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.

    alt-text="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.

    alt-text="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.

    alt-text="An arrow points to'Advanced system settings', which is the last item in the Control Panel Home."

  5. Under User variables, click New.

    alt-text="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.

    alt-text="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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