When working in a networked environment, particularly in corporate settings, you may find yourself behind a proxy server. This can sometimes interfere with your ability to use Git. Configuring Git to work with a proxy server ensures seamless operation and uninterrupted access to repositories. This article will guide you through the steps to configure Git to work with a proxy server.

Configuring Proxy Server?

Configuring Git to work with a proxy server involves setting up Git so it can communicate through a network proxy. This is essential in environments where direct internet access is restricted, such as corporate or educational networks. By configuring Git to use a proxy server, users can perform operations like cloning, fetching, and pushing code repositories without connectivity issues.

This process typically involves setting global or repository-specific proxy settings using Git commands or environment variables. It ensures that Git traffic routes through the proxy server, allowing for seamless access to external Git repositories while obeying to network security policies.

The reasons behind why we do it:

1. Network Restrictions: In many corporate and institutional environments, direct access to the Internet is restricted for security reasons. A proxy server monitors and controls network traffic, allowing Git operations to proceed within these restrictions.

2. Security Compliance: Proxy servers enforce security policies and protect the network from external threats. Configuring Git to work with a proxy ensures compliance with these security measures, maintaining a secure environment.

3. Access Control: Proxy servers can authenticate users and control access to external resources. This helps manage and monitor who accesses what within the organization, enhancing security and accountability.

4. Performance Improvement: Some proxy servers cache frequently accessed content, reducing load times for Git operations. This can improve performance by providing quicker access to previously fetched resources, making the workflow more efficient.

How to Configure Git to Work with a Proxy Server?

To configure Git to work with a proxy server, you can use the following approaches:

1. Configuring Git proxy settings globally

This approach involves configuring the Git proxy settings for all repositories globally using the command line interface.

Syntax:

git config --global http.proxy http://proxyuser:[email protected]:8080

Verify Configuration

To check if the proxy is configured correctly, use:

git config --global --get http.proxy

For example , here I have configured and verified the Git proxy settings for all repositories globally

configure and verified the Git proxy settings

2. Configuring Git Proxy Settings for a Specific Repository

This method allows you to configure proxy settings for a specific repository only.

Syntax:

cd path/to/your/repository
git config http.proxy http://proxyuser:[email protected]:8080

Verify Configuration:

Check the repository-specific proxy setting with:

git config --get http.proxy

For example , here I have set and verified the proxy for an open source repository

set and verified the proxy for an open source repository

Make sure to replace ‘proxyuser’ , ‘proxypassword’ , ‘proxy.server.com’ and ‘8080’ with your actual proxy details.

3. Using Environment Variables

This approach uses environment variables to set proxy settings, which can be a more flexible method for some users
Syntax:

export http_proxy=http://proxyuser:[email protected]:8080
export https_proxy=http://proxyuser:[email protected]:8080

Permanent Environment Variables:

To make these changes permanent, add the above lines to your system’s environment variables configuration file (e.g. “.bashrc”, “.bash_profile”, “.zshrc”).

4: Bypassing the Proxy for Specific Domains

This approach allows you to bypass the proxy for specific domains.

Syntax:

git config --global http.proxy http://proxyuser:[email protected]:8080
git config --global http.noProxy "example.com,anotherdomain.com"

Verify No Proxy:

Check the no proxy settings with:

git config --global --get http.noProxy

For example , here I have bypassed the Git proxy for specific domain and verified it too:

bypass the Git proxy for specific domain

Make sure to replace ‘example.com’ , ‘anotherdomain.com’ , ‘proxyuser’ , ‘proxypassword’ , ‘proxy.server.com’ and ‘8080’ with your actual proxy & domain details.

5. Removing Proxy Settings

This method describes how to remove proxy settings, either globally or for a specific repository.

Syntax for Removing Global Proxy:

git config --global --unset http.proxy

Removing Repository Proxy

To remove proxy settings for a specific repository, navigate to the repository and use:

cd path/to/your/repository
git config --unset http.proxy

For example , here I have demonstrated how to remove Git proxy settings both globally and locally :

how to remove Git proxy settings both globally and locally