#AMosaic/http_proxy quest
7 messages in this thread
Hi everyone,
after spending a painful afternoon with setting up my A4000/040 for accessing
the internet via CIS I'm pleased to report that it works. I used the
InterInstall script, BTW, and it worked with next to none problems.
I've got one small niggle. I use AMosaic 2.0beta3 to browse the web, and again
it works, but only using a strange workaround.
I have in my ENV:/ENVARC: directory a file called "http_proxy" (without the
quotation marks), and it contains a single line:
http://www.wupper.de:80/
I used to access the Internet through a private provider that sadly ceased
trading recently. This provider used the domain ".wupper.de". The installion of
AMosaic dates back to that time.
Whenever I access the web and point AMosaic to a new web site, AMosaic reports
looking up www.wupper.de. Am I correct in assuming that AMosaic derives that
address from "http_proxy"? If so, can I further assume that the purpose of
looking up www.wupper.de is to find the correct addresses for URLs? Does
www.wupper.de serve as a name server or some such?
Now, using CIS, I tried to change "http_proxy" to
http://www.compuserve.com:80/
assuming that Compuserve must have such a name server as well, but it didn't
work at all. Whatever URL I enter, I get "Error 404, unable to find the
specified page" (or a similar message to that effect).
Now I've changed "http_proxy" back to its original content, any everything
works fine.
I'm completely befuddled. Altough it all works, I'd like to know why, and
whether I can change "http_proxy" to something with a CompuServe address? I
feel strange accessing another provider when I morally should be using CIS
resources.
Any enlightenment will be much appreciated! <g>
Alex
Alexander Schwassmann // EMail: aschwassmann@art-line.art-line.de
my personal opinions … \X/ … will probably by different from yours
I'm not sure about the way it works in AMosaic, but for releases of Mosaic for
X Window version 2.7b1 and earlier this is how it works:
Setting http_proxy tells the browser to send all URLs that start with "http" to
a special proxy server that makes the URL requests on your behalf. So, in your
example, all URL requests are sent to www.wupper.de:80. The server on
www.wupper.de listening on port 80 then makes the URL request for you, and
www.wupper.de sends that info back to you.
Not all servers proxy support (or have it turned on), so you can't just put in
any random httpd server to be the proxy. Unless CIS supports this somewhere
(and I don't think they do), you can't use any CIS address to proxy info for
you.
AMosaic was originally based on XMosaic, so I'm pretty sure it works the same
way.
The next version of XMosaic gets rid of all this "http_proxy" stuff for
proxies, and provides a nice user interface for setting all types of proxies,
even generic proxies to let people experiment with writing new protocols. This
next version may be released this Friday, if all goes well.
Steve
Hi Steve,
<< Setting http_proxy tells the browser to send all URLs that start with "http"
to a special proxy server that makes the URL requests on your behalf. So, in
your example, all URL requests are sent to www.wupper.de:80. The server on
www.wupper.de listening on port 80 then makes the URL request for you, and
www.wupper.de sends that info back to you. >>
But what is is good for? I have now renamed the "http_proxy" as suggested in
another post, and there is now operational difference for me – I simple type in
an http request and AMosaic connects to the appropriate site without any
hiccups.
Alex
Alexander Schwassmann // EMail: aschwassmann@art-line.art-line.de
my personal opinions … \X/ … will probably by different from yours
What's a proxy server good for? Lots of stuff. If you're developing your own
protocols, a browser with a generic proxy server can let you test those
protocols without modifications to the browser.
Most people don't do that sort of thing though. 🙂
On networks with firewalls to the Internet, a proxy server is frequently placed
on the firewall to allow requests to come into it, so that it can make calls to
the outside world on behalf of the users on the protected side of the firewall.
Most internal traffic on a network is kept from passing through the firewall
system for security reasons. A proxy server is a way around that.
Steve
Hi Alex,
While you have AMosaic up with CompuServe, you don't need the file in
ENVARC:http_proxy . You can rename it, so you will be reminded, but it does not
work then. If the entry for http_proxy ends with a <return>, it doesn't work
either, so you have had the surprise, that it was apparently working:^)
Don't forget to rename or delete ENV:http_proxy , so you must not reboot.
BTW, I can see the Wupper from my house. Melde Dich mal.
Harry with AP
Hi Harry,
<< While you have AMosaic up with CompuServe, you don't need the file in
ENVARC:http_proxy . You can rename it, so you will be reminded, but it does not
work then. >>
Thanks for your help, I did as suggested, and it all still works! <g>
<< BTW, I can see the Wupper from my house. Melde Dich mal. >>
Ich wohne in Ratingen, war aber User der AWorld/Pluribus, wegen deren
Internet-Anschlus. Jetzt gibt's die nicht mehr, also nehme ich CIS.
Vielen Dank noch mal!
Alex
Alexander Schwassmann // EMail: aschwassmann@art-line.art-line.de
my personal opinions … \X/ … will probably by different from yours
Hi Alex,
you should delete http_proxy if you use the web via CIS. CIS has no proxy
servers.
bye,
Lothar Bartsch