REBOL Internet Proxy Setup
How to setup REBOL to use a proxy server.
Basics
Some organizations use a proxy server to access the Internet. A proxy server is a type of gateway that routes network connections from an internal network to the external Internet.
To operate REBOL with a proxy, you need to provide additional setup information.
Information needed
To setup REBOL for a proxy, you will need to know the type of proxy, the name or IP address of your proxy server and its port number (a simple integer.) This information can be provided by your Internet administrator, by looking at the network settings for other programs such as the FireFox web browser, or from a special web page provided by your organization.
In addition, some companies require a username and password. These are special values, not normally the same as you use to login to your computer, wifi, or other services. Ask your administrator if necessary.
Types of proxies
REBOL supports the two primary proxy methods:
| socks | the standard SOCKS proxy protocol, both version 4 and 5 |
| generic | the generic CERN HTTP proxy |
If proxy is enabled, REBOL defaults to using the SOCKS5 method. However, other you can pick other methods if necessary.
In REBOL/View
To setup proxy in REBOL/View, click on the User word at the top of the viewtop window. Then, click the Proxy Settings button. You will see a panel that lets you set:
| Proxy type: | select SOCKS5, SOCKS4, or generic (CERN HTTP) |
| Proxy server: | Enter the server name or IP address. Do not enter a URL scheme name (such as HTTP). Simply the IP address or name will do. |
| Proxy port: | Provide a port number. This must be a positive integer. Often port 8000 or 8080 is used. |
| Username: | If your proxy requires a user name, enter it here. |
| Password: | If required. |
Click the Save button. Then, click the REBOL folder on the desktop to see if the proxy is operating correctly. The proxy settings will be saved to disk.
In REBOL/Core
You can specify your proxy by editing (or creating) a user.r file and that calls the set-net function with the appropriate information.
For example, to setup a proxy add a line like:
set-net [you@example.com mail none proxy.example.net 8080 socks]
This will set:
| Proxy type: | will use the current socks version, the default is SOCKS5 |
| Proxy server: | here it is proxy.example.net |
| Proxy port: | 8080 |
See the Networking Chapter of the REBOL/Core User's Guide for more information.
HTTPS using proxy
REBOL automatically redirects between the HTTP and HTTPS schemes in both directions. Both SOCKS proxy servers and generic proxy servers are supported in combination with HTTPS.
Using HTTPS with generic proxy servers is only possible with proxy servers that allow tunneling.
In Scripts
Any script can also initialize the proxy settings. Basic setup can be done as described above using the set-net function. However, a lot more control is possible. You can set proxy for the system overall, or just for specific specific protocols such as FTP or SMTP. You can also control proxy bypass settings for accessing machines on your local network without using the proxy.
For detailed information, see Protocol Setup.