apt-get update timeout?

[Bill Moseley <moseley@hank.org>]

I run a cron job daily to just fetch updated packages on a Sid
machine:

    moseley@bumby:~$ fgrep apt-get /etc/crontab
    0  2    * * *   root    apt-get -qq update && apt-get -qqd dist-upgrade && apt-get -qq autoclean

It's been working but since a few days ago the process has been hung.

    moseley@bumby:~$ ps -p 9302 --ppid 9302 f -opid,stime,command
      PID STIME COMMAND
     9302 Mar30 apt-get -qq update
     9305 Mar30  \_ /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
     9306 Mar30  \_ /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
     9307 Mar30  \_ /usr/lib/apt/methods/ftp
     9308 Mar30  \_ /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
     9309 Mar30  \_ /usr/lib/apt/methods/http
     9320 Mar30  \_ /usr/lib/apt/methods/gzip

These seem to be hung in CLOSE_WAIT

    bumby:/home/moseley# netstat -t -p | grep www
    tcp        1      0 bumby:43094             host-231.sou.uni-lj:www CLOSE_WAIT 9306/http
    tcp        1      0 bumby:43096             rama.progeny.com:www    CLOSE_WAIT 9309/http
    tcp        1      0 bumby:43091             port-212-202-206-25:www CLOSE_WAIT 9305/http
    tcp        1      0 bumby:43087             klecker.debian.org:www  CLOSE_WAIT 9308/http


There's some mention of "timeout" in apt.conf, but I'm not clear what
that does and how to apply it (or if it will even help).  Any
suggestions on how to best make apt-get update timeout -- or really,
why this is hanging?  I suppose I could run "killall apt-get" at the
start of the cronjob, but I'd rather have things timeout correctly.

Any ideas what's happening and how best to fix?



-- 
Bill Moseley
moseley@hank.org