Brainstorming for UDS-N - Disconnected updates/upgrades

[Stefano Rivera]

Many corporate environments (and in my case University) have restrictive
firewalls, but may have a local Ubuntu mirror. However, update-manager
cannot upgrade Ubuntu without connection to changelogs.ubuntu.com and
archive.ubuntu.com. This is especially a problem in the Developing World
where mirror access may be free but International data isn't.

I'd like to see this dependency get moved to mirrors. I've got general
approval from Michael Vogt (as the update-manager upstream) for this in
the past, but this is going to take some coordination to actually
happen.


I'd also like to do something about packages like flashplugin and
msttcorefonts that download things from specific URLs during
installation. Having a, preferably centrally, configurable proxy for
these install scripts would make our users lives much easier, and cause
less upgrade-breakage.

Existing spec: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/disconnected-upgrade

Unfortunately I cannot make it to UDS (I'll be present remotely). I'd
love it if someone could drive this at the UDS for me.

SR

-- 
Stefano Rivera
  http://tumbleweed.org.za/
  H: +27 21 465 6908 C: +27 72 419 8559  UCT: x3127