<solved> Connecting synaptic through a Proxy. Mint works, PClinuxOS won't! :-(

[t20racerman]

Hi all

I've tried to get my laptop and other PCs to connect through the Proxy network at work in the past and gave it up a couple of years ago as a problem I couldn't fix.

However, I just got two identical old Toshiba laptops and installed PCLinuxOS on one, Mint on the other. I thought it was about time to try to connect synaptic through the work proxy again... and found that Mint has an authentification setting on synaptic when you put in the proxy values! I put in my username and password and immeditely Mint connected, updated and I could download software! Yay!

However, i still can't see how to do this with synaptic in PClinuxOS. I now know it isn't a network problem with the work proxy, but there is no way to put in username and password into the synaptic settings in my favourite distro :-(

I've tried all kinds of solutions (suggested on this forum last time I raised it), and I've searched the forums, but all to no avail.

Please could some kind soul give me an idiots guide as to how to get this to work.
Thanks
 

[Phil]

see these....

http://jeroencoenders.org/2012/03/03/apt-get-behind-a-proxy-in-ubuntu-11-10/

http://askubuntu.com/questions/77449/how-to-configure-proxy-authentication-to-work-with-ubuntu-software-center

https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/synaptic/+question/1320

[ferry_th]

You can put your authentification setting in apt.conf. Edit apt.conf in /etc/apt/apt.conf as root. Add the following lines

Code: [Select]

Acquire::http::Proxy "http://username:password@proxy:port";
Acquire::ftp::Proxy "ftp://username:password@proxy:port";
or alternatively can run Synaptic in konsole as root.
-Set your http_proxy first, to make synaptic work with your proxy. In console (as root)type

Code: [Select]

export http_proxy=http://username:password@proxy:port/- Then type synaptic in konsole

[t20racerman]

ferry_th

I tried both of those options, but neither worked. I don't know what I may have done wrong. Did I have to add the lines to apt.conf in braces as the other code is?

The terminal method didn't work either. :-(

Phil
Two of those links are broken, only the middle one works and to be honest, that isn't exactly clear.

Thanks for the help so far guys...

Adrian

[ferry_th]

Hey Adrian, have you changed the code to match your authentification setting? Change username,password,proxy,port in code to match your credentials.

[t20racerman]

OK, thanks for coming back to me.
I'm not really sure exactly what you want me to add. Do I add my proxy server address at the server-ip bit? If so, what exactly do I add?

On FF and other browsers I use this proxy address to connect:

192.168.0.xx/wifinet2

and then add username and password when the dialogue comes up asking for my details. Lets say these are username: 'suzuki' and password 'motorbike' (they aren't!!)

In synaptic in Mint I added the details above for the http and ftp proxy server boxes in synaptic (exactly the same as in PCLinuxOS) and then clicked the authentification box and added my username and password. That worked perfectly.

Sorry to be a pain, but can you tell me exactly what to type and where using these details?

[ferry_th]

Given your information, the code in 'terminal method' should be like this

Code: [Select]

export http_proxy=http://suzuki:motorbike@wifinet2:8080/
with assumption your proxy port is 8080. I think you get the idea.

[t20racerman]

Given your information, the code in 'terminal method' should be like this

Code: [Select]

export http_proxy=http://suzuki:motorbike@wifinet2:8080/
with assumption your proxy port is 8080. I think you get the idea.

Hi again

I tried exactly what you said, but it won't work still - synaptic refuses to connect. I tried the apt.conf route as well but that didn't work either.
I'm now not sure if I modified my apt.conf correctly or not, or if this is messing up the terminal method  :-(

Really stuck now and would appreciate any more ideas as to how to do this. Shall I delete apt.conf and start again? Does Mint have an apt.conf file I could copy as synaptic on mint works.

Hmm, I'll try that now....

EDIT: Nope, didn't work - no such similar file in Mint :-(

[Phil]

Found another set of links:

http://elucidatedbinary.com/blog/2011/11/21/using-synaptic-behind-proxy/

http://www.unixmen.com/configure-debian-squeeze-to-work-behind-a-proxy-faqs/

http://www.techques.com/question/24-38823/How-to-use-apt-get-synaptic-behind-a-proxy

[t20racerman]

WOW - got it working!!!! 

Thanks for the help guys. Th problem was definitely the proxy being having a " /wifinet2 " after the IP address - I tried all kinds of places to put this in my apt.conf file, and finally got it to work. I won't add details here yet, as I've been trying various things and suddenly one method worked... and to be honest I'm not fully sure what!

However, I have another couple of PCs to sort out later in the week and I'll report back to make this thread complete. Thanks for the help guys - your support, and confidence that it could be done, kept me trying different things.

Yay! 

[ferry_th]

WOW - got it working!!!! 

Thanks for the help guys. Th problem was definitely the proxy being having a " /wifinet2 " after the IP address - I tried all kinds of places to put this in my apt.conf file, and finally got it to work. I won't add details here yet, as I've been trying various things and suddenly one method worked... and to be honest I'm not fully sure what!

However, I have another couple of PCs to sort out later in the week and I'll report back to make this thread complete. Thanks for the help guys - your support, and confidence that it could be done, kept me trying different things.

Yay! 

Yay! Glad you got it working.