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Ubuntu APT Mirror Configuration Guide

This guide explains how to change the Ubuntu APT source to use the Taiwan Digital Streaming Co. mirror for faster package downloads.

Configure APT Source​

Ubuntu uses two different source configuration formats depending on your Ubuntu version:

1. One-Line-Style Format (Ubuntu < 24.04)​

Change the mirror to TWDS (Taiwan Digital Streaming Co.):

sudo sed -i 's@//.*archive.ubuntu.com@//mirror.twds.com.tw@g' /etc/apt/sources.list

Enable HTTPS (recommended):

sudo sed -i 's/http:/https:/g' /etc/apt/sources.list

2. DEB822 Format (Ubuntu >= 24.04)​

Change the mirror to TWDS (Taiwan Digital Streaming Co.):

sudo sed -i 's@//.*archive.ubuntu.com@//mirror.twds.com.tw@g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources

Enable HTTPS (recommended):

sudo sed -i 's/http:/https:/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources

3. Update Package List​

After changing the mirror, update the package list:

sudo apt update

Important Notes​

  1. Backup your configuration files before making changes:

    # For Ubuntu < 24.04
    sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.backup

    # For Ubuntu >= 24.04
    sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources.backup

  2. To restore from backup if needed:

    # For Ubuntu < 24.04
    sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list.backup /etc/apt/sources.list

    # For Ubuntu >= 24.04
    sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources.backup /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources

  3. Make sure your system time is correct for HTTPS connections.

Verify Current Configuration​

Check your current settings:

# For Ubuntu < 24.04
cat /etc/apt/sources.list

# For Ubuntu >= 24.04
cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources

Troubleshooting​

If you encounter "Failed to fetch" errors:

  1. Verify your internet connection

  2. Clear the local package cache:

    sudo apt clean

  3. Update the package list again:

    sudo apt update