Reload is the process refreshing the information of download sources in an Ubuntu system. If you observe, you will find that actually Ubuntu downloads several dozen megabytes of data when reloading and in fact you can reduce up to half size. This article supplies you information to tinker with that with sources.list configuration and APT command. You will see best of this in an experiment-dedicated system if you have. Lastly, I practiced this on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa and you can practice this also on other versions. Enjoy tinkering!
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How Ubuntu works?
In software installation, Ubuntu is different to windows: Ubuntu user uses centralized download source to get all software, while windows user uses multiple download sources to get individual programs instead. For that reason, Ubuntu user needs a refresh (reload) for their system know where the central download source is. That central download source is called repository. And there are many repositories with same contents available worldwide. I have made a complete guide in this for beginners you could start read here.
What is reloading?
As mentioned, reload is the same as Reload on Synaptic Package Manager (old Ubuntu), Reload on Software & Updates (new Ubuntu), and sudo apt-get update (Ubuntu Terminal). It is the process of getting index files in plain text format from the central repository so Ubuntu know where to download all software from. Those index files consisted of packages index files, and also icons index files, language translations ones, and appstream index files. Reloading works generally by /etc/apt/sources.list file and specifically by multiple configuration files located at /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/ in your Ubuntu. This article involves editing and removing these.
(Terminal on left and File Manager on right displaying contents of same folder apt.conf.d and one same file highlighted in both namely 50appstream with the size 2.6kB)
The important things are indexes of repository's packages.
The less important things safe to disabled are indexes of DEP-11, icons, and language translations. They add huge amount of download size.
The index files downloaded by Reloading are kept at /var/lib/apt/lists/ folder. They look like "suro.ubaya.ac.id_blablabla" files as I use a repository with "suro.ubaya.ac.id" domain address and same thing goes for you. To measure download size of every of your configuration, before every reload, delete all text files here first.
1. Disable DEP-11
Remove 50appstream file. If you think you can't delete it, simply move it to other folder. This disables Ubuntu Software Center but of course you can still install software using APT or Synaptic.
Before:
After:
2. Disable Icon
Remove 50appstream file. Apparently that configuration file controls the icon index download too.
3. Disable Language Translations
Add new code Acquire::Language "none"; as new line into file named 00aptitude.
Before:
After:
4. Disable C-N-F Metadata (Advanced)
Remove 50command-not-found file. Disabling this will disable Ubuntu ability to tell you whenever you typed wrong command lines. Again, if you think it's still precious, just move it instead.
Before:
After:
5. Disabling Repositories Except One (Advanced)
In fact, you can disable all repositories except the first line "$release" and still live happily with Ubuntu. If you don't mint to receive updates not, okay, go ahead.
Before:
deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal main restricted universe multiverse deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
After:
deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal main restricted universe multiverse
6. Disable 32-bit Packages (Advanced)
Append the code [arch=amd64] into repository line in sources.list. This disables i386 packages download for your Ubuntu.
Before:
deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal main restricted universe multiverse deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
After:
deb [arch=amd64] http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal main restricted universe multiverse deb [arch=amd64] http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse deb [arch=amd64] http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse deb [arch=amd64] http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
7. Disable restricted and multiverse (Advanced)
Delete the code restricted and the code multiverse from a line in sources.list. This disables Ubuntu ability to get proprietary software.
Before:
deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal main restricted universe multiverse deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
After:
deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal main universe deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-updates main universe deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-security main universe deb http://suro.ubaya.ac.id/ubuntu/ focal-backports main universe
Result
Now you should notice that your Reload size is less than before. On my system, it is reduced from 23 to 16 MB. If you did the Advanced ones above, it is reduced to 15 MB with the first and to 9 MB with the full four. This means any time you change your repository to another mirror the download size will always be the lesser one thanks to your configuration. This also means doing Reload often will not eat up internet access as huge as before anymore. You can still install programs like GIMP, Kdenlive, Krita, etc. with this.
(Final result of doing point 1 up to 5 above: notice that there is no more Language Translation, nor different levels of repository, nor c-n-f metadata shown, but living with only one $release repository and i386 still enabled)
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