controlling the download transfer rate while updating a system

[NoOp]

On 02/11/2009 07:50 AM, H.S. wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> There have been times where I have wished that I could control the
> download rate while the system was being updated and updates were being
> downloaded. Well, I discovered this on Debian user mailing list and
> tried it with success so I wanted to share the experience.
> 
> To control the default download rate while the updates are being
> downloaded, make the change in /etc/apt/apt.conf (using sudo). I
> inserted the following lines in a machine to cap the download rate
> //-------------------------------------------------------------
> // Options for the downloading routines
> Acquire
> {
>   // HTTP method configuration
>   http
>   {
>     Dl-Limit "20";        // maximum download rate in KB/s
>   };
> 
> };
> //-------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Note the Dl-Limit number has units of Kilo Bytes per second.
> 
> Now, what if I wanted to utilize larger bandwidth for the transfers? I
> could either change the number in the file and then do the update, or I
> could specify the new limit on a command line itself. The following
> command, as an example, will update the system by capping the download
> speed to 100 KB/s (one could use apt-get instead of aptitude if desired).
> 
> $> aptitude -o Acquire::http::DL-Limit=100 safe-update
> 
> Regards.
> 

Thanks! I've been 'Wishing' that for some time now... to the point of
filing a Wishlist bug last February:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+bug/193558
[ [Wishlist] Include limit-rate bandwidth option]

I'll give your method a go. That said, I'd still like to see a simple
configuration option in update-manager (similar to that of gwget) so
that users don't have to manually edit apt config files.

Note: not snipping on pupose as I'd like to leave both for the archives.