How to set up connection direct into network (no proxy) for Rasp Pi etc

[SteveB_NI]

I've got a Raspberry PI I'd love to use for a digital signage project but the software I'm attempting to use (Screenly) doesn't have the option to configure proxy settings for the Internet connection...

 

I'm able to ping the Rasp PI & can connect into the interface of it, but can't send anything to it due to the requirement on our network for proxy server connection to the Internet.

 

It will connect to the network via a RJ45 socket, but can be used over wifi if necessary... any ideas how to get a specific RJ45 port, or WAP to connect directly into the Internet without needing proxy?

 

 

Thanks in advance

[bladedanny]

edit your /etc/environment and put in

http_proxy="http://proxyaddress:port"
https_proxy="https://proxyaddress:port"

 

Should put everything through the proxy then.

[SteveB_NI]

Thanks - unfortunately I can't find any way to get to the /etc/environment within Screenly... there is no menu displayed only the content uploaded. Have you any experience of this? Cant find anything online about it either.

[bladedanny]

Hi,

 

I've just googled screenly. I thought it was an app that ran on a base Linux distro.

 

I guess the only other way to do it would be to set up a transparent proxy. I've done this in the past using smoothwall express as a transparentproxy and editing the clients (in this case your rasppi) IP settings and changed the default gateway to the smoothwall express IP address.

 

If it's only acting as a transparent proxy for your screenly pi a VM should suffice.

[bladedanny]

As an extra thought. Can you SSH into screenly and get at the /etc/environment that way?

[SteveB_NI]

Hi bladedanny - yes I have managed to ssh into the pi running screenly but have no idea what to do from then.

 

Can you help me how to access the etc/environment? Thanks & sorry complete novice here!

[bladedanny]

Hi,

 

Yeah no worries, I don't pretend to be an expert though.

 

In terminal via SSH do

sudo nano /etc/environment

 

That should open the environment file

 

Then add to the file:

 

http_proxy="http://proxyaddress:port"
https_proxy="https://proxyaddress:port"

 

Then press CTRL + X to exit making sure to save changes.

 

This is the way I've added proxy support mainly when using ubuntu based distros. Not sure if it's the same on debian based systems (I think ubuntu is debian based so in theory it should)

 

Having looked on the screenly FAQ it says it doesn't support proxies and no one seems to have mentioned this method so it may not work.

Edited November 11, 2013 by bladedanny

[mats]

Hi bladedanny - yes I have managed to ssh into the pi running screenly but have no idea what to do from then.

 

Can you help me how to access the etc/environment? Thanks & sorry complete novice here!

 

Erp - beaten to it. If nano isn't there, try this method using vi.

 

 

 

Linux machines (eg the Pi) always have an editor called vi installed. It's pretty user-unfriendly at first but it's always there.

 

At a command prompt, type 'sudo vi /etc/environment'

You should get an editor with /etc/enviromnent in it.

Pressing 'i' should get you insert mode.

Go to the bottom of the file, make a new line (enter) and type the stuff you need to insert.

To save, press escape then ':' . You should get a : as a prompt. Typing 'wq' makes it write and quit.

Typing q! makes it quit without saving.

 

Type 'cat /etc/environment' at the command prompt to see what you've done. Good luck.

[SteveB_NI]

Thanks guys - Unfortunately setting the proxy setting that way didn't work - still no connection. Shame as it would be a perfect solution for us if it wasn't for the proxy problem.

 

I could load the files on with it directly connected to the network but that would involve continually bringing the pi down each time for an update. I'm tempted to put up 2 x Acer Veriton ultra SFF units instead, and set up my own display board / signage system.

[bladedanny]

Shame, I wonder how they do it then as I thought all traffic obeyed that settings.

 

Anyway if you do go down another route I can highly recommend XIBO. A simple server client setup. You can even still use your raspberry pi as a client.

[WhiteStar1]

Thanks mine is working now!

[WhiteStar1]

Thanks bladedanny , mine is working now!