---
name: "apt-proxy"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "apt-proxy"
version: "1.9.36.3+nmu1"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/apt-proxy"
---

# apt-proxy(8)

A proxy for saving bandwidth to Debian servers

## Name

apt-proxy - A proxy for saving bandwidth to Debian servers

## SYNOPSIS

**apt-proxy** *\[options\] \[logfile\]*\

## DESCRIPTION

**apt-proxy** is a python program designed to be run as an stand alone server via twistd, and provides a clean, caching, intelligent proxy for **apt-get**, which speaks HTTP to apt-get clients, and http, ftp or rsync to the backend server(s).  apt-proxy listens by default on port 9999.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Display usage information.

- **-c**, **--config-file=**

  Configuration file.  This defaults to /etc/apt-proxy/apt-proxy-v2.conf

## CLIENT CONFIGURATION

Once **apt-proxy** is configured on a host SERVER, users then edit their **sources.list** file to point to the proxy (which uses the http protocol to serve clients), like so:

```
deb http://SERVER:9999/debian stable main contrib non-free
deb-src http://SERVER:9999/debian stable main contrib non-free
deb http://aptproxy:9999/security stable/updates main contrib non-free
```

What path should be specified after the server name and port number depends on the configuration of **apt-proxy** (which can restrict paths and send different paths to different servers).  See  **SERVER CONFIGURATION** below.

Note that you can also use the nicknames \`unstable', \`frozen' etc, but Packages/Sources files may get duplicated, so it is best to use either the symbolic or the code name and stick with it.

## SERVER CONFIGURATION

See [**apt-proxy.conf**(5)](/apt-proxy.conf/5.md) for details of how to set up apt-proxy to use backends near to you.

## CARE AND FEEDING OF MIRRORS

**apt-proxy** reduces the bandwidth requirements of Debian mirrors by  restricting the frequency of Packages, Releases and Sources file updates from the back end and only doing a single fetch for any file, how ever many users request it from the proxy.

## FILES

/etc/apt-proxy/apt-proxy.conf or /etc/apt-proxy/apt-proxy-v2.conf

## SEE ALSO

[**apt-proxy.conf**(5)](/apt-proxy.conf/5.md),[**apt-proxy-import**(8)](/apt-proxy-import/8.md)

## BUGS

Packages are not compressed using gzip --rsyncable, which gives a 30% reduction in bytes transferred for binary packages, and much greater for source and other packages.

## AUTHORS

apt-proxy v2 was written by Manuel Estrada Sainz and is maintained by Otavio Salvador and Chris Halls.