Shared apt cache using apt-cacher-ng

Shared apt cache using apt-cacher-ng

In this short how-to i will describe how to use Shared apt cache using apt-cacher-ng. With the use of apt-cacher-ng you can safe a lot traffic since it acts like a cache proxy and will download deb packages only once.

Prerequisites:

• apt-cacher-ng (on Server)
• new config file in: /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/01apt-cacher on Server and Clients

Install apt-cacher-ng
Install the apt-cacher-ng software as root user on your server:

aptitude install apt-cacher-ng

Configure apt-cacher-ng
Modify file: /etc/apt-cacher-ng/acng.conf as you need it.

Create a Proxy config on your server + all sharing clients
Place a new file in your apt conf dir: /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/01apt-cacher with following content:

Acquire::http { Proxy "http://yourServerIP:3142"; };
Acquire::https { Proxy "https://"; };

Thats it!
After that you can use apt-get or aptitude update/upgrade regulary.
The connection will now be passed through your apt-cacher-ng proxy server instance and if there are any existing packages it will use the cached ones instead of loading them over internet again.

You can watch your apt-cacher proxy stats by entering url:

http://yourServerIP:3142/acng-report.html

into your browser.

Have fun!