XPost: alt.comp.software.firefox   
   From: marion@facts.com   
      
   On Wed, 20 Aug 2025 19:14:50 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote :   
      
   > I never messed with proxies before, but darn'it, Windows splatters proxy   
   > settings all over the place, such that I needed a quick testing script.   
      
   UPDATE   
      
   Turns out I didn't need to use FreeCap to proxify web browsers.   
      
   Mozilla-based browsers (Firefox, Thunderbird, etc.) have their own internal   
   proxy settings and, by default, ignore the Windows proxy unless you   
   explicitly tell them to use it.   
      
   Unlike Mozilla-based browsers which have those proxy GUIs, Chromium-based   
   browsers do not have built-in proxy configuration GUIs.   
      
   So I thought I needed to proxify Chromium-based web browsers with FreeCap.   
   But I was wrong.   
      
   Chromium-based browsers apparently directly inherit proxy settings from the   
   operating system, including:   
    a. From WinINET (used by most desktop apps)   
    b. Or from PAC scripts and AutoDetect   
    c. Or from manual proxy entries like that which Psiphon3 sets.   
       Win+I > Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy > Manual proxy settings   
       [http=127.0.0.1:30884;https=127.0.0.1:30884;socks=127.0.0.1:1080]   
      
   Also Chromium-based browsers can also be proxified at the command line:   
    C:\> brave.exe --proxy-server="http=127.0.0.1:30884;https=127.0   
   0.1:30884;socks=127.0.0.1:1080"   
      
   So I don't think we need FreeCap to proxify our DIY Chromium-based privacy   
   browsers but we can still use FreeCap to proxify the Mozilla browsers.   
      
   However, we could also configure Firefox's own proxy settings (Preferences   
   > Network Settings) to point directly to Psiphon's SOCKS5 port, skipping   
   FreeCap entirely.   
      
   If we want this to persist across profiles or installs, LibreWolf even lets   
   us set it in a librewolf.overrides.cfg file.   
      
   The steps are identical for Psiphon's proxy ports as for Mullvad's own   
   proxy, so the proxy settings are built into Mullvad as much as in Firefox.   
      
   So we no longer need FreeCap for proxifying either web browser platform.   
      
   FreeCap is still useful for apps that don't have built-in proxy support,   
   but apparently all web browsers have it - they just do it differently.   
      
     Chromium ==> respects Windows proxy settings (which Psiphon sets for you)   
     Mozilla ==> ignores Windows proxy settings (but has their own settings)   
      
   Who knew? Not me. The more I try to build a DIY privacy browser, the more I   
   learn how different the two main web browser platforms are from each other.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)