{"id":484,"date":"2026-10-14T17:21:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T17:21:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scmgalaxy.com\/tutorials\/2016\/07\/28\/setting-the-proxy-configuratin-in-linux-and-windows\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T17:21:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T17:21:38","slug":"setting-the-proxy-configuratin-in-linux-and-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/setting-the-proxy-configuratin-in-linux-and-windows\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Configure HTTP\/HTTPS Proxy on Linux and Windows (CLI, GUI, Registry, and APT)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Originally published on 2016-07-28; fully revised and updated.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your network requires a proxy server, CLI tools may fail until proxy variables are configured. This guide helps DevOps engineers and administrators set http_proxy<\/code>\/https_proxy<\/code> on Windows and Linux<\/strong>, make settings persistent, and fix common issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This revision is based on the original post: How to Set or Configure Proxy in Linux and Windows System<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Proxy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When proxy settings are needed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
  • Your organization routes outbound traffic through a proxy or firewall.<\/li>
  • Commands such as package installs or API calls fail from terminal sessions.<\/li>
  • You need different proxy scopes: current shell, system-wide, or tool-specific (for example, apt).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Proxy setup workflow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Use this flow to choose the right level of configuration and troubleshoot quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \nflowchart TD\n    A[Need outbound internet access] --> B{Operating system}\n    B -- Windows --> C[Set proxy in shell or system settings]\n    B -- Linux --> D[Export proxy variables]\n    C --> E[Test command line access]\n    D --> E\n    E --> F{Still failing}\n    F -- Yes --> G[Configure tool specific proxy such as apt]\n    G --> H[If using sudo pass proxy variables]\n    F -- No --> I[Done]\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
    Windows vs Linux proxy methods at a glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    Method<\/th>Platform<\/th>Scope<\/th>Best for<\/th>Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Shell environment variables<\/td>Windows \/ Linux<\/td>Current terminal session<\/td>Quick testing<\/td>Lost when terminal closes<\/td><\/tr>
    System Environment Variables (GUI)<\/td>Windows<\/td>User or system-wide<\/td>Persistent app behavior<\/td>UI path varies by Windows version<\/td><\/tr>
    Registry + WinHTTP import<\/td>Windows<\/td>WinINET and WinHTTP alignment<\/td>Centralized Windows proxy setup<\/td>Requires careful validation<\/td><\/tr>
    \/etc\/environment<\/td>Linux<\/td>System-wide environment<\/td>Persistent host defaults<\/td>Credentials are stored in plaintext<\/td><\/tr>
    APT proxy config<\/td>Linux (Debian\/Ubuntu)<\/td>APT only<\/td>apt\/apt-get behind proxy<\/td>Useful when environment variables are ignored<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    Configure proxy on Windows<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    Temporary settings in Command Prompt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    These values apply to the current Command Prompt session.<\/p>\n\n\n
    set<\/span> http_proxy=http:\/\/your_proxy:your_port\nset<\/span> https_proxy=http:\/\/your_proxy:your_port\nset<\/span> no_proxy=localhost,127.0.0.1,.example.internal\n\nset<\/span> http_proxy=http:\/\/username:password@your_proxy:your_port\nset<\/span> https_proxy=http:\/\/username:password@your_proxy:your_port<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
    Set environment variables via GUI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    • Open Control Panel and select System<\/strong>.<\/li>
    • Open Advanced system settings<\/strong>, then click Environment Variables<\/strong>.<\/li>
    • Under System variables, click New<\/strong>.<\/li>
    • Add http_proxy<\/code> and https_proxy<\/code> with your proxy URL.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      Registry and WinHTTP commands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      The original post includes registry-based setup and WinHTTP import:<\/p>\n\n\n
      reg add \"HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\"<\/span> \/v ProxyEnable \/t REG_DWORD \/d 1<\/span> \/f\nreg add \"HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\"<\/span> \/v ProxyServer \/t REG_SZ \/d proxyserveraddress:proxyport \/f\nnetsh winhttp import<\/span> proxy source=ie<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Enable, disable, or change proxy quickly<\/h3>\n\n\n
