selfupdate via http?

[Ben Abbott]

I was under the impression that I could selfupdate via http by  
changing my sources.conf as seen below.

> $ cat /opt/local/etc/macports/sources.conf
> #  MacPorts system wide sources configuration file
> #  $Id: sources.conf 42662 2008-11-28 23:18:50Z raimue at macports.org $
>
> #  To setup a local ports repository, insert a "file://" entry  
> following
> #  the example below that points to your local ports directory:
> #  Example: file:///Users/landonf/misc/MacPorts/ports
>
> #  The default MacPorts repository should always be tagged [default]
> #  for proper functionality of various resources (port groups, mirror
> #  sites, etc).  If you switch it from the rsync:// URL, be sure to  
> keep
> #  it tagged [default].
>
> #  To prevent a source from synchronizing when `port sync` is used,
> #  append [nosync] at the end as shown in this example:
> #  Example: file:///Users/landonf/misc/MacPorts/ports [nosync]
>
> #  NOTE: The port command parses source URLs in order and installs the
> #        first occurrance when a port appears in multiple  
> repositories.
> #        So keep "file://" URLs above other URL types.
>
>
> #  To get the ports tree from the master MacPorts server in  
> California, USA use:
> #      rsync://rsync.macports.org/release/ports/
> #  To get it from the mirror in Trondheim, Norway use:
> #      rsync://trd.no.rsync.macports.org/release/ports/
> #  A current list of mirrors is available at http://trac.macports.org/wiki/Mirrors
>
> # rsync://rsync.macports.org/release/ports/ [default]
> http://www.macports.org/files/ports.tar.gz [default]

While the change to http (from rsync) allows me to update the port  
descriptions, updating the base fails.

> DEBUG: MacPorts sources location: /opt/local/var/macports/sources/ 
> rsync.macports.org/release/base
> --->  Updating MacPorts base sources using rsync
> rsync: failed to connect to superman.com: Operation timed out (60)
> rsync error: error in socket IO (code 10) at /SourceCache/rsync/ 
> rsync-35.2/rsync/clientserver.c(105) [receiver=2.6.9]
> DEBUG: Error synchronizing MacPorts sources: shell command "/usr/bin/ 
> rsync -rtzv --delete-after rsync://rsync.macports.org/release/base//opt/local/var/macports/sources/rsync.macports.org/release/base 
> " returned error 10
> Command output: rsync: failed to connect to superman.com: Operation  
> timed out (60)
> rsync error: error in socket IO (code 10) at /SourceCache/rsync/ 
> rsync-35.2/rsync/clientserver.c(105) [receiver=2.6.9]
>
>    while executing
> "macports::selfupdate [array get global_options]"
> Error: /opt/local/bin/port: port selfupdate failed: Error  
> synchronizing MacPorts sources: shell command "/usr/bin/rsync -rtzv --delete-afterrsync://rsync.macports.org/release/base/ 
>  /opt/local/var/macports/sources/rsync.macports.org/release/base"  
> returned error 10
> Command output: rsync: failed to connect to superman.com: Operation  
> timed out (60)
> rsync error: error in socket IO (code 10) at /SourceCache/rsync/ 
> rsync-35.2/rsync/clientserver.c(105) [receiver=2.6.9]
>

As my corporate firewall has the ports for both rsync an cvs closed,  
is there a way for me to keep my macports up to date?

TiA,
Ben