Accelerating Jenkins Plugin Downloads in China with TUNA Mirror and Signed Update Center
This article explains how Chinese Jenkins users can overcome slow plugin download speeds by configuring the TUNA mirror, understanding the signed update‑center.json mechanism, and following a three‑step solution to quickly install plugins without relying on overseas servers.
Jenkins' infrastructure is hosted abroad, and without domestic CDN or load‑balancing, Chinese users often experience very slow or timed‑out plugin downloads from the official update center.
To address this, the author points to the TUNA mirror provided by Tsinghua University ( https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/jenkins/ ) as a faster source for the 1500+ Jenkins plugins.
Simply changing the update‑center URL in Jenkins does not fully solve the problem because the update‑center.json file is signed; Jenkins only accepts files that pass public‑key verification.
The solution, contributed by the Jenkins Chinese community, involves three steps: replace the update‑center URL with the mirror, ensure the signed JSON is correctly verified, and use the provided adapter ( https://github.com/jenkins-zh/mirror-adapter ) to handle the signature and download process.
Key resources include the pull request that implements the signed update‑center handling ( https://github.com/jenkins-infra/update-center2/pull/245 ) and the issue filed on the TUNA repository ( https://github.com/tuna/issues/issues/659 ).
Following the guide allows users to install plugins rapidly, for example using the simplified Chinese localization plugin version 1.0.10 ( https://plugins.jenkins.io/localization-zh-cn ).
The entire solution is open‑source, requires no additional cost, and leverages existing compute and storage resources, thanks to contributions from TUNA, GitHub Actions, Gitee Pages, and the Jenkins community.
Cloud Native Technology Community
The Cloud Native Technology Community, part of the CNBPA Cloud Native Technology Practice Alliance, focuses on evangelizing cutting‑edge cloud‑native technologies and practical implementations. It shares in‑depth content, case studies, and event/meetup information on containers, Kubernetes, DevOps, Service Mesh, and other cloud‑native tech, along with updates from the CNBPA alliance.
How this landed with the community
Was this worth your time?
0 Comments
Thoughtful readers leave field notes, pushback, and hard-won operational detail here.