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<title>Using and Running Mirrors
- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
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<h2>Using and running mirrors</h2>
<div class="thin"></div>

<h3>Downloading from mirrors</h3>

<p>First, for users/downloaders: the address <a
href="http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/">http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/</a>
multiplexes between the mirrors, trying to choose one that is nearby and
up to date.  E.g., <a
href="http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/emacs/">http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/emacs/</a>
goes to a mirror's directory of <a href="/software/emacs/">GNU
Emacs</a>.  We recommend using this generic ftpmirror.gnu.org address
wherever possible in links, documentation, etc., to reduce load on the
main GNU server.</p>


<h3>Mirroring the GNU FTP server</h3>

<p>Mirroring the GNU FTP server requires approximately 63GB 169GB disk space
(as of February 2017). June 2024).  You can rsync directly from ftp.gnu.org:</p>

<pre class="emph-box">
rsync -rltpHS --delete-excluded rsync://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/ /your/dir/
</pre>

<p>However, please consider mirroring from another site, again to reduce
load on the GNU server.  These sites provide access to all the material
on ftp.gnu.org.  They update from us nightly (at least), and you may
access them via rsync with the same options as above:</p>

<dl class="compact">
<dt>Africa</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirror.ufs.ac.za/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (South Africa)</p>
</dd>
<dt>North America</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://rsync://mirror.0xem.ma/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Canada)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://gnu.mirror.iweb.com/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Canada)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirror.sergal.org/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Canada)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirror.its.dal.ca/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Canada)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Canada)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://gnu.freemirror.org/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Canada)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirror2.evolution-host.com/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Canada)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirrors.sarata.com/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Arizona, USA)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirror.keystealth.org/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (California, USA)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirrors.ocf.berkeley.edu/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (California, USA)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirrors.syringanetworks.net/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Idaho, USA)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirror.team-cymru.com/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Illinois, USA)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirror.leifrogers.com/gnu/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Indiana, USA)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
 value='<code>rsync://mirrors.tripadvisor.com/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
 encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Massachusetts, USA)</p>
</dd>
<dt>South America</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.nbtelecom.com.br/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Brazil)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://gnu.c3sl.ufpr.br/gnu/ftp/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Brazil)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.cedia.org.ec/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Ecuador)</p>
</dd>
<dt>Africa</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.marwan.ma/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Morocco)</p>
</dd>
<dt>Asia</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirrors.ustc.edu.cn/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (China)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (China)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror-hk.koddos.net/gnu/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/GNU/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Hong Kong)</p> (Japan)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/GNU/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://repo.jing.rocks/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Japan)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.kaist.ac.kr/gnu/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.truenetwork.ru/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Russia)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.freedif.org/GNU/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Korea)</p> (Singapore)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.ossplanet.net/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Taiwan)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.twds.com.tw/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Taiwan)</p>
</dd>
<dt>Europe</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.kumi.systems/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Austria)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.funet.fi/ftp/pub/gnu/prep/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Finland)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://rsync.cyberbits.eu/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (France)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://de.freedif.org/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Germany)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.fau.de/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Germany)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.halifax.rwth-aachen.de/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Germany)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.netcologne.de/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Germany)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.wrz.de/pub/gnu/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.clientvps.com/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Germany)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://quantum-mirror.hu/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Hungary)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.ihost.md/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Moldova)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirrors.mivocloud.com/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Moldova)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.lyrahosting.com/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Netherlands)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.snt.utwente.nl/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Netherlands)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.koddos.net/gnu</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/pub/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Netherlands)</p> (Poland)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://gnuftp.uib.no/gnuftp/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirrors.up.pt/pub/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Norway)</p> (Portugal)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirrors.up.pt/pub/gnu/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.leitecastro.com/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Portugal)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirrors.nav.ro/gnu</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Romania)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.sbb.rs/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Serbia)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.acc.umu.se/mirror/gnu.org/gnu/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.bahnhof.net/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Sweden)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirrors.gethosted.online/gnu</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.accum.se/mirror/gnu.org/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (UK)</p> (Sweden)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://rsync.mirrorservice.org/ftp.gnu.org/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (UK)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp-gnu-org.ip-connect.vn.ua/ftp.gnu.org/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Ukraine)</p>
</dd>
<dt>Oceania</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.lagoon.nc/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (New Caledonia)</p>
</dd>
</dl>

<h3 id="mirror-guidelines">Making your mirror public</h3>

<p>You can keep your mirror private, but we will be very grateful if you
support free software by making it public. However, your mirror needs to
meet the following guidelines to be accepted on our <a
href="/prep/ftp.html">public mirror list</a>:</p>

<ul>
<li>Text (if any) should be as short as possible, and strictly
    explanatory.</li>
<li>Images, including logos, should be avoided by courtesy to people who
    use devices with small screens, except if the images are on the site
    being mirrored.</li> 
<li>The header and footer shouldn't have links, except possibly for
    bug-reporting. Extra links are annoying for users, and in some cases
    are considered spam.</li>
</ul>

<p>To add your mirror to the public mirror list, we require (and
recommend) a daily update frequency.  <em>After</em> establishing your
mirror, please contact <a
href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a> so we
can review it.  Please provide the following:</p>

<ul>
<li>URL of the mirror (https/http/ftp/rsync as appropriate),</li>
<li>country where the mirror is located,</li>
<li>update frequency (once daily is recommended),</li>
<li>preferred contact information for any mirror-related issues
    (we will keep all contact information confidential), and</li>
<li>whether your site can also be a source for other mirrors.</li>
</ul>

