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Thread ID: 70367	2006-07-01 01:38:00	NZ Ubuntu Mirror Updates	Erayd (23)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
467501	2006-07-01 01:38:00	Does anyone have any idea how the NZ Ubuntu mirrors get their updates? Twice in the last couple of months I have come across updates (11 packages, 3 packages) that are listed as available from those repositories, but which fail to download with a 404 error. Do the mirrors update the package list before the actual packages? Or could this issue related to something else? The packages did eventually turn up, but it took between 2-3 days for it to happen. I use Kubuntu, with Adept, Synaptic, or plain old apt-get as the package manager - depending on what I feel like using at the time. Note: I'm not asking for help, I'm trying to start a discussion.	Erayd (23)
467502	2006-07-01 01:47:00	Some of the updates would be fairly large. The updated list would be tiny in comparison, so it would be available immediately. The others would take as long as they take. If there are a lot of them in a batch, it will take that much longer. Fast is not synonymous with immediate. It never has been.	Graham L (2)
467503	2006-07-01 02:20:00	But doesn't it make sense to update the packages before updating the update list? Noting that 6.06 is being marketed as a serious alternative for the non-geek average user, would it not make sense to avoid issues that could cause the users to panic? If the list was updated only after the packages on the mirrors were updated, there would be no error. For example, this is how I suspect the typical user's experience with this issue would be: Hmmm. What's this new icon by the clock? [hovers mouse over it for the tooltop] Oh, it says there are updates available. I must need them. [clicks the icon. Adept launches in update mode] Hmmm. A password? [user enters their password for sudo. Once adept launches, they do the logical thing and click the 'fetch updates' button] Look! 11 new updates. This must be serious. [user clicks on the 'Apply Updates' button] Aaargh! Panic! I see a box! [what user is seeing is Adept's highly ambiguous 'update failed' message, warning of possible damage to the system should the updates be applied] What do I do now? [clicks 'OK' to get rid of the box] I can't update, and something must be wrong with my system! [user calls techie friend, who then has to calm them down and inform them that the problem will fix itself in the fullness of time] The ambiguity of Adept's error messages would be the cause of a lot of the problems under this situation - Synaptic is a lot better, simply informing the user that it has encountered a 404 not found error (most users find this a lot easier than Adept's dire warning about committing packages, as 404 errors are fairly common on the web). However doesn't it make sense to avoid this situation entirely? If users weren't informed of updates before they were made available, wouldn't this go a long way in getting (k)ubuntu accepted by the average user?	Erayd (23)
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