How to Stay Productive When Ubuntu Services Are Under Attack

Introduction

Imagine you’re trying to update your Ubuntu system or download a new Snap app, and suddenly you can’t reach the official websites, the Snap Store, or Launchpad. That’s exactly what happened on 30 April at around 6 PM UK time, when Canonical’s infrastructure came under a sustained, cross-border attack. While the company works to restore normal service, you don’t have to sit idle. This guide shows you how to check which services are actually down, access critical resources through alternative means, and keep your workflow moving.

What You Need

• A working internet connection
• Access to a terminal (or terminal emulator) on your Ubuntu machine
• Basic familiarity with the command line (typing commands and reading output)
• Optional: A web browser to visit service status pages
• Optional: A secondary device (phone/tablet) to check status while your main computer may be affected

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Verify Which Services Are Truly Down

Don’t rely on guesswork. Start by checking Canonical’s official status page (status.canonical.com) if it’s accessible. Alternatively, search for “Ubuntu status” on social media platforms like Twitter or Mastodon, where Canonical often posts real-time updates. In this specific incident, the main ubuntu.com website, the Snap Store, and Launchpad were unreachable, but many other services remained online.

Step 2: Test Repository Access

One of the biggest concerns during an outage is package management. Open your terminal and run:

sudo apt update

If the command succeeds, your configured mirrors are working. If it fails, try pinging archive.ubuntu.com. In the 30 April attack, the main archive went offline, but because Ubuntu repositories are heavily mirrored worldwide, most users could still fetch packages from their local mirror. To switch to a different mirror, edit /etc/apt/sources.list and replace the server URL with one from the official mirror list.

Step 3: Download OS ISO Images Without the Main Site

Need to install Ubuntu from scratch? The official ISO images are also mirrored. During the outage, direct downloads from releases.ubuntu.com were still working because they use a separate content delivery network. If that fails, use a torrent client to download the official Ubuntu torrent files, which are often hosted on independent trackers. Alternatively, visit a trusted mirror site like mirrors.kernel.org or mirror.math.princeton.edu to grab the ISO directly.

Step 4: Access Snap Applications Offline

The Snap Store being offline means you can’t install new snaps or update existing ones. However, snaps already installed on your system continue to work normally. To check your installed snaps and their versions, run:

snap list

If you absolutely need a specific snap during the outage, consider downloading its snap file from a trusted third-party archive (e.g., snapcraft.io snapshots) and install it locally with:

sudo snap install <file.snap> --dangerous

Use this only for critical snaps and verify the file’s checksum.

Step 5: Use Launchpad Alternatives

Launchpad is used for bug tracking, code hosting, and package building. During the attack, it was down. If you need to submit a bug or access a repository, use the GitHub mirror of many Ubuntu projects (e.g., github.com/canonical). For bug reporting, you can temporarily email the relevant maintainer (find addresses via the package’s metadata).

Step 6: Stay Informed and Wait for Recovery

Canonical actively works to mitigate attacks. Monitor their official blog (when it’s back up) or follow @ubuntu on Twitter. In this incident, they acknowledged the attack as “sustained and cross-border” and promised updates. Patience is key – major outages are rare, and the team has robust disaster recovery procedures.

Tips for Future Outages

• Use mirrors proactively: Configure your system to use a local mirror (e.g., us.archive.ubuntu.com) to reduce reliance on the primary server.
• Keep offline copies: Download critical snaps and ISO images in advance to a USB drive or local network share.
• Set up a secondary status check: Use a different device (phone) to visit status.canonical.com or DownDetector, so you aren’t stuck if your main computer loses access.
• Learn basic alternatives: Familiarize yourself with commands like apt-get fallbacks, snap download, and how to edit sources.list manually.
• Report outages: If a mirror you rely on is also down, let Canonical know via social media or the contact form (once available) so they can coordinate with mirror operators.

By following these steps, you can minimize disruption when Ubuntu’s cloud services face an attack. Remember, the community and Canonical work together to keep the ecosystem resilient. Stay calm, use the available fallbacks, and you’ll be back to full productivity soon.