Guide · Linux

A static SOCKS5 proxy on Linux in just a few minutes

Connect a dedicated static SOCKS5 proxy on any distribution: via environment variables, the GNOME graphical settings, curl, proxychains or the Pure Connect app. Below are working commands that you simply copy and fill in with your own details.

Where to start

What you'll need

After payment you receive your access details in the format host:port:login:password. This is a dedicated IP assigned to you for the entire rental period — without rotation or address changes.

Access details

A string in the form host:port:login:password from your dashboard or from support. All the examples below use exactly these four values.

Terminal

Any distribution works — Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch. Most of the setup is done with a couple of commands in the terminal.

IP check

To verify the result we use api.ipify.org. If the response shows the proxy address rather than your home one — everything is working.

Method 1

Environment variables

The fastest option for console tools that read the system proxy variables.

Set the variables in the current terminal session. The socks5h:// scheme (with the letter h) matters: with it, DNS queries go through the proxy and don't leak around it.

export ALL_PROXY="socks5h://login:password@host:port"
export http_proxy="socks5h://login:password@host:port"
export https_proxy="socks5h://login:password@host:port"

# check which IP the network sees
curl https://api.ipify.org

To temporarily disable the proxy, clear the variables:

unset ALL_PROXY http_proxy https_proxy

To keep the values between sessions, add the export lines to the end of your ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc) file and run source ~/.bashrc.

Method 2

GNOME network settings

A graphical method for the GNOME desktop — the proxy is applied to many of the system's applications.

Open the settings

Go to "Settings" → "Network" → the "Proxy" section.

Choose "Manual" mode

Switch the proxy configuration method from "Automatic" to "Manual".

Specify the SOCKS host

In the "Socks Host" field enter host, and in the adjacent field enter the port from your access details.

Login authentication

On the first connection the system will ask for your login and password — enter them and save.

The same thing can be set with commands via gsettings without a graphical interface:

gsettings set org.gnome.system.proxy mode 'manual'
gsettings set org.gnome.system.proxy.socks host 'host'
gsettings set org.gnome.system.proxy.socks port port

Method 3

Direct requests with curl

When the proxy is needed for just one command, it's easier to pass it as a flag without changing the system settings.

Pass the proxy address with the --socks5 flag, and the credentials with the -U flag:

curl --socks5 host:port -U login:password https://api.ipify.org

To make DNS go through the proxy too, use the socks5h scheme in a single parameter:

curl --proxy socks5h://login:password@host:port https://api.ipify.org

If the response shows the server's IP address rather than your real one — the proxy is connected correctly.

Method 4

proxychains for any tool

proxychains lets you push a single application through the static SOCKS5 — git, ssh, wget and others.

Install the package (the name may differ depending on the distribution):

# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install proxychains4

# Fedora
sudo dnf install proxychains-ng

# Arch
sudo pacman -S proxychains-ng

Open the configuration file /etc/proxychains.conf and, at the end of the file in the [ProxyList] section, enter the proxy details. The proxy_dns line at the top of the file protects against DNS leaks:

# make sure the proxy_dns line is not commented out
proxy_dns

[ProxyList]
socks5  host  port  login  password

Now run any command through proxychains4:

proxychains4 curl https://api.ipify.org
proxychains4 git clone https://example.com/repo.git

Method 5

The Pure Connect app

If you'd rather not work with config files by hand, use our app — it sets up the static SOCKS5 for the system itself.

One profile per server

Paste the host:port:login:password string into the connection form — the app parses it into fields automatically. One-click connection, and your dedicated IP stays the same for the entire rental period.

Protection and control

Built-in DNS leak protection, no logs, UDP and QUIC support, unlimited traffic and speeds up to 1 Gbps. The connection status and current IP are shown right in the app window.

A catalog of 30 000+ servers in 50+ countries is available on the pricing page. If you need help with installation on a specific distribution, write to support.

Verify the result

After any of these setups, run a check request. If the proxy address is shown rather than your home one — the setup is complete.

Get a proxy Setup help

Setup on Windows · FAQ · Contacts

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions

In what format are the connection details provided?

After payment you receive a string in the form host:port:login:password. Here host is the server address, port is the port, and login and password are the credentials for login/password authentication. These same values are used in all the examples below.

Why is proxychains better than system-wide settings?

proxychains routes the traffic of a single command through the proxy without touching the entire system. This is handy when you need to push only a specific tool through the static SOCKS5 proxy — for example, git, ssh or a browser launched from the terminal — while leaving other applications connecting directly.

Is UDP traffic supported on Linux?

Yes. Our static SOCKS5 proxies support UDP and QUIC, so applications that need more than just TCP work correctly. Traffic is unlimited, and speeds reach up to 1 Gbps.

Why does curl show my real IP?

Most often the reason is that DNS queries are going around the proxy. Use the socks5h:// scheme (with the letter h) in curl and proxychains — then name resolution happens on the proxy side and no DNS leak occurs.

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