Score:0

Why does the security.ubuntu.com repository exist?

gb flag

Looking at the contends of the /etc/apt/sources.list file two repositories are listed:

archive.ubuntu.com and security.ubuntu.com

At first I thought that the security repository only contains security updates but it seems like it contains every other directory as well( i.e. -proposed, -updates, and so on).

Is this just a backup copy of the archive? If so, why is it named 'security'?

Why does it exist?

Score:2
us flag

This is addressed in the Security Team FAQ:

What repositories and pockets should I use to make sure my systems are up to date?

  • By default, Ubuntu systems have both the security and updates pockets enabled. Systems configured to use only the security pocket are also supported.

  • While packages are copied from security to updates frequently, it is recommended that systems always have the security pocket enabled, and use security.ubuntu.com for this pocket. For all other pockets feel free to use archive.ubuntu.com or an archive mirror. This combination will ensure you are able to download important updates immediately while taking advantage of the mirror network or archive.ubuntu.com for all other downloads. Ubuntu systems are configured in this manner by default.

The security.ubuntu.com alias exists so that you can freely use mirrors for regular software installation and updates, while being assured of receiving timely security updates even if the mirror is not updated, goes down or has other problems.

Big_Duck avatar
gb flag
That makes sense. But I thought that this is what the -security directory is intended for within the archive repository. Whats the point of having the same security updates in two repositories?
muru avatar
us flag
It's what I said in the last paragraph: "so that you can freely use mirrors for regular software installation and updates, while being assured of receiving timely security updates even if the mirror ... has problems"
I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

mangohost

Post an answer

Most people don’t grasp that asking a lot of questions unlocks learning and improves interpersonal bonding. In Alison’s studies, for example, though people could accurately recall how many questions had been asked in their conversations, they didn’t intuit the link between questions and liking. Across four studies, in which participants were engaged in conversations themselves or read transcripts of others’ conversations, people tended not to realize that question asking would influence—or had influenced—the level of amity between the conversationalists.