Why does "file:///Users/username/Library/proxy.pac" not work in MacOS?

Question

I tested setting up a proxy.pac file via a web server:

networksetup -setautoproxyurl "Wi-Fi" "http://localhost/proxy.pac"

and via a file directly:

networksetup -setautoproxyurl "Wi-Fi" "file:///Users/username/Library/proxy.pac"

The web server method works (provided I arrange that the proxy.pac is served by a webserver). The file server doesn't work.

What's the problem, fundamentally?

Motivation for the question is, I'd like to simplify and prefer to not have to run an http server.

Then why do you have a proxy.pac file? – Michael Hampton Mar 09 '19 at 17:19 — Michael Hampton, Mar 09 '19 at 17:19

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 09 '21 at 11:21

I stumbled over the same issue. It seems like the file:/// url is not supported for proxy.pac files. Sadly I have not found any source to confirm this. The workaround I have used is to place your proxy.pac file in a dedicated folder and use the SimpleHTTPServer python module to serve the proxy.pac file.

On a shell (or a shell script) run:

mkdir proxy-pac-server
cp proxy.pac proxy-pac-server/
cd proxy-pac-server
python -m SimpleHTTPServer 8000

Then you just have to enter http://localhost:8000/proxy.pac in your macos settings or respectively on the shell:

networksetup -setautoproxyurl "Wi-Fi" "http://localhost:8000/proxy.pac"

I know this is probably not a simplification to just run a web server in your network but it may help others without a web server to use a proxy.pac file on macos.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 09 '19 at 18:01

0

It sounds like you didn't (force) reload it. Run the following commands:

networksetup -setautoproxystate Wi-Fi off

networksetup -setautoproxystate Wi-Fi on

Let me know how it works out for you.

answered Mar 09 '19 at 18:01

Carlos

136
3

Why does "file:///Users/username/Library/proxy.pac" not work in MacOS?

2 Answers2