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Linux Setup

3 min read

Preparation: Have proxy credentials ready

Before setup, make sure you have the following details:

  • InstantProxies IP address
  • Port number
  • Username and password if using credential-based authentication

If your setup uses IP allowlisting instead of credentials, make sure your current environment is already authorized. If needed, start with Authorizing Your IP Address.

Set up proxy in Linux

Basic concept

Most Linux applications use one of these methods:

  • Environment variables such as http_proxy and https_proxy
  • Application-specific proxy settings such as browser, package manager, or Git configuration

Your proxy format will usually be:

HTTP or HTTPS proxy format:

http://IP:PORT

With username and password:

http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT

If you need the canonical format reference first, see Endpoints, Protocols, and Connection Strings.

If using IP-based authentication

This means your server or workstation public IP should already be authorized in the InstantProxies dashboard.

Step 1: Set environment variables

export http_proxy="http://IP:PORT"
export https_proxy="http://IP:PORT"
export ftp_proxy="http://IP:PORT"

Step 2: Make it persistent

Add the variables to ~/.bashrc or ~/.profile:

echo 'export http_proxy="http://IP:PORT"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export https_proxy="http://IP:PORT"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Step 3: Test it

curl -I http://example.com

If using username and password authentication

Use this format:

export http_proxy="http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT"
export https_proxy="http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT"

Test it with:

curl -x http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT https://ifconfig.me

Using proxy with specific Linux tools

A. APT (Debian or Ubuntu package manager)

sudo nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/95proxies

Add:

Acquire::http::Proxy "http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT";
Acquire::https::Proxy "http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT";

B. Wget

nano ~/.wgetrc

Add:

use_proxy = on
http_proxy = http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT
https_proxy = http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT

C. Git

git config --global http.proxy http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT
git config --global https.proxy http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT

D. cURL (one-time use)

curl -x http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT https://example.com

E. Proxychains (advanced)

Install:

sudo apt install proxychains

Edit the config:

sudo nano /etc/proxychains.conf

Add at the bottom:

http IP PORT USERNAME PASSWORD

Run:

proxychains curl https://ifconfig.me

Quick sanity test

curl -x http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP:PORT https://api.ipify.org

If it returns the proxy IP, the basic setup is working.

For a more direct validation step after setup, continue to Verify Your Connection.

Troubleshooting notes

  • If the connection fails, recheck the host, port, and authentication method.
  • If IP-based authentication is active, confirm that the public IP of the Linux machine is the one that was actually authorized.
  • If one tool works but another does not, the second tool may be ignoring shell proxy variables and may need tool-specific configuration.

If issues continue, use Connectivity Troubleshooting.

Next step

After the Linux proxy path is working, continue to Verify Your Connection to confirm the runtime path. If you want browser-specific guides next, continue to Platform and Browser Setup.