Package: apt-cacher (1.4.1) [universe]

caching system for Debian package and source files

Apt-cacher performs caching of .deb and source packages which have been downloaded by local users (aka package proxy). It is most useful for local area networks with slow internet link.

When a package is requested, the cache checks whether it already has the expected version, in which case it sends the package to the user immediately. If not, it downloads the package while streaming it to the user at the same time. A local copy is then kept for use by other users.

Apt-cacher has been optimized to get the best utilization from the network connection and good response times and troughput even on slow low-memory servers. Multiple ways of installation are possible: as a stand-alone HTTP server, as a daemon executed by inetd or as a CGI program.

The package includes utilities to import already downloaded packages from local media into the cache (even using file links to save space), to clean the cache removing obsolete package files and a HTML report generator. Experimental features include a simple package checksum verification useful on unstable networks and pre-fetching of packages, selecting the list based on various criteria.