debian repositories:
As of this posting you will have to add the current Debian Lenny repositories to the file /etc/apt/sources.list since they have been moved.

Install apt-cacher:

apt-get update

apt-get install apt-cacher

In Configuration - Networking - Packet Filter add Packet Filter rules for the interfaces you want apt-cacher to serve

apt-cacher and apt-cacher-ng Internal PASS Port 3142

apt-cacher and apt-cacher-ng DMZ PASS Port 3142

Review settings in /etc/apt-cacher/apt-cacher.conf

nano /etc/apt-cacher/apt-cacher.conf

Enable autostart of the apt-cacher daemon

nano /etc/default/apt-cacher

Change AUTOSTART=0 to AUTOSTART=1

Restart Apache:

/etc/init.d/apache2 restart

Start apt-cacher:

/etc/init.d/apt-cacher start
Starting Apt-Cacher: apt-cacher Warning: /var/log/apt-cacher/access.log missing. Creating.
Warning: /var/log/apt-cacher/error.log missing. Creating.

Configuring the Clients

With a web browser check the accessibility of apt-cacher

http://”your-untangle-utm”:3142

You should get the apt-cacher configuration web page for clients.
You can configure your client as per the instruction on the page or you can use this simpler method.

# touch /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20proxy

# nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20proxy

add this single line were XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX is the IP address of your Untangle UTM

Acquire::http { Proxy "http://XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX:3142"; };

Save and close then run apt-get update. Your client system should be ready to use the apt-cacher cache.

[sky-knight]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but since Untangle uses custom repositories, this configuration is useless? You'll be caching Untangle specific apt sources, and if you leave general Debian Apt sources active, your box breaks at 2am.

[tmedcalf]

I have been using this for a while and it works correctly. In my experience, verified by watching apt-get update, (no errors because it cannot find the repo) and examination of the cache both apt-cacher and apt-cacher-ng both check, and cache the repository the client asks for and nothing else. (To check the cache use the ls command: ls /var/cache/apt-cacher/packages)This means that you can use it with multiple distros and multiple versions of the same distro. Apt-cacher is not as graceful as apt-cacher-ng, apt-cacher appears to dump everything in one place, while apt-cacher-ng separates by distro, then version, then sets up the cache very much like a mirror.

I like apt-cacher-ng better but have not been able to get it to work properly in Debian Lenny or Untangle, I do use it in Ubuntu.

Since you do not configure your Untangle-box to use the cache none to the Untangle specific packages are cached.

Using package caching programs does mean that you need a larger hard drive.

[tmedcalf]

Thank you for reminding me to say that it is important to turn the Debian repos back off after any modification. The minimum reason is that this is a security distro so making your own changes is a risk. Leaving the system open to more changes without your knowledge is a larger risk.

And we really do not want to break this great ditsro.

[sky-knight]

Ok, I just wanted to be certain it wasn't caching Untangle's stuff. I don't have any experience with this package, and a quick Google just returned some things that I was afraid could hurt someone.

If it's caching the repos the client asks for, then it's basically just a proxy for apt on other machines. If you do a ton of Linux work, this could be a valuable hack. Personally? I'd just spin up a Ubuntu VM and use it. It's small, and fits anywhere, and could easily operate on any other server you had around via any number of virtualization options.

And the drive warning is fair, but Untangle uses so little and the recent versions aren't doing the 80gb silliness anymore, just a nice big /. So that shouldn't be as much of an issue for new installs.

[tmedcalf]

That is exactly what apt-cacher and apt-cacher-ng are, an apt proxy. It is not a mirror, it only gets and caches what you actualy asked for. Making subsequent dowloads to other machines on the network faster. Useful if you have many machines or limited bandwidth.