Downloading updates using a 2G connection is a nightmare

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#1

Hi,
I am using 2G mobile broadband connection to connect to Internet.

Downloading updates using a 2G connection is proving to be a nightmare.

Its so slow that it never finishes.

Any tips for me ?

#2

Hi
Perhaps can’t handle multiple connections to different mirrors? Select a mirror in your locale from the list https://mirrors.opensuse.org/ and rename your download.opensuse.org URL to the mirror you select.

#3

Thanks for your reply.

I visited that mirrors page but cant figure out how to modify my existing configuration.

I want to add the Indian mirror.

Please tell me the exact url which I should add.

Also should I replace all the active repos with the Indian mirror ? How ?

Repository priorities are without effect. All enabled repositories share the same priority.

#  | Alias                     | Name                                    | Enabled | GPG Check | Refresh
---+---------------------------+-----------------------------------------+---------+-----------+--------
 1 | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-1      | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-1                    | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes    
 2 | packman.inode.at-suse     | Packman Repository                      | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes    
 3 | repo-debug                | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Debug                | No      | ----      | ----   
 4 | repo-debug-non-oss        | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Debug-Non-Oss        | No      | ----      | ----   
 5 | repo-debug-update         | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update-Debug         | No      | ----      | ----   
 6 | repo-debug-update-non-oss | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update-Debug-Non-Oss | No      | ----      | ----   
 7 | repo-non-oss              | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Non-Oss              | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes    
 8 | repo-source               | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Source               | No      | ----      | ----   
 9 | repo-source-non-oss       | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Source-Non-Oss       | No      | ----      | ----   
10 | repo-update               | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update               | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes    
11 | repo-update-non-oss       | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update-Non-Oss       | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes
#4

Hi
Can you show the output from;


zypper lr -d

I’m guessing repo number 1 is the install media? Maybe you have this on a location on the hard drive?

#5 
Repository priorities are without effect. All enabled repositories share the same priority.

#  | Alias                     | Name                                    | Enabled | GPG Check | Refresh | Priority | Type   | URI                                                                      | Service
---+---------------------------+-----------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------+----------+--------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+--------
 1 | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-1      | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-1                    | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes     |   99     | rpm-md | http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/oss             |        
 2 | packman.inode.at-suse     | Packman Repository                      | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes     |   99     | rpm-md | http://packman.inode.at/suse/openSUSE_Leap_15.0/                         |        
 3 | repo-debug                | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Debug                | No      | ----      | ----    |   99     | NONE   | http://download.opensuse.org/debug/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/oss/      |        
 4 | repo-debug-non-oss        | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Debug-Non-Oss        | No      | ----      | ----    |   99     | NONE   | http://download.opensuse.org/debug/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/non-oss/  |        
 5 | repo-debug-update         | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update-Debug         | No      | ----      | ----    |   99     | NONE   | http://download.opensuse.org/debug/update/leap/15.0/oss/                 |        
 6 | repo-debug-update-non-oss | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update-Debug-Non-Oss | No      | ----      | ----    |   99     | NONE   | http://download.opensuse.org/debug/update/leap/15.0/non-oss/             |        
 7 | repo-non-oss              | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Non-Oss              | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes     |   99     | rpm-md | http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/non-oss/        |        
 8 | repo-source               | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Source               | No      | ----      | ----    |   99     | NONE   | http://download.opensuse.org/source/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/oss/     |        
 9 | repo-source-non-oss       | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Source-Non-Oss       | No      | ----      | ----    |   99     | NONE   | http://download.opensuse.org/source/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/non-oss/ |        
10 | repo-update               | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update               | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes     |   99     | rpm-md | http://download.opensuse.org/update/leap/15.0/oss/                       |        
11 | repo-update-non-oss       | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update-Non-Oss       | Yes     | (r ) Yes  | Yes     |   99     | rpm-md | http://download.opensuse.org/update/leap/15.0/non-oss/                   |
#6

Hi
If you fire up YaST → Software Repositories, highlight the repo to change and hit the edit button, replace the download.opensuse.org with the mirror reference, for example, number one;


http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/oss

Changes to

http://opensuse.mirrors.estointernet.in/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/oss/
#7

I launched YAST > Software Repositories > highlighted the first repo > clicked edit > Edit complete URL > then replaced



http://download.opensuse.org/update/leap/15.0/non-oss/

with

http://opensuse.mirrors.estointernet.in/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/oss/

then clicked OK but nothing is changing the url remains the same (old one).

Can I edit a text file instead ? How ? What is the location ?

#8

Hi
All the files in /etc/zypp/repos.d.

#9

Unfortunately there are too many files to edit.

Any ideas why the GUI is not working ?

