How to Set System Proxy on Debian 11/10

Set system proxy on Debian 11/10 and seamlessly eliminate all the connectivity issues that call for proxy settings alterations. You can either assign the proxy settings to a specific user or push the same to all the logged-in users.

With a proxy, you’re looking at a computer system designed to operate as a relay between a client and a corresponding server. One of the best firewall tools, the prime purpose of proxies, is preventing an outsider from trespassing into any private network. 

All the internet-based requests navigate to the proxy server first. It then evaluates the proposal and proceeds. Similarly, the returning response hits the proxy server once more and then reaches the user. This gives rise to a secured online environment.

The following article will show you the best possible ways to configure proxy settings on your Debian 11/10 system.  

Pre Requisites

Before you set system proxy on Debian 11/10, make sure you have access to the following:

 • A fully functional Debian system

 • Sudo privileges

How to Set System Proxy on Debian 11/10

There are several ways for setting the system proxy on Debian 11/10. While many users opt to do it right from the GUI, many choose to get the job done from CLI.

Set System Proxy on Debian 11/10: From GUI

It is one of the most straightforward ways to set system proxy on Debian 11/10, especially for those operating on a Desktop Environment. 

Launch the “Settings Panel”

Look for the option that says “Network”.

use manual proxy

Open the “Network Proxy” menu followed by the “Manual interface”.

Now, you’re ready to set proxy.

input proxy values

Remember to populate all the proxy values for HTTP Proxy, HTTPS Proxy, FTP Proxy, and Socks Host (if applicable). Also, it is crucial to ignore the list of domain names or the destination IP addresses where no type of Proxy settings should be applied.

Firefox Web browser users need to proceed differently and update the proxy settings. They will need to locate the Preferences menu and select the “Network Settings”. After that, click on the “Manual Proxy Configuration” button, and you’re good to go.

Now you can desirably configure the proxy, and once done, click the “OK” button to save. All the alterations will take charge as soon as you apply and save them.

Set System Proxy on Debian 11/10: From CLI

Employing CLI for setting system proxy is another super-efficient way. But considering that this method brings the Terminal to the scene, you need to have extra caution moving forward. 

Step 1: Launch the Terminal

The first thing to do is to get yourself inside the Terminal. For that, simply use the “Ctrl+Alt+T” key combination.

Step 2: Creating a File

Next up, create a dedicated file inside /etc/profile.d directory. This is where you’ll set all Proxy settings which work for users operating on the Debian Linux system.

Run the following command:

$ sudo vim /etc/profile.d/proxy.sh
creating a file for system proxy

Step 3: Populate Proxy Values

Once you’re done creating a file, it is time you input the proxy values. Maintain the following format to conclude that successfully:

# set proxy config via profile.d - should apply for all users
# http/https/ftp/no_proxy
export http_proxy="http://[desired_IP]:8080/"
export https_proxy="http://[desired_IP]:8080/"
export ftp_proxy="http://[desired_IP]:8080/"
export no_proxy="127.0.0.1,localhost"
# For curl
export HTTP_PROXY="http://[desired_IP]:8080/"
export HTTPS_PROXY="http://[desired_IP]:8080/"
export FTP_PROXY="http://[desired_IP]:8080/"
export NO_PROXY="127.0.0.1,localhost"

Step 4: Make Desired Additions

Soon after you populate the file with proxy values, add IP addresses (if any) that are to be excluded from both the NO_PROXY & the no_proxy environment variables.

Step 5: Adding the Execution Bit

Run the chmod command and add the execution bit to the script (file) you’ve created earlier.

$ sudo chmod +x /etc/profile.d/proxy.s
adding execution bit

Step 6: Finalize

You can either use the logout command or source the file for runtime use to finalize the proxy settings. When you choose the former, make sure to log back in, while in case the latter is what you prefer, run the following command:

$ source /etc/profile.d/proxy.sh
set system proxy on debian 11/10

Confirming the Proxy Settings

Now that you’re done setting the system proxy on Debian 11/10, you need to verify and confirm that the desired proxies have been added to the environment. For that, invoke the env command in the following manner:

$ env | grep -i proxy
confirm and set system proxy on debian 11/10

Setting the System Proxy on Debian 11/10: For APT Package Manager

Until this point, you’ve learned two brilliant methods that are meant to help set system proxy in Debian 11/10. However, none work for apt package managers as both of them operates around command-line tool connectivity. 

To do that, configure the file in the following way:

$ sudo vim /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/80proxy
Acquire::http::proxy "http://[desired_IP]:8080/";
Acquire::https::proxy "https://[desired_IP]:8080/";
Acquire::ftp::proxy "ftp://[desired_IP]:8080/";

In case you want to secure the file, use the following configuration:

Acquire::http::proxy "http://<username>:<password>@<proxy>:<port>/";
Acquire::https::proxy "https://<username>:<password>@<proxy>:<port>/";
Acquire::ftp::proxy
"ftp://<username>:<password>@<proxy>:<port>/";

Set System Proxy On Debian 11/10: For wget

Those willing to set proxy so that the same can be used with the wget command line tool need to bring modifications to the ~/.wgetrc file. Here is how:

$ vim ~/.wgetrc       
set system proxy on debian 11/10 for wget
use_proxy = on
http_proxy = http://[desired_IP]:8080/ 
https_proxy = http://[desired_IP]:8080/ 
ftp_proxy = http://[desired_IP]:8080/ 

With that, I’m done guiding you on how to set system proxy on Debian 11/10. In this tutorial, I’ve uncovered two brilliant methods of setting system proxies alongside two specific procedures for apt package managers and wget in the most user-friendly manner.

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