Ideas on how to improve Apt-Zeroconf

  • apt-proxy support
    • apt-proxy can also advertise itself using avahi (see BTS bug #411355)
    • apt-zeroconf should allow detecting that proxy -> this allow apt autoconfiguration for laptop users when changing networks
    • if apt-zeroconf is only used to detect apt-proxy instances, use it if one available, else try default locations
    • if apt-zeroconf can also connect other computers, and the file is not available on the local network, use the apt-proxy instance to get the file downloaded (that will also benefit people not using apt-zeroconf)
    • other situation, act like now
  • Documentation
  • Local network load balancing
    • Publish usage info and current snapshot time via mdns/zeroconf,
    • then automatically choose a system that hasn't been/isn't busy, but that has a current snapshot.
    • include the possibility for a system to include a 'trymefirst' flag or some such. (see #28)
  • Support for in-progress downloads (see #12)
  • Improve new package/file notification protocol (see #13)
  • FTP proxy support.
  • apt-bittorrent support
  • Support advertising a full local Debian mirror via apt-zeroconf
  • "Plugin" that allow to use a directory containing debian packages.