How To Permanently Disable http_proxy in Ubuntu

In this article, we will walk you through the process of permanently disabling the http_proxy in Ubuntu. This guide will also cover disabling ftp_proxy, socks_proxy, and https_proxy variables.

Understanding Proxy Variables

Before we dive into the process, let’s understand what these proxy variables are. Proxy variables are used by your system to connect to the internet through a proxy server. This can be useful in environments where direct internet access is not available or is restricted. However, if you no longer need to use a proxy server, these variables can be disabled.

Checking for Proxy Variables

The first step to disabling these variables is to check if they are set in your system. The proxy variables are usually set in one of the following configuration files:

• ~/.bashrc
• /etc/bash.bashrc
• /etc/environment

To check if these variables are set, you can open each file in a text editor and look for lines that start with export and include the name of the variable. For example:

export http_proxy=http://proxy.studnet.lan:8080
export ftp_proxy=ftp://proxy.studnet.lan:8080
export socks_proxy=socks://proxy.studnet.lan:8080
export https_proxy=https://proxy.studnet.lan:8080

Removing Proxy Variables

If you find the proxy variables in any of the files mentioned above, you can remove them by deleting the corresponding lines.

To open a file in a text editor, you can use the following command:

sudo nano /etc/environment

In this command, sudo is used to run the command with root privileges, nano is the text editor we are using, and /etc/environment is the file we are opening. Replace /etc/environment with the path to the file you want to edit.

Once you have opened the file, you can navigate to the lines that set the proxy variables and remove them. After you have made the changes, save the file and exit the text editor. In nano, you can do this by pressing Ctrl+X, then Y to confirm that you want to save the changes, and finally Enter to confirm the file name.

Unsetting Proxy Variables

If you cannot find the proxy variables in any of the files, or if you want to ensure that they are not set in the future, you can add unset commands to your ~/.bashrc file.

The unset command is used to remove a variable from the environment of the current shell session. By adding unset commands to the ~/.bashrc file, we ensure that the proxy variables are removed every time a new shell session is started.

To add the unset commands, open the ~/.bashrc file in a text editor:

nano ~/.bashrc

At the end of the file, add the following lines:

unset http_proxy
unset ftp_proxy
unset socks_proxy
unset https_proxy

Save the file and exit the text editor.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to permanently disable the http_proxy, ftp_proxy, socks_proxy, and https_proxy variables in Ubuntu. The changes will take effect the next time you open a new terminal session.

Remember to double-check the files and their locations to ensure you are modifying the correct configuration files. If you need more information on how to use the nano text editor, you can check out this guide.

unset http_proxy
unset ftp_proxy
unset socks_proxy
unset https_proxy