Approx is an HTTP-based Debian archive server. It fetches packages from remote repositories on demand, and caches them for local use.
Approx saves time and network bandwidth if you need to install or upgrade Debian software for a number of machines on a local network. Each package is downloaded from a remote site only once, regardless of how many local clients install it. The approx cache typically requires a few gigabytes of disk space.
Approx also simplifies the administration of client machines: repository locations need only be changed in approx’s configuration file, not in every client’s /etc/apt/sources.list file.
Install approx in debian
#apt-get install approx
Configuring approx Server
You need to edit /etc/approx/approx.conf file
#vi /etc/approx/approx.conf
Make you you have similar to the following options
interval 120
max_wait 10
debian http://http.uk.debian.org/debian
security http://security.debian.org/debian-security
non-us http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US
Save and exit the file
Now restart approx server using the following command
#/etc/init.d/approx restart
Clients Configuration
edit /etc/hosts to set localproxy to the IP address of your approx server
#vi /etc/hosts
add your approx server ip and name
172.30.8.3 approx-server
Save and exit the file
Then edit /etc/apt/sources.list to work via your approx server
#vi /etc/apt/sources.list
add following lines
deb http://approx-server:9999/debian stable main non-free contrib
deb-src http://approx-server:9999/debian etch main non-free contrib
deb http://approx-server:9999/security stable/updates main non-free contrib
deb-src http://approx-server:9999/security etch/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://approx-server:9999/non-us stable main non-free contrib
save and exit
Now run the following command to start upgrade
#apt-get update
Initially you may get time-out problems: Try again if you need to. After the first run, subsequent runs should be much faster.
Hi
I’m a newbie, trying to learn and find your web-site is a gold mine of
info. For people like it’s a great resource.
I have a few questions regarding approx.
I configured both my systems according to your tutorial. But I still see
that the whenever I try to install something on my client. I see that
the client is going through the proxy but downloading from the ftp site instead of from the archives in the cache on my server.
Could you please help me in figuring out what mistake I’m doing.
Will be very obliged.
Thanks