[Bug 1308200] [NEW] apt-get not RFC6555 (Happy Eyeballs) compliant

[Sander Jonkers]

Public bug reported:

Disclaimer: I'm not sure if this is a bug, or a feature. If it is not a
bug, I think reporting this issue is useful anyway because it causes
long delays in apt-get install / apt-get update.

On dual-stack setups (IPv4 and IPv6), if one of the two paths is slow or
non-functional at all, the overall application experience can be slow.

An application that uses a Happy Eyeballs (RFC 6555) algorithm checks
both IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity (with a preference for IPv6) and uses
the first connection that is returned. This has been implemented in, for
example, Chrome and Firefox.

apt / apt-get does not have this functionality. Due to this lack, a apt-
get run can be very slow: a "sudo apt-get update" can take up to 15
minutes on a system with a non-functional IPv6 connection, even if the
system is already uptodate, which normally only takes 15 seconds or so.

"man apt.conf" shows this info:

       ForceIPv4
           When downloading, force to use only the IPv4 protocol.

       ForceIPv6
           When downloading, force to use only the IPv6 protocol.

So no feature "RFC6555" or "HappyEyeballs".

An ugly work-around is this: Create a file /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99timeout
with these contents

Acquire::http::Timeout "2";
Acquire::ftp::Timeout "2";

That way, after 2 seconds the other path is chosen.

$ lsb_release -rd
Description:	Ubuntu 14.04 LTS
Release:	14.04

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: apt 1.0.1ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Tue Apr 15 20:26:25 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-04-10 (4 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Daily amd64 (20140410)
SourcePackage: apt
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: apt (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug trusty

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1308200

Title:
  apt-get not RFC6555 (Happy Eyeballs) compliant

Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Disclaimer: I'm not sure if this is a bug, or a feature. If it is not
  a bug, I think reporting this issue is useful anyway because it causes
  long delays in apt-get install / apt-get update.

  On dual-stack setups (IPv4 and IPv6), if one of the two paths is slow
  or non-functional at all, the overall application experience can be
  slow.

  An application that uses a Happy Eyeballs (RFC 6555) algorithm checks
  both IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity (with a preference for IPv6) and uses
  the first connection that is returned. This has been implemented in,
  for example, Chrome and Firefox.

  apt / apt-get does not have this functionality. Due to this lack, a
  apt-get run can be very slow: a "sudo apt-get update" can take up to
  15 minutes on a system with a non-functional IPv6 connection, even if
  the system is already uptodate, which normally only takes 15 seconds
  or so.

  "man apt.conf" shows this info:

         ForceIPv4
             When downloading, force to use only the IPv4 protocol.

         ForceIPv6
             When downloading, force to use only the IPv6 protocol.

  So no feature "RFC6555" or "HappyEyeballs".

  An ugly work-around is this: Create a file
  /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99timeout with these contents

  Acquire::http::Timeout "2";
  Acquire::ftp::Timeout "2";

  That way, after 2 seconds the other path is chosen.

  $ lsb_release -rd
  Description:	Ubuntu 14.04 LTS
  Release:	14.04

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
  Package: apt 1.0.1ubuntu2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
  Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu2
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: Unity
  Date: Tue Apr 15 20:26:25 2014
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-04-10 (4 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Daily amd64 (20140410)
  SourcePackage: apt
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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