[ubuntu] Ubuntu Package Manager in Norfolk

[alecspoons]

Can anyone shed light on this?

I've seen there are people in Norfolk and Suffolk here, so you might be able to help.

 

I'm trying Ubuntu on school laptops and netbooks. I know Ubuntu really well, but can't get the package manager to connect, just getting "No route to host" error.

 

I can't think of anything I've missed.

We're behind a proxy, of course. Is that it? Can we not connect to the package servers behind the proxy?

Am I missing something really obvious?

Or maybe there is some cunning way around this.

 

Thanks for any thoughts.

[Hacksawbob]

I think you need to set the proxy in the system settings, there is a system wide proxy rather than just setting it in the browser which makes sense in linux land. Although I have a vague memory of doing some thing via the command line last time I did it there is an option via the gui, you would need to set this dynamically for each user who logs on to have some control of who gets what through your proxy, I think! Edited May 11, 2009 by Hacksawbob

[kmount]

Hi Alec,

 

If you're behind a proxy you'll need to tell Ubuntu that by clicking on System, Preferences, Network Proxy and inputting the information in there.

 

Hope this helps!

 

EDIT:

 

The command line way Hacksawbob refers to is most likely:

 

export http_proxy="http://proxy.com:port"
export ftp_proxy="http://proxy.com:port"

 

Or so!

[alecspoons]

Thanks for the replies

 

I've already tried that, however!

 

I'm as sure as I can be that the information I have in there is right, and the error occurs on two different machines so it's not the machine.

 

My suspicion is that I cannot access the repository servers through the proxy - and I have no control at all over the proxy!

 

Any other ideas?

[Ric_]

Have you tried a different mirror? (Maybe use apt-mirror or something to host a local repository)

 

Do you have authentication turned on at the proxy? (This can break things)

[tmcd35]

How are they trying to connect to the repository - which protocol? CVS, FTP, HTTP? I'm not sure which port CVS uses and think that might be blocked by NCC.

 

For FTP you need an IP within the first 7 of a range 10.x.x.1 - 10.x.x.7 - IP's above 7 are blocked on FTP.

 

For HTTP, have you tried pointing a web browser at the repository. You'll soon find out if it's blocked by NCC's bluecoat servers.

 

Also double check the repository app is defiantly connecting through your cachepilot server - with any usernames/passwords if required.

[linuxgirlie]

If you have enough space you can do what we do and have a repository in-house. We then set up all the machines to point to this one, and they don't have to go out on the Internet to download (faster for updates as well). We use rsync to sync the repository with our internal one.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Jo

[alecspoons]

Thanks for all these replies.

 

I doubt that we can host any sort of local repository - space and money in a small primary school are both at a premium!

 

I'll give trying to contact the repository server through a web browser, that's an interesting thought.

 

Might be a while though - I had quite a bad car crash on the way back from school yesterday and I'm not at work today!

 

I'd be grateful of any other thoughts - I still suspect that the servers are going to be blocked.

It seems as if just about everything else is in Norfolk!

 

Thanks again.

[Arcath]

try going to the repository URLs in firefox, it is possible that they are filtered, i get that with fedora here in lancashire it takes a few mins trundeling through mirrior lists before it finds one that has made its way onto the whitelist

[alecspoons]

That sounds like a good idea - how long did it take to find a mirror that worked? Did you happen to make a note? And what are the chances that it will always be unblocked?

 

Why block repository servers anyway? It makes using OSS much more difficult.

[Gerry]

Are you using an ISA server? Ubuntu can't get through unless you install something like this:

Cntlm: Fast NTLM Authentication Proxy in C

 

Unfortunately, it's not good for multi-user environment as you need to enter your username and password in plain text in a config file.

[alecspoons]

I don't know about an ISA server. I really don't know anything about them. I don't think we have anything like that in school, but what there is further along the line I have no idea!

[Arcath]

That sounds like a good idea - how long did it take to find a mirror that worked? Did you happen to make a note? And what are the chances that it will always be unblocked?

 

Why block repository servers anyway? It makes using OSS much more difficult.

 

well these where fedora mirrors for yum not apt-get mirrors.

 

a good mirror to try would be kent uni.

 

Welcome - The Mirror Service

 

see if you can select the unbuntu repo on there as your primary mirror.

 

just a thought, are you using:

 

sudo apt-get ....

 

because http_proxy and ftp_proxy might be set differently in the "sudo environment", try

 

su

 

and then as kmount said:

 

export http_proxy="http://proxy.com:port"
export ftp_proxy="http://proxy.com:port"

 

and run apt-get without the preceding sudo

[plexer]

I hate to suggest it but a call to ICT Solutions would be in order to ask if this is being blocked.

 

I have had problems in the past with things like this.

 

Ben

[alecspoons]

Thanks again.

 

Using the kent uni mirror ought to be OK, surely! Norfolk would trust them, wouldn't they?

I'll give that a try.

 

I haven't used apt-get as such - I've simply gone through Synaptic Package Manager and 'Add/Remove', so I've not tried any of those commands directly.

[alecspoons]

Plexer - just seen your comment!

 

I wondered that too.

Are they likely to know? I get the impression they don't do much with anything other than Windows.

 

I've got someone from ICT Solutions in school tomorrow, so I might sound them out about it.

[plexer]

Well as the customer of theirs it's their responsiblity to help out they may need to escalate it to BT though.

 

Ben

[alecspoons]

Got it sorted - thanks to the man from ICT Solutions (who really did know his stuff when it came to OSS).

 

In a nut-shell: the port number for the proxy has changed from 1080 to 8000.

 

Change that and it works like a dream!

[alecspoons]

How do I mark this as solved?