Using the cf CLI with a proxy server

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If you have an HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy server on your network between a host running the cf CLI and your API endpoint, you must set https_proxy with the hostname or IP address of the proxy server. The https_proxy environment variable holds the hostname or IP address of your proxy server.

The https_proxy is a standard environment variable. As with any environment variable, the specific steps you use to set it depends on your operating system.

Format of https_proxy

The https_proxy variable is set with hostname or IP address of the proxy server in URL format, as in the following example:

https_proxy=http://proxy.example.com

If the proxy server requires a username and password, you must include the credentials, as in the following example:

https_proxy=http://username:password@proxy.example.com

If the proxy server uses a port other than 80, you must include the port number, as in the following example:

https_proxy=http://username:password@proxy.example.com:8080

If the proxy server is a SOCKS5 proxy, you must specify the SOCKS5 protocol in the URL, as in the following example:

https_proxy=socks5://socks_proxy.example.com

The cf ssh command for cf CLI v7 does not work through a SOCKS5 proxy.

Set https_proxy in Mac OS or Linux

To set the https_proxy environment variable in Mac OS or Linux:

  1. Use the command specific to your shell. For example, in bash, use the export command, as in the following example:

    export https_proxy=http://my.proxyserver.com:8080
    
  2. To make this change persistent, add the command to the appropriate profile file for the shell. For example, in bash, add a line like the following example to your .bash_profile or .bashrc file:

    https_proxy=http://username:password@hostname:port
    export $https_proxy
    

Set https_proxy in Windows

To set the https_proxy environment variable in Windows:

  1. Open the Start menu.

  2. Right-click Computer and select Properties.

    An arrow points to 'Properties' as the last item of the right-click menu.

  3. In the left pane of the System window, click Advanced system settings.

    An arrow points to'Advanced system settings', which is the last item in the Control Panel Home.

  4. In the System Properties window:

    1. Select Advanced.
    2. Click Environment Variables.

    An arrow points to'Advanced system settings', which is the last item in the Control Panel Home.

  5. Under User variables, click New.

    An arrow points to the 'New' button, which is the first button under the user variables table

  6. For Variable name, enter https_proxy.

  7. For Variable value, enter your proxy server information.

    Variable name text field has 'https_proxy' entered. Variable value text field has 'http://my.proxyserver.com:8080 entered.

  8. Click OK.

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