linux - http proxy over ssh, not socks

The question is simple, but the answer is not :

ssh -D 8080 user@host

or

ssh -gCNf -D 8080 user@host

or

wathever with -D #

I need a kind of proxy that i can use with http_proxy variable, in an embedded device that doesn't support SOCKS.

What should i do?

Answer

Method 1: Use a HTTP proxy that supports using a SOCKS upstream, e.g. Polipo or Privoxy.

First establish a -D tunnel over SSH like always, then configure the HTTP proxy to use the SSH tunnel – example Polipo configuration:

proxyAddress = "::1"
proxyPort = 8118
socksParentProxy = "localhost:8080"
socksProxyType = socks5

Finally, point the app to Polipo using http_proxy=localhost:8118.

Method 2: Run your program inside the torsocks wrapper (or the older tsocks), which proxies all connections transparently. It was meant for use with Tor, but works with any SOCKS server, including ssh -D.

Method 3: Set up a HTTP proxy on your server, then use ssh -L to access it.