Ubuntu Fastest Mirror

Introduction

The Ubuntu Mirror Selection Script is a Bash script designed to help you find and select the fastest Ubuntu mirrors based on specified country codes or geographic locations. The script supports both traditional Ubuntu (pre-24.04) with sources.list and the newer Ubuntu 24.04+ that uses the ubuntu.sources format in the sources.list.d directory.

Prerequisites

• This script works on Ubuntu systems.
• Requires wget and bc to be installed.
• Ensure you have the necessary permissions to run the script, especially if you intend to modify system files.
• For Ubuntu 24.04+, this script will modify the ubuntu.sources file in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/.
• For older Ubuntu versions, this script will modify the traditional /etc/apt/sources.list file.

Data Units Used in This Tool

To avoid confusion, here are the data units used in this script:

• KB (Kilobytes): Used for file sizes (1 KB = 1024 bytes)
• Kbps (Kilobits per second): Used for network speeds (1 Kbps = 1000 bits per second)
• Mbps (Megabits per second): Used for higher network speeds (1 Mbps = 1000 Kbps)
• Gbps (Gigabits per second): Used for very high network speeds (1 Gbps = 1000 Mbps)

Note: When specifying the test size with -s option, the value is in KB (Kilobytes), but mirror speeds are shown in bits per second (bps, Kbps, Mbps, or Gbps), which is the standard for network transfer rates.

Obtaining the Script

You can obtain the Ubuntu Mirror Selection Script by either downloading it directly from the provided link or by cloning the repository from GitHub:

• Download from GitHub: Download Script or

  wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ijash/ubuntu-fastest-mirror/master/run.sh

  This will download the script directly to your current directory.

• Clone Repository: If you prefer to clone the entire repository, you can do so using the following command:
  HTTPS:

  git clone https://github.com/ijash/ubuntu-fastest-mirror.git

  or SSH:

  git clone git@github.com:ijash/ubuntu-fastest-mirror.git
  

Getting Started (Preparation)

1. Downloaded Script: If you downloaded the script directly, ensure it has executable permissions. You can do this using the following command in your terminal:

   chmod +x run.sh

2. Cloned Repository: If you cloned the repository, navigate to the repository directory:

   cd ubuntu-fastest-mirror
   chmod +x run.sh

3. Dependencies: Ensure you have the required dependencies installed. You can install them using the following command:

   sudo apt-get install wget bc

Usage

To use the script, follow these steps:

1. Display Help Information: If you're unsure about how to use the script or what options are available, you can display the help message by running:

   ./run.sh -h

   This will provide you with a summary of available options, examples, and usage instructions.

2. Retrieve Mirrors: You can retrieve mirrors based on country codes available using the -c or --country option. For example:

   ./run.sh -c US JP ID

   This command retrieves mirrors from the United States (US), Japan (JP), and Indonesia (ID).

   To automatically fill in the region based on your IP, you can use:

   ./run.sh -c $(curl -s https://ipinfo.io/json | jq -r '.country')
   

   (requires jq to be installed).

3. Automatic Selection: To automatically select the fastest mirror without user prompt and backup the sources files, you can use the -a or --auto option:

   ./run.sh -a

4. Backup Sources Files: If you want to backup your apt sources configuration before making changes, use the -b or --backup option:

   ./run.sh -b

   For Ubuntu 24.04+, this will backup the ubuntu.sources file in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/. For older Ubuntu versions, this will backup the traditional /etc/apt/sources.list file.

5. Set Test Size: To customize the size of the data used for testing mirror speed, use the -s or --size option followed by a size in KB (Kilobytes). The default is 100KB:

   ./run.sh -s 500

   This sets the test size to 500KB, which can provide more accurate speed measurements for faster connections.

6. Force Legacy Mode: To force the script to use the legacy method (updating sources.list) even on Ubuntu 24.04+ or when version detection fails, use the -L or --legacy option:

   ./run.sh -L -c US

   This can be useful if you prefer to use the traditional sources.list format on newer Ubuntu versions.

7. Default Behavior: If no options are provided, the script defaults to using mirrors from http://mirrors.ubuntu.com/mirrors.txt.

Example Usage

• Retrieve mirrors from Indonesia and automatically select the fastest mirror:

  ./run.sh -a -c ID

• Backup the current sources files and select the fastest mirrors from the United States and Japan:

  ./run.sh -b -c US JP

• Test with a larger sample size (500KB) for more accurate results on fast connections:

  ./run.sh -s 500 -c US

• Automatically select the fastest mirror with a smaller test size (50KB) for slow connections:

  ./run.sh -a -s 50

• Force legacy format for sources management:

  ./run.sh -L -c US JP

• Combine multiple options for a customized experience:

  ./run.sh -b -c JP US -s 200 -L

  This backs up your sources files, tests mirrors from Japan and the US with a 200KB sample size, and uses the legacy sources.list format.

Docker

If you use Docker, many of the extra apps are stripped out. make sure to install wget and bc in your Dockerfile.

Contributing

If you would like to contribute to this project, please feel free to fork the repository and submit a pull request. Your contributions are welcome!

Contributors

• ijash
• kampelmuehler