<h3>Web setup for mirrors</h3>

<p>It is very useful to make your mirror available to users via HTTP
or HTTPS, so please support this if you can. We highly encourage new
mirrors to support HTTPS as the most secure option.</p>

<p>Set up your web server
configuration to avoid sending the Content-Encoding header because it
causes problems with some gateways.</p>

<p>With Apache, we highly recommend the following setting, so that users can
see full filenames in generated listings instead of having them be
truncated:</p>

<pre class="emph-box">
IndexOptions NameWidth=*
</pre>

<p>If you set up an HTTPS mirror, please make sure its SSL certificate
carries a valid signature from a certification authority; it's difficult
for us to track mirrors with self-signed certificates. If you don't
already have a valid signature, Let's Encrypt is a good place to get it.</p>

<h3>Mirroring the GNU Alpha release server</h3>

<p>ftp.gnu.org and other sites also offer alpha.gnu.org (around 10GB) 90GB in
June 2024) for your mirroring pleasure:</p>

<dl class="compact">

<dt>North America</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.gnu.org/alpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (USA - primary site)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirrors.sarata.com/gnu-alpha/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror2.sandyriver.net/pub/software/gnu-alpha</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Arizona, USA)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://gnualpha.freemirror.org/gnualpha</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Canada)</p> (USA - Kentucky)</p>
</dd>
<dt>South America</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://gnu.c3sl.ufpr.br/gnu/alpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Brazil)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.cedia.org.ec/gnualpha</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Ecuador)</p>
</dd>
<dt>Africa</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.marwan.ma/gnualpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Morocco)</p>
</dd>
<dt>Europe</dt>
<dt>Asia</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.kumi.systems/gnualpha/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.freedif.org/GNU-alpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Austria)</p> (Singapore)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.funet.fi/ftp/pub/mirrors/alpha.gnu.org/gnu/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://repo.jing.rocks/gnu-alpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Finland)</p> (Japan)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://rsync.cyberbits.eu/gnu/alpha/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.twds.com.tw/gnu-alpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (France)</p> (Taiwan)</p>
</dd>
<dt>Europe</dt>
<dd>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://de.freedif.org/alpha/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.kumi.systems/gnualpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Germany)</p> (Austria)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://quantum-mirror.hu/gnualpha/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.funet.fi/ftp/pub/mirrors/alpha.gnu.org/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Hungary)</p> (Finland)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.ihost.md/gnu-alpha</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://rsync.cyberbits.eu/gnu/alpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Moldova)</p> (France)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://quantum-mirror.hu/gnualpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Hungary)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://gnualpha.uib.no/gnualpha/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.ihost.md/gnu-alpha</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Norway)</p> (Moldova)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirrors.up.pt/pub/gnu-alpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Portugal)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://ftp.acc.umu.se/mirror/gnu.org/alpha/</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.bahnhof.net/gnu-alpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Sweden)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://mirrors.gethosted.online/gnu-alpha</code>'
  value='<code>rsync://mirror.accum.se/mirror/gnu.org/alpha/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (UK)</p> (Sweden)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://rsync.mirrorservice.org/alpha.gnu.org/gnu/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (UK)</p>
<p><!--#set var='mirror'
  value='<code>rsync://alpha-gnu-org.ip-connect.vn.ua/alpha.gnu.org/</code>' --><!--#echo
  encoding='none' var='mirror' --> (Ukraine)</p>
</dd>
</dl>

<p>Nightly updates are sufficient for GNU FTP and Alpha material.</p>


<h3 id="nongnu">Mirroring nongnu releases from Savannah</h3>

<p>We also greatly appreciate additional mirrors of the
<em>nongnu</em> projects hosted at <a
href="http://savannah.nongnu.org/">savannah.nongnu.org</a>.  The total is
currently around 51GB.
href="http://savannah.nongnu.org/">savannah.nongnu.org</a> (around 64GB
in June 2024).  To do this, we recommend you retrieve and
update the files using rsync, with the same options as above for
ftp.gnu.org, namely:</p>

<pre class="emph-box">
rsync -rltpHS --delete-excluded rsync://dl.sv.gnu.org/releases/ /your/dir
</pre>

<p>These options ensure that it is an exact mirror.  (There will
probably be some permission errors; just ignore them.  They are due to
choices or mistakes by individual project maintainers.)</p>

<p>It is fine to update savannah/nongnu once a day as well; twice a day
if you like.  More than that is not worth the bandwidth, the contents
are not that dynamic.</p>

<p>If you can help with this, please <a
href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org">email us</a> with the url to your
mirror so we can add you to the <a
href="http://dl.sv.gnu.org/releases/00_MIRRORS.html">list</a>.
Thanks!</p>


<h3>(Not) Mirroring the GNU web server</h3>

<p>We no longer recommend creating web mirrors, because it has turned
out that (a) few people can make use of them, and (b) many
mirrors either became out of date or went offline relatively frequently.
We don't want outdated information about the GNU project to be
disseminated.</p>

<p>Nonetheless, if you wish to mirror www.gnu.org for your own
purposes, that is ok with us.  We recommend using <code>mod_proxy</code>.
Here is an
<i>unsupported</i> recipe of Apache directives for your
<code><VirtualHost></code>:</p>
<pre class="emph-box">
ServerName gnumirror.example.org
CacheRoot "/var/cache/mod_proxy"
CacheDefaultExpire 86400 # for Apache 2.0+, value is in seconds
ProxyPass / http://www.gnu.org/
CacheEnable disk /
</pre>

<p>(Thanks to Juri Hoerner for providing this Apache information.)</p>
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