FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions¶

Caching and Performance¶

How does the cache work?¶

eos-downloader implements smart caching at two levels:

File Caching: Before downloading, the tool checks if the file already exists in the output directory. If found, it reuses the existing file instead of re-downloading.
Docker Image Caching: Before importing a cEOS image, the tool checks if the image:tag already exists in your local Docker registry. If found, it skips the import.

How do I force re-download or re-import?¶

Use the --force flag:

# Force re-download even if file exists
ardl get eos --version 4.29.4M --force

# Force re-import Docker image even if it exists
ardl get eos --version 4.29.4M --format cEOS --import-docker --force

Does cache checking work with Podman?¶

Yes! The Docker image cache checking automatically detects and works with both docker and podman commands.

Where are cached files stored?¶

Cached files are stored in the directory specified by the --output option (default: current directory). The cache is per-directory, so using different output directories creates separate caches.

How can I verify cached files are valid?¶

Currently, file caching uses simple existence checks. For production use, you can:

Use the built-in checksum validation after download:

ardl get eos --version 4.29.4M
# Tool automatically validates md5/sha512 if available

Use --force to ensure a fresh download when integrity is critical.

Does dry-run mode respect the cache?¶

Yes! When using --dry-run, the tool will report whether it would use cached files or perform actual downloads:

ardl get eos --version 4.29.4M --dry-run
# Output: [DRY-RUN] Would use cached file: EOS-4.29.4M.swi

EVE-NG with OpenSSL issue.¶

On EVE-NG, you may have to install/upgrade pyOpenSSL in version 23.0.0:

# Error when running ardl: AttributeError: module 'lib' has no attribute 'X509_V_FLAG_CB_ISSUER_CHECK'

$ pip install pyopenssl --upgrade