56

This is the output of aptitude update:

Ign http://archive.canonical.com natty InRelease
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty InRelease
Ign http://dl.google.com stable InRelease
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security InRelease
Hit http://deb.torproject.org natty InRelease
Get:1 http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg [198 B]
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty InRelease
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates InRelease
Hit http://archive.canonical.com natty Release.gpg
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com natty Release.gpg
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security Release.gpg
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty Release.gpg
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security Release
Hit http://archive.canonical.com natty Release
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com natty Release
Get:2 http://dl.google.com stable Release [1,338 B]
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates Release.gpg
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main Sources
Hit http://archive.canonical.com natty/partner amd64 Packages
Hit http://deb.torproject.org natty/main amd64 Packages
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main amd64 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted amd64 Packages
Ign http://archive.canonical.com natty/partner TranslationIndex
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main amd64 Packages
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe amd64 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse amd64 Packages
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse TranslationIndex
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted TranslationIndex
Ign http://deb.torproject.org natty/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe TranslationIndex
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates Release
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse amd64 Packages
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse TranslationIndex
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted TranslationIndex
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe TranslationIndex
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe Sources
Get:3 http://dl.google.com stable/main amd64 Packages [469 B]
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse amd64 Packages
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse TranslationIndex
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted TranslationIndex
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe TranslationIndex
Ign http://archive.canonical.com natty/partner Translation-en_US
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en
Ign http://archive.canonical.com natty/partner Translation-en
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/main Translation-en
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/multiverse Translation-en
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/restricted Translation-en
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com natty-security/universe Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty InRelease
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en_US
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty Release
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main amd64 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main amd64 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main amd64 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main amd64 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Sources
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/main Translation-en
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main amd64 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/multiverse Translation-en
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/restricted Translation-en
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty/universe Translation-en
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/main Translation-en
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/multiverse Translation-en
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/restricted Translation-en
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com natty-updates/universe Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en
Ign http://archive.getdeb.net natty-getdeb InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net natty/main Translation-en
Hit http://archive.getdeb.net natty-getdeb Release.gpg
Hit http://archive.getdeb.net natty-getdeb Release
Ign http://deb.torproject.org natty/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://deb.torproject.org natty/main Translation-en
Hit http://archive.getdeb.net natty-getdeb/apps amd64 Packages
Ign http://archive.getdeb.net natty-getdeb/apps TranslationIndex
Ign http://archive.getdeb.net natty-getdeb/apps Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.getdeb.net natty-getdeb/apps Translation-en
Fetched 2,005 B in 45s (44 B/s)
Reading package lists...

Is there any way I can get rid of the translation stuff? I'm tired of it resulting in tons of repository checks rather than it checking far fewer repositories (69 actual repos vs. 169 checks)

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6 Answers 6

Reset to default
76

To disable downloading translations, create a file named /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99translations & put the following in it:

Acquire::Languages "none";

You may also need to remove existing translation files in /var/lib/apt/lists/

For more information see the man page to apt.conf (5).

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6
  • That worked to get most of the items, but entries with TranslationIndex are still showing up. Any idea how to remove those?
    – Thomas Ward ♦
    Nov 2, 2011 at 4:06
  • 2
    This looks to be bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=624218 which should be fixed in the version of apt in 11.10
    – ajmitch
    Nov 2, 2011 at 4:10
  • 1
    any backports of it?
    – Thomas Ward ♦
    Nov 2, 2011 at 4:12
  • perfect..... those translation things are not showing up in apt-get update anymore
    – Rakib
    Apr 30, 2012 at 0:10
  • 1
    is this for apt_preferences or apt.conf? it looks like this answer is a bit mixed up.
    – Jayen
    Mar 9, 2013 at 22:03
11

Just for the record (since some will trip on this ..) the 99Translations file above will cause apt to barf - remove the "Packages: *" line - just the one line is enough:

Acquire::Languages "none";

Also, apt will still retrieve the files for your locale/language.

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2
  • If you're using Ubuntu 12.x, this is what you want to disable apt from retrieving pkg translations
    – Flint
    Dec 15, 2012 at 4:52
  • 1
    Don't forget to issue sudo rm -r /var/lib/apt/lists/*Translation* command to remove all existing translation index files after that
    – Flint
    Dec 15, 2012 at 4:58
5

Enable pipelining to batch these requests, which is much faster:

Acquire::http { Pipeline-Depth "200"; }

But in my experience it can result in broken downloads; http error codes seem to cascade or something. It should be safe enough if you are talking to apt-cacher-ng (either mirror mode or proxy mode). Otherwise, be prepared to disable it if your mirror breaks.

I would advise against setting languages to none, because it breaks apt-cache search (none means none, when useful searches would need descriptions in at least one language). The locale-based default includes unnecessary regional variants, but something like this:

Acquire::Languages { "fr"; "en"; };

is reasonable.

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2
  • For me it does not break apt-cache search (Ubuntu 13.10).
    – blueyed
    Feb 1, 2014 at 22:15
  • Is this still helping in Ubuntu 18.04?
    – rubo77
    Jun 10, 2018 at 20:07
2

I didn't want to download German APT translation files. So, as a comprise I have set explicitly in a new /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99translations file with order first English then None translations:

Acquire::Languages { "en"; "none"; };

I have removed all existing German translation files via rm -v /var/lib/apt/lists/*i18n_Translation-de*.

Before:

root# apt-config dump | grep Languages
Acquire::Languages "";
Acquire::Languages:: "de_DE";
Acquire::Languages:: "de";
Acquire::Languages:: "en";
Acquire::Languages:: "none";

After:

root# apt-config dump | grep Languages
Acquire::Languages "";
Acquire::Languages:: "en";
Acquire::Languages:: "none";

If there are multiple users with different $LANGUAGE settings the recommended setting should be (here: with order 1. environment 2. English 3. None):

Acquire::Languages { "environment"; "en"; "none"; };

AFAICS this is the default setting (see above output of "Before:" section).

[1] http://users.ox.ac.uk/~bioc1289/post/2013/01/right-way-to-not-download-apt-translation.html

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0

Found this as I was searching for a solution too. Was a fresh install of Debian testing. The following command (as suggested above) fixed it:

sudo rm -r /var/lib/apt/lists/*
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1
  • Tested on the Natty system. This didnt fix the problem in Natty. However, since I've upgraded my primary system to Precise, I dont have this issue :P
    – Thomas Ward ♦
    Jun 29, 2012 at 12:38
-1

Go to Language Support then click Install / Remove Languages... then uncheck the languages that you don't want.

If you removed all languages, it will default to generic English. Note that en-US packages are considered a separate language, so you have to uncheck English to uninstall its packages.

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1
  • This only applies in the GUI. This also doesn't stop the Translations from being gathered by apt-get or aptitude in those older releases.
    – Thomas Ward ♦
    Apr 28, 2016 at 19:38

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