      reg add \"HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\"<\/span> \/v ProxyEnable \/t REG_DWORD \/d 1<\/span> \/f\nreg add \"HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\"<\/span> \/v ProxyEnable \/t REG_DWORD \/d 0<\/span> \/f\nreg add \"HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\"<\/span> \/v ProxyServer \/t REG_SZ \/d proxyserveraddress:proxyport \/f<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Legacy credential keys from the original post<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      The source also listed these keys; validate behavior in your Windows version before relying on them for authentication.<\/p>\n\n\n
      reg add \"HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\"<\/span> \/v ProxyUser \/t REG_SZ \/d username\nreg add \"HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\"<\/span> \/v ProxyPass \/t REG_SZ \/d password<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Configure proxy on Linux<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      Temporary settings for the current shell<\/h3>\n\n\n
      export<\/span> http_proxy=http:\/\/your_proxy:your_port<\/span>\nexport<\/span> https_proxy=http:\/\/your_proxy:your_port<\/span>\nexport<\/span> no_proxy=localhost,127.0<\/span>.0<\/span>.1<\/span>,.example.internal\n\nexport<\/span> http_proxy=http:\/\/username:password@your_proxy:your_port<\/span>\nexport<\/span> https_proxy=http:\/\/username:password@your_proxy:your_port<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Persist settings in \/etc\/environment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      The original FAQ points to \/etc\/environment<\/code> for Ubuntu system-wide proxy values.<\/p>\n\n\n
      http_proxy=\"http:\/\/your_proxy:your_port\"<\/span>\nhttps_proxy=\"http:\/\/your_proxy:your_port\"<\/span>\nno_proxy=\"localhost,127.0.0.1,.example.internal\"<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Configure apt to use a proxy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      If apt does not use your shell variables, add explicit proxy lines:<\/p>\n\n\n
      Acquire::http::Proxy \"http:\/\/10.1.3.1:8080\/\"<\/span>;\nAcquire::https::Proxy \"http:\/\/10.1.3.1:8080\/\"<\/span>;<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      When sudo does not pass proxy variables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      From the original FAQ: a common failure is that sudo<\/code> does not pass the proxy environment variable by default.<\/p>\n\n\n
      sudo env http_proxy=http:\/\/10.1.3.1:8080 apt-get update<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      FAQ and quick troubleshooting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      • If your proxy password contains @<\/code>, try URL-encoding it as %40<\/code>.<\/li>
      • If manual export<\/code> works but apt-get<\/code> with sudo<\/code> fails, pass variables explicitly or adjust sudo policy.<\/li>
      • Remember that some tools read environment variables, while others require tool-specific configuration.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n
        echo<\/span> $http_proxy\necho<\/span> $https_proxy\necho<\/span> $no_proxy\nenv | grep -i proxy<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
        Common pitfalls and best practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        • Set both http_proxy<\/code> and https_proxy<\/code> to avoid inconsistent behavior.<\/li>
        • Avoid storing credentials in plaintext where possible; prefer secure secret handling mechanisms.<\/li>
        • Use URL encoding for special characters in usernames\/passwords.<\/li>
        • Document a rollback path (for example, disabling proxy values) for incident response.<\/li>
        • Validate each target tool (curl, apt, build agents) because proxy handling differs by client.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
          Set up proxy access correctly on Windows and Linux for command-line tools, package managers, and system-level use. This guide covers quick commands, persistent configuration, and common troubleshooting steps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[4957],"tags":[254,545,1163,1164,1161,1162,460,379,1159,1165,1166,1160,1158,182],"class_list":["post-484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-linux","tag-configure","tag-how","tag-how-to-configure-proxy-in-linux","tag-how-to-configure-proxy-in-windows","tag-how-to-set-proxy-in-linux","tag-how-to-set-proxy-in-windows","tag-linux","tag-proxy","tag-proxy-configuration","tag-proxy-configuration-in-linux","tag-proxy-configuration-in-windows","tag-proxy-setting","tag-set","tag-windows"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=484"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79365,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484\/revisions\/79365"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}