How to use openSUSE zypper behind a HTTP proxy (with authentication)

Written by Claudio Kuenzler - 5 comments

Published on November 10th 2014 - last updated on April 11th 2024 - Listed in Linux Network Internet

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Was trying to figure out, how to use zypper behind a HTTP proxy which requires authentication. Because direct Internet access was cut, an installation through zypper would fail with this message:

geeko:~ # zypper se vnc
Download (curl) error for 'http://dl.google.com/linux/talkplugin/rpm/stable/x86_64/repodata/repomd.xml':
Error code: Connection failed

Turns out it's actually pretty easy - once you know how to do it.

In openSUSE there is a global proxy configuration file /etc/syconfig/proxy which can be edited to your needs. For example:

HTTP_PROXY="myproxy.example.com:8080"

This works fine if you don't require authentication to go through the proxy. But if you need authentication, zypper will still fail:

geeko:~ # zypper se vnc
Download (curl) error for 'http://dl.google.com/linux/talkplugin/rpm/stable/x86_64/repodata/repomd.xml':
Error code: HTTP response: 407
Error message: The requested URL returned error: 407 Proxy Authorization Required

Abort, retry, ignore? [a/r/i/? shows all options] (a): a

For HTTP proxies with authentication, the same file (/etc/sysconfig/proxy) is also used. The user and password can be entered into the HTTP_PROXY definition:

HTTP_PROXY="http://myusername:mypassword@myproxy.example.com:8080"

And voilà, zypper can now be launched right away (without having to re-login):

geeko:~ # zypper se vnc
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...
[...]

Additionally to this, there is also a helpful proxy exception definition which can be configured in /etc/syconfig/proxy:

NO_PROXY="localhost, 127.0.0.1, 10.0.0.0/8, 192.168.0.0/16"

This also applies to SLES (SuSE Linux Enterprise Server) and SLED (SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop), see KB 7006845.

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Comments (newest first)

Claudio from Switzerland wrote on Jun 14th, 2019:

Alex, which SUSE and zypper version are you using? The post is from 2014 so it is possible a lot has changed since.

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Alex from wrote on Jun 14th, 2019:

Greetings... i've done those configurations as demonstrated but i'm still unable to update my system through the proxy using zypper....

getting errorcode "curl error 52"

any ideas?

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ck from Switzerland wrote on Oct 11th, 2017:

Roshny, you obviously also need to check your firewall rules if this host is even allowed to connect to the Internet or to a HTTP Proxy.

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Roshny from India wrote on Oct 11th, 2017:

I have done all this but still I cannot connect to the internet through the terminal. I cannot install softwares through YAST either. Please Help

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Gordon Franke from wrote on Jul 12th, 2017:

typo "/etc/syconfig/proxy" missing "s" change to /etc/sysconfig/proxy

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