Primary download
proxytunnel-1.1.3.tar.gz
The latest tarball hosted in this directory, published on February 8, 2004.
Download the tarball
What it does
Connects standard input and output to a destination host through an industry-standard HTTPS proxy.
Why it mattered
It made it possible to use SSH and similar tools in environments where only web proxy access was allowed.
What to read first
Start with the article for context, then the README for command-line usage and OpenSSH integration.
Downloads
Latest release and archive
Documentation
README
Command-line options, proxy authentication flags, and the original OpenSSH ProxyCommand setup.
Essay
On ProxyTunnel
The original long-form article on HTTPS proxies, network restrictions, and why this trick worked.
Read the articleNotes
How it was meant to be used
Typical setup
OpenSSH through an HTTPS proxy
The original README positions proxytunnel as an OpenSSH helper. You point ProxyCommand at the binary, supply the proxy host and credentials, and tunnel to the destination host over an allowed port such as 443.
Capabilities
Authentication and tunnel control
Local usage supports proxy host and port selection, destination host and port, optional username and password, verbose mode, quiet mode, and local dotted-quad resolution for awkward proxies.
Context
Why this existed
Corporate networks often allowed mail and web traffic while blocking everything else. HTTPS CONNECT tunnels created a narrow but useful way through.
History
The original project context
This directory keeps the original project materials intact, including the essay and the release archive. The "latest and greatest" note historically pointed readers to SourceForge, which is still linked below for context.