[sf-lug] zsync, ... (was: Ubuntu, GPartEd, Bad Luck with Blue Collar Linux-Help! etc.)

[Michael Paoli]

> From: "Bobbie Sellers" <bliss-sf4ever at dslextreme.com>
> Subject: [sf-lug] Ubuntu, GPartEd, Bad Luck with Blue Collar Linux-Help! etc.
> Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2019 09:22:26 -0800

>     Today's News is that Distrowatch is now stocking
> /Distribution Release: Ubuntu 18.04.2 /LTS.
>
>     Hopefully this will not be full of the problems that have
> plagued Ubuntu lately.
>     With a little luck I will have several versions including
> Kubuntu and Lubuntu as well as the mainline product.

Using zsync, particularly where one has modestly older release versions,
or similar flavors (*buntu) DVD ISOs, or similarly for Debian
"Live" DVDs, download volume & ISO build speed can be significantly
improved by using zsync.  With zsync, you can feed it earlier/similar
reference images, and it will used those to avoid redundantly downloading
what it already has.  This notably also works with compressed filesystem
images - which is what "Live" DVD versions generally have (including
*buntu and Debian "Live" DVDs), where one can't otherwise use
similar techniques such as jigdo.

So, in short, zsync - at least where supported, great for
download/update of similar where the data is mostly a
compressed filesystem.
Using jigdo can be most useful where the data is mostly a
collection of individual files/packages (e.g. Debian CDs, and
non-"live" versions, possibly also *buntu "alternative" installer
ISOs ... if they're still doing those).

Of course there's also bittorent - but that won't help with the
download volume ... but might help the speed if things are
bottlenecked on the server(s).  Bittorrent also good for
helping spread the load and share that data (ease burden from
distro's server(s) & mirror(s)).