We can help! Slackware users unite.

onebuck · 03-20-2016, 10:38 AM

Hi,

Quote:

http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/0b2f6df...=identicon&r=G taper.alienbase.nl will probably also stop acting as a HTTP mirror

by alienbob

The virtual machine which runs "taper.alienbase.nl" as well as "docs.slackware.com"is still crashing under the load caused by massive downloads. The server's rsync access is already limited to a few known sources but when half the community is downloading my Slackware-current install ISOs and the Live ISOs using HTTP, this is still killing the server. I have to hard reset it at least once a week.
On top of that, the bandwidth usage is still between 50 and 200 Mbit/sec continuously, causing financial issues for the person who donated the use of this virtual machine.
I am afraid I have to take additional measures, and prohibit future access to the ISO images. I am thinking about how I can still make the slackware-current install ISOs available - probably they will get mirrored on slackware.uk where you already can download the Live ISOs.
I wanted to rent a small VPS at online.net which offers unlimited bandwidth for a fixed monthly price but they are currently not able to deliver. So currently I have no real options for moving my repositories.
Again my apologies for the inconvenience caused.
However I consider the downtime for docs.slackware.com which is caused by the frequent crashes unacceptable - just as much as I think my pal should not suffer from financial backlash as a result of the growing popularity of these ISO images.
Eric

I hope Slackware users can step in here to help keep things running smoothly for Eric and the Slackware user base.

Hope this helps.
Have fun & enjoy!

GazL · 03-20-2016, 11:27 AM

Probably doesn't help that his server got linked on distrowatch's announcements for Slackware 14.2 BETA* and RC1.

Quote:

As always, there are no official ISO images to download, but Slackware developer Eric Hameleers continues his weekly builds of unofficial installation DVDs from Slackware's "Current" branch; interested testers can download the most recent one for the x86_64 architecture from here: slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (2,634MB, MD5).

What is important is the continued availability of the docs and the build scripts. Throw the ISOs under a bus if need be.

orbea · 03-20-2016, 11:58 AM

Yea, if it was me I'd remove the isos and only add them back to other servers that will not have these problems, at least until a better solution is found.

af7567 · 03-20-2016, 12:03 PM

Is there any reason why bittorrent can't be used for the ISOs? It seems like the easiest alternative to HTTP for the ISO images, assuming people actually seed them

Alien Bob · 03-20-2016, 12:41 PM

I don't think bittorrent is useful for ISO images that have an average lifetime of days (new ISO after every update in -current).
By the time the seeders have picked up speed there's another torrent tracker to be made.

Daedra · 03-20-2016, 01:03 PM

Just a thought, but what about keeping the -current ISO directory but just have the mirror-slackware-current.sh script in there with a README? Have the users make their own ISO.

keithpeter · 03-20-2016, 03:02 PM

Just reinstalled using the usbboot.img dd'ed to a USB stick.

Booted off the stick, ran dhcpcd eth0, set up partitions, pointed to a local mirror when prompted (write the web address and subfolders down first - no links Web browser on the installer!) and went and made the tea.

Perhaps a method to recommend to people who have wired Internet connections that are not metered?

ttk · 03-20-2016, 04:08 PM

Can we help remedy the problem by throwing money at someone? To whom should it be thrown, and by what method?

D1ver · 03-20-2016, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ttk

Can we help remedy the problem by throwing money at someone? To whom should it be thrown, and by what method?

Yea, this. What sort of costs would be involved in setting up a VPS to just mirror all your stuff and take some load off Eric? I'd be interested in helping out.

Drakeo · 03-20-2016, 09:47 PM

Money is simple got to alien pastures and donate send the man some beer money let the trickle down effect work just kidding.
Eric has done awesome things with hardware and money donations. He uses it for the cause all the time.
http://alien.slackbook.org/blog/ click the donate button. Add a note to send to new server. and let the money flow in.
Feel the Bern of open source and crowd fund. Keep it open. Ya.
I do know sourceforge allows this. I wonder if sneeking them on to a git hub would work hehehe. sneaky.
think about it I mean last pull from chrome was 15 gigs ???

Drakeo · 03-20-2016, 10:01 PM

for most of your stuff you could got to bitbucket they allow everything you have you would just us Mercurial or git to keep things in sync. Right now a free account allows 5 users for free. or 10 a month for ten users. fact is you only need one user you.
They have great bandwidth. I am a huge fan of it and have tons of stuff on it.
you think about syncing your prjojects and the ability to roll it back.
If you want to throw a mirror of slackware on bitbucket lets do it.

keithpeter · 03-21-2016, 01:56 AM

http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/slackwa...e-current-iso/

Someone else appears to be doing a DVD using the makeslack.iso script.

HEANET have fat pipes.

Might be a good one to link against for RC2 if there is one?

PS: modest donation made, takes seconds.

franzen · 03-21-2016, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alien Bob

I don't think bittorrent is useful for ISO images that have an average lifetime of days (new ISO after every update in -current).

Could mod_proxy_balancer be an option?
I could provide two mirror-server with each 100Mbit flat.

Franzen

FTIO · 03-21-2016, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ttk

Can we help remedy the problem by throwing money at someone? To whom should it be thrown, and by what method?

This. I live on a small fixed income and made a donation. If I can do it, anyone can...they just have to actually want to and bite the bullet on buying that new shiny whatsamajigit for another time.

Alien Bob · 03-21-2016, 10:50 AM

Several people made a donation (you all know who you are!) and thank you for that! It made me decide to rent a server and I just made my first payment for monthly 10.88 Euro fee.
I will keep this server online for as long as the donation money covers it. Should not be a problem.

At online.net they do not offer Slackware as an installation OS so I will have to start with Ubunto rescue environment and then follow kikinovak's HOWTO for installation of Slackware.
I have 120 GB disk and unlimited data, so that should become a nice server for downloading lots of Slackware Live and Slackware-current installation ISOs.
Now to find time to do this ASAP...

Again, thanks for the support.