#10

Repository priorities are without effect. All enabled repositories share the same priority.

| Alias | Name | Enabled | GPG Check | Refresh | Priority | Type | URI | Service

—±--------------------------±----------------------------------------±--------±----------±--------±---------±-------±-----------------------------------------------------------------------------±-------
1 | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-1 | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-1 | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes | 99 | rpm-md | http://opensuse.mirrors.estointernet.in/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/oss |
2 | packman.inode.at-suse | Packman Repository | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes | 99 | rpm-md | http://packman.inode.at/suse/openSUSE_Leap_15.0/ |
3 | repo-debug | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Debug | No | ---- | ---- | 99 | NONE | http://download.opensuse.org/debug/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/oss/ |
4 | repo-debug-non-oss | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Debug-Non-Oss | No | ---- | ---- | 99 | NONE | http://download.opensuse.org/debug/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/non-oss/ |
5 | repo-debug-update | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update-Debug | No | ---- | ---- | 99 | NONE | http://download.opensuse.org/debug/update/leap/15.0/oss/ |
6 | repo-debug-update-non-oss | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update-Debug-Non-Oss | No | ---- | ---- | 99 | NONE | http://download.opensuse.org/debug/update/leap/15.0/non-oss/ |
7 | repo-non-oss | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Non-Oss | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes | 99 | rpm-md | http://opensuse.mirrors.estointernet.in/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/non-oss/ |
8 | repo-source | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Source | No | ---- | ---- | 99 | NONE | http://download.opensuse.org/source/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/oss/ |
9 | repo-source-non-oss | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Source-Non-Oss | No | ---- | ---- | 99 | NONE | http://download.opensuse.org/source/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/non-oss/ |
10 | repo-update | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes | 99 | rpm-md | http://opensuse.mirrors.estointernet.in/update/leap/15.0/oss/ |
11 | repo-update-non-oss | openSUSE-Leap-15.0-Update-Non-Oss | Yes | (r ) Yes | Yes | 99 | rpm-md | http://opensuse.mirrors.estointernet.in/distribution/leap/15.0/repo/oss/ |

I have edited all the files excluding the packman repo but its still stuck at

Retrieving repository opensuse-leap-15.0-1 metadata
#11

Hi
You missed the trailing / after oss.

#12

I don’t know how effective the previous suggestions in this Forum thread will be,
A fact of today’s life is that broadband… or at least something faster than… I think you’re probably downloading somewhere between 64-128kb/sec?.. is just really insufficient today.

But, to just make the best of your situation,
I’d recommend off the top of my head…

  • You’re already using LEAP which is vastly preferable over Tumbleweed, but still means at least maybe 300Mbytes and probably a lot more per month.
  • Decide on the minimal times you are willing to update per month. Fewer updates can mean less downloading but less frequent patching and features which can increase risk.
  • Minimize the number of applications you run. More applications of course mean more update downloading but could be less enjoyable or even poorer User experience.
  • Use the most minimal Desktop you feel comfortable with, which can be no Desktop, no Desktop but use a Windows Manager (I’ve run Fluxbox, Openbox, IceWM on openSUSE and there are many others which should work), a light Desktop like XFCE or LXQt.
  • Maybe patch and don’t update which will secure your machine without installing improvements

Note that however you set up your machine, the first steps for refreshing your repositories which includes downloading metadata will remain the same, it’s only what packages are actually downloaded later that are determined by your machine’s needs.

As you’re discovering,
Updating can take a very long time, even retrieving metadata. And, I’ve found that the metadata download can take longer when you haven’t updated for longer amounts of time (which likely means that metadata is hierarchical so different metadata sets have to be downloaded for each and all missed updates, then integrated and digested to provide a final metadata your machine can use)
Just don’t watch what’s happening, go do something else and come back later.

If you get antsy, you might configure some kind of bandwidth monitoring so you know when your network is active or not but you still shouldn’t be impatient when your network connection is inactive… It could be that your machine is simply working on the downloaded data before requesting more.

Also,
If you’re doing nothing more than accessing Cloud services like web-based email and Cloud Storage,
You might consider running a LiveCD instead of a normal install,
In that case you can forgo any updates because by running on a LiveCD there’s no possibility of malware installed on your system, and to address run-time malware you’d simply download and run a new, updated LiveCD image.
If you run a LiveCD image off a USB stick, you’d want to make the stick Read Only.

HTH,
TSU

#13

Consult with your mobile network operator.
Improve a cell signal.
Improve your antenna and its location.
Try another provider.
Change your hardware. It is better to use a specialised cell modem, and not an ordinary cell phone.
When you say 2G then what do you mean? Is it old 2G or GPRS (2.5G) or EDGE (2.75G)?

With General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), 2G offers a theoretical maximum transfer speed of 50 kbit/s (40 kbit/s in practice).[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2G#cite_note-Proximus-2)not in citation given] With EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), there is a theoretical maximum transfer speed of 1 Mbit/s (500 kbit/s in practice).

The best way is to get a 3G or a 4G or a 5G connection.

Or maybe this carrier is shuting down:

India Airtel 2019 (TBC) Bharti Airtel, the largest carrier will shut down the 2G network later after 2019.
#14

I have upgraded to 4G. Problem solved.