Proxy per tab?

[LU Wei]

I need to switch proxy often when browsing, because some sites can be
directly visited and some sites must be visited through a proxy, which
cannot be used to visit the sites of first category or slow to do that.
So the ideal way to browse simultaneously without frequent switching
manually is to open two tabs (or windows) with different proxy setting.
I have tried switchproxy and foxyproxy extension, neither of them can do
this. And since foxyproxy can switch proxy according to sites rules, I
think Firefox proxy settings are not necessarily global; I hope it be
local to tabs. Could it be done?
P.S. I don't know the list of the second category sites; It's a
national secret and keeps expanding all the time. So any site/ip/pattern
rule based solution is not practical, like foxyproxy and PAC files.

--
Regards,
LU Wei
PGP key ID: 0x92CCE1EA

[Ralph Fox]

I think you can not do this in two tabs, but only in two windows.

The way to do this in two windows is to run two different profiles
at the same time by following the instructions at

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Opening_a_new_instance_of_Firefox_with_another_profile

• https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Setting_up_extension_development_environment
• https://developer.mozilla.org/cn/Setting_up_extension_development_environment

1. You would first create a second profile, and configure it with a
different proxy setting.
2. When you start each instance of Firefox, you will specify the
profile on the command line by using a parameter
-P profilename
3. When you start Firefox with your default profile, do not also use
the command-line parameter
-no-remote
When you start Firefox with another profile, you must also use the
command-line parameter
-no-remote

Additional tips for running multiple profiles
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Using_multiple_profiles_-_Firefox

--
Regards
Ralph

"selre bið æghwæm þæt he his freond wrece, þonne he fela murne."
-- Beowulf.

--
Regards
Ralph

[LU Wei]

Ralph Fox wrote on 2009-7-31 16:17:
> On Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:02:29 +0800, in message <h4uff...@luweitest.vicp.net>
> LU Wei <luwe...@address.invalid> wrote:
>
>> I need to switch proxy often when browsing, because some sites can be
>> directly visited and some sites must be visited through a proxy, which
>> cannot be used to visit the sites of first category or slow to do that.
>> So the ideal way to browse simultaneously without frequent switching
>> manually is to open two tabs (or windows) with different proxy setting.
>> I have tried switchproxy and foxyproxy extension, neither of them can do
>> this. And since foxyproxy can switch proxy according to sites rules, I
>> think Firefox proxy settings are not necessarily global; I hope it be
>> local to tabs. Could it be done?
>> P.S. I don't know the list of the second category sites; It's a
>> national secret and keeps expanding all the time. So any site/ip/pattern
>> rule based solution is not practical, like foxyproxy and PAC files.
>
>
> I think you can not do this in two tabs, but only in two windows.
>
>
> The way to do this in two windows is to run two different profiles
> at the same time by following the instructions at

> ...
Thanks yet I should have added that I don't like using two profiles
either. It's not much different to run another browser. How could I
synchronize them such as bookmarks, histories etc? It will be horrible
user experience.

I wonder why IE could do it while Firefox cannot. If changing the proxy
settings of IE, the new opened IE window will use the new proxy, and the
already opened IE can still browse without proxy.

[EE]

You can make that kind of change with Firefox as well. I do that
sometimes, in fact. In Options > Advanced > Network > Connections >
Settings, I have a local proxy set up to filter web pages. Sometimes, a
page will not work when filtered that way, so I change the setting to
"No proxy" when I want to go to that page, and then change it back to
"Manual proxy settings" again when I am done with it. I do not need to
open a new window that way, but it is certainly possible to do that as
well, with one using a proxy and another using no proxy.

[LU Wei]

No, when you change back to "manual proxy settings", and go to another
page whether through the link on the opened page or type in new address,
Firefox will use the proxy to load it, and you need change to "no proxy"
again. What I need is to browse the sites of two category
*simultaneously*, without switching proxy back and forth manually.