How to Setup APT Proxy on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Introduction

In environments where direct internet access is restricted or unreliable, setting up an APT proxy server can significantly improve package management efficiency for Ubuntu systems. This tutorial will guide you through the process of setting up an APT proxy on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

1. An Ubuntu 22.04 LTS server or desktop system
2. Root or sudo access to the system
3. Basic knowledge of Linux command line

Step 1: Install and Configure Squid Proxy Server

Install the Squid proxy server package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y squid

Edit the Squid configuration file to allow APT traffic:

sudo nano /etc/squid/squid.conf

Add the following lines to the configuration file:

# Allow apt repositories
acl apt_networks dstdomain .archive.ubuntu.com
acl apt_networks dstdomain .security.ubuntu.com
http_access allow apt_networks

Save the file and exit the text editor.

Restart the Squid service to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart squid

Step 2: Configure APT to Use the Proxy Server

Create a new APT configuration file for the proxy settings:

sudo nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99proxy

Add the following lines to the file, replacing proxy_ip and proxy_port with the IP address and port of your Squid proxy server:

Acquire::http::Proxy "http://proxy_ip:proxy_port/";
Acquire::https::Proxy "http://proxy_ip:proxy_port/";

Save the file and exit the text editor.

Step 3: Test APT Proxy Configuration

Update the APT package index to test the proxy configuration:

sudo apt update

If there are no errors, the APT proxy configuration is successful.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully set up an APT proxy on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. This will help improve package management efficiency by caching and serving APT packages locally, especially in environments with restricted or unreliable internet access.