How can I set a proxy for Wget?

When using the Wget tool, you might occasionally need to access internet resources through a proxy server. Setting up a proxy can help you use Wget in scenarios where you need to comply with company policies, bypass geographical restrictions, or protect your privacy.

Setting Up a Proxy via Environment Variables

Example:

If your proxy server address is 192.168.1.100 and the port is 8080, you can set it in the command line on Linux or macOS as follows:

bash
export http_proxy="http://192.168.1.100:8080"
export https_proxy="https://192.168.1.100:8080"
export ftp_proxy="ftp://192.168.1.100:8080"

On Windows systems, you can use the following command in the command prompt:

cmd
set http_proxy=http://192.168.1.100:8080
set https_proxy=https://192.168.1.100:8080
set ftp_proxy=ftp://192.168.1.100:8080

Setting Up a Proxy in the Wget Configuration File

Example:

Open the .wgetrc file and add the following:

shell
use_proxy = on
http_proxy = http://192.168.1.100:8080
https_proxy = https://192.168.1.100:8080
ftp_proxy = ftp://192.168.1.100:8080

After this configuration, Wget will automatically route all requests through the specified proxy server.

Specifying a Proxy Directly via Command Line

Example:

bash
wget --proxy=on --http-proxy=192.168.1.100:8080 http://example.com

This method allows you to quickly configure a proxy for a single command without altering global or user-level settings.

With these approaches, you can flexibly configure a proxy for Wget based on your specific needs.