🚀 Speed Up Your Debian-Based System Updates with Parallel APT Downloads

Did you know that APT in Debian 11+ and Kali Linux supports multiple simultaneous downloads, just like Fedora’s dnf or Arch’s pacman?

If you’re still downloading packages one at a time, you’re missing out on a simple tweak that can dramatically reduce your update times—especially if you’re on a fast connection or managing multiple machines.

In this quick tutorial, I walk through enabling parallel downloads in APT with just a few lines of config. ✅ No third-party tools. No hacks. Just native support.

🔧 Works with: Debian, Ubuntu, Kali Linux
📦 Bonus: Check your APT version to confirm support

Introduction

When managing packages on Linux, speed and efficiency matter—especially during system updates or installing multiple packages. By default, Debian-based distributions like Debian, Ubuntu, and Kali perform downloads sequentially, fetching one package at a time. While this conservative approach ensures stability, it often results in slower update processes, particularly on high-speed internet connections. In my case I use Linuxmint as my daily driver and Kali Linux VM when I needed in some instances.

Modern package managers in distributions like Fedora (dnf) and Arch Linux (pacman) already leverage parallel downloads to significantly reduce update times. Fortunately, Debian’s APT has supported this feature since version 2.0, available in Debian 11+ and its derivatives.

By enabling parallel downloads, you can take full advantage of your network bandwidth, cut down wait times, and make system maintenance more efficient—without relying on third-party tools or switching distributions.

How to Enable Parallel Downloads?

To enable parallel (multiple simultaneous) downloads in the Debian apt package manager (like what Fedora and Arch do), you’ll need to modify the APT configuration.

This is supported in APT 2.0+, which is already used in Debian 11+ and Kali Linux.

Step 1: Open (or create) a config file:

sudo nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99parallel

Step 2: Add the following line:

Acquire::Queue-Mode "access";
Acquire::Retries "3";
APT::Get::Max-Parallel-Downloads "5";

• Max-Parallel-Downloads "5" can be adjusted to your desired number (e.g., 10, 15, etc.)
• Queue-Mode "access" allows parallel access

Step 3: Save and exit

Step 4: Test it by updating packages

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

You should see multiple downloads occurring at once.

Bonus: Check Current APT Version

apt --version

If you’re on APT 2.x, multiple downloads are supported. Earlier versions will ignore Max-Parallel-Downloads.

Final Thoughts

Parallel downloading is one of those small optimizations that delivers noticeable gains—especially if you’re updating systems frequently or managing multiple machines. This change requires only a quick configuration tweak, yet it aligns your Debian-based setup with the performance standards of more aggressive package managers like dnf and pacman.

If you’re running APT 2.x or newer, there’s no reason not to enable this. It’s fast, safe, and fully supported. Just remember not to go overboard—setting Max-Parallel-Downloads too high can lead to unnecessary strain on your system or mirror servers.

Now that you’ve optimized your downloads, enjoy the speed boost!