One of my proxies is being disabled
Mon, 10/26/2009 - 13:53 — tonycpsu
I have three proxies setup in my configuration, but one of them seems to get disabled for no apparent reason. It's my work proxy, and it seems that whenever I start my work day, I have to go into the Foxyproxy config and re-enable the proxy.
Is there some logic in the extension that disables proxies that are temporarily unreachable, e.g. when I leave the office? That's the only logical explanation I can think of. Otherwise, what can I do to troubleshoot this problem and avoid having to go through the config each time to re-enable the proxy?
Yes, there is logic in
Yes, there is logic in FoxyProxy to disable the proxy if it can't reach the PAC file. Doe the proxy server in your office use a PAC file? Please let me know.
thanks,
eric
Yes.
Yes, we use a PAC file. Thanks for the prompt reply!
Just wanted to note that
Just wanted to note that this problem persists in FoxyProxy 2.15 on Firefox 3.6b2.
FoxyProxy disables the proxy
FoxyProxy disables the proxy if it can't load the PAC file. That likely happens when you're not in the office (using another internet connection). When you 're back in the office and the PAC is available, the proxy works but doesn't auto re-enable itself.
This isn't a bug but expected behavior. If you want it to behave differently, please explain.
How would you like it to work?
Well...
Why wouldn't it re-enable the proxy once the PAC can be loaded? I understand the extension is trying to be "helpful" by disabling the unavailable proxy when the PAC isn't available, but shouldn't it also be helpful by re-enabling it when it comes back? I cannot see the case for one but not the other.
I think it should either get out of the way and leave the proxy enabled unless explicitly disabled, or it should disable it when unavailable and re-enable it when available. I'm curious -- why do you think one half of this equation makes more sense than the other?
If the PAC cannot load, the
If the PAC cannot load, the proxy must be disabled because there is no way to determine the host/ip address/port to use for loading URLs.
To re-enable the PAC automatically implies that FoxyProxy either:
1. Polls continually for the existence of missing PAC files. This is an expensive operation, especially if you choose high polling frequency. In writing software, there must be a balance between "helpfulness" and performance.
2. Polls for the existence of missing PAC files upon startup of Firefox. I could add this if you like.
What do you think?
Eric
I'm a software developer
I'm a software developer myself, so I understand your point about performance tradeoffs. Especially with a web browser, I agree that it's important not to have a bunch of extensions initating background operations that slow things down unnecessarily.
For my purposes, I'd be just fine if there were a global option to not automatically disable proxies when the PAC fails to load. Not only would it solve my problem of having to re-enable it, but it would make for more consistent UI when cycling through my proxies in the status bar.
What I mean is: No longer would I have to remember that my work proxy has dropped out of the rotation, and eventually muscle memory will let me skip over it when I'm at home, anyway. Having the proxy disappear makes me have to think about how many clicks to get from X to Y (though with the latest release, as others have noticed, something's wrong with the cycling of modes getting stuck.)
That's probably my prefered option, now that I think about it. I agree that needlessly polling for the PAC in the background is probably a bad idea. If neither of these options is in the cards, I'd settle for your suggestion of checking it once on Firefox startup -- then I'd just quit out of Firefox before I leave for work.
But, really, I prefer the global setting for "stop disabling my PAC proxy." I don't care if there's UI for it, or if I have to about:config to change it (in case you don't want to clutter the globals page.)
Hi, Sure, I can add this as
Hi,
Sure, I can add this as a "hidden" option to the next release. Actually, I have a beta for it right now. Please contact me to test it at eric dot jung at yahoo dot com.
Thanks,
Eric
disabled unreachable proxy pac
Hi Eric,
I have the same problem as tonycpsu. I am currently running FoxyProxy version 2.16.1 on FF 3.5.6. It would help a lot, if you would provide the 'hidden feature' in the near future.
Nevertheless, FoxyProxy is one of the best plugins!
Kind regards,
Oliver
Hi, I have a beta for this.
Hi,
I have a beta for this. Tony, can you please email me directly eric dot jung at yahoo dot com? I will send you the beta to test. The feature I've implemented is:
If the proxy is disabled due to missing PAC, each time Firefox is restarted the PAC is looked for. If found, the proxy is enabled. If not found, the proxy remains disabled.
I can add the hidden global setting you mentioned, too, if you want, but I wonder if it's still necessary with this other feature?
Eric
Personally....
my preference is to be able to tell FoxyProxy to not disable any proxy unless I manually disable it. A hidden global flag for that purpose is fine for my purposes.
I also prefer the
I also prefer the configuration setting, because I switch proxies manually as I change my location and therefore the auto disable of the proxy is more annoying than helpful. Thank you!
In case you missed the
In case you missed the release notes for FoxyProxy Standard 2.18.1, the flag is now there:
Hidden setting for not disabling a proxy in FoxyProxy when its PAC file can't load. To use: close firefox. In foxyproxy.xml, change the new "disableOnBadPAC" attribute from its default of "true" to "false". This can be set on a per-proxy basis so you will see "disableOnBadPAC" listed more than once.
Note there is no single, global flag. There is one per proxy for those who need finer control.
Eric