🖥️ System-Wide Proxies

While application-specific settings are great for developers, they don’t scale well in a corporate or “daily driver” environment. This is where System Proxies come in. Instead of hunting down config files for every app, you define the proxy at the operating system level, creating a centralized “suggestion” for how all network traffic should behave.

1. Configuring the System Gateway

System proxies act as a central repository of network intent. Most modern operating systems allow you to define these settings in a few standard formats:

• Protocol-Specific URLs: You can explicitly define different proxies for different traffic types. For example, you might route HTTP and HTTPS through a Rama MITM instance on port 8080, but send SOCKS traffic through a separate SSH tunnel on port 1080.
• Automatic Configuration (PAC): Instead of a static IP, you provide a URL to a Proxy Auto-Configuration file. This tells the system to download a script that makes dynamic decisions about which traffic needs a proxy and which should go “Direct.”

2. How Network Stacks Fetch and Apply Settings

A system proxy is only useful if the software actually knows how to find it. This is not a “push” system; it is a “pull” system. When an application wants to connect to google.com, its networking library goes through a specific lookup routine.

The Registry and System Stores

On Windows, these settings are primarily stored in the Registry (specifically under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings). On macOS, they are managed by SystemConfiguration.framework.

Real-World Implementations

TODO: add Rama docs + Example once we have support for system proxies (it’s on roadmap)

A Final Warning: The “Respect” Factor

It is vital to remember that System Proxies are not enforced. Unlike a Transparent Proxy which “snatches” packets at the kernel level, a System Proxy is merely a flag in the OS settings. It is a “social contract.” While browsers like Chrome and Safari are very good at respecting this contract, many other applications—such as CLI tools, high-performance games, or poorly written background services—completely ignore these settings.

If an application is hard-coded to ignore the system’s “suggestion,” its traffic will bypass your Rama proxy entirely. If you require strict enforcement where no packet can escape without your say-so, you must look toward Transparent Interception.