Allow (temporary) setting/changing the proxy for a container

[portiatrivisonno]

I use Firefox's containers extensively, in particular I do not know the container ID in advance as they are created dynamically. During a session I want to change the proxy for a particular container. This is currently not possible with FoxyProxy.

The feature should work like tab proxy but on a per-container basis instead of per-tab, e.g.

1. open a new tab with a new container
2. set the container proxy with the new feature
3. open some webpage
4. opening a link in a new tab but same container. The proxy used should be the one set in step 2 even though this is a new tab.

Like tab proxy, this feature should work when FoxyProxy is configured using policies.

[erosman]

Tab proxy overrides container proxy and can be used to set temporary overrides for a container tab.

FoxyProxy does not have access to container settings so any container settings would require the container ID.

[portiatrivisonno]

Tab proxy overrides container proxy and can be used to set temporary overrides for a container tab.

Setting the tab-proxy does not solve the problem since
opening a link in a new tab (e.g. with middle click) does not preserve the (tab) proxy, which in the worst case results in leaking data.

FoxyProxy does not have access to container settings so any container settings would require the container ID.

FoxyProxy must have some access to get the current container ID as otherwise I find it hard to imagine how to apply the container proxy settings.

Does

(await browser.tabs.getCurrent()).cookieStoreId

not work?

[erosman]

... opening a link in a new tab ...

"Open Link in New Tab Proxy" was added for that purpose. (#149)

FoxyProxy must have some access to get the current container ID

FoxyProxy can get the current tab's container but to preset containers to proxies (e.g. "FoxyProxy is configured using policies"), the ID is required.

[portiatrivisonno]

... opening a link in a new tab ...

"Open Link in New Tab Proxy" was added for that purpose. (#149)

Does not work if other extensions or the website opens said tab, e.g. with window.open().

FoxyProxy must have some access to get the current container ID

FoxyProxy can get the current tab's container but to preset containers to proxies (e.g. "FoxyProxy is configured using policies"), the ID is required.

Maybe we have a misunderstanding here. What I imaging is something like this:

1. User selects in the FoxyProxy popup a container proxy (similar to how you would select a tab proxy)
2. FoxyProxy queries the container ID of the current tab
3. FoxyProxy creates a (temporary) rule to proxy every request of that container through the selected proxy.
   The rule would behave the same as if I'd looked up the container id and inserted a container rule in FoxyProxys options.

Step 2 and 3 could theoretically done by a human but is tedious and does not work if the user cannot change FoxyProxy's options.

The user interaction is completely done during surfing, no pre-configuring with policies necessary. The reason I mentioned policies in the initial post is that I want this mechanism (temporarily setting the container proxy) to work also if FoxyProxy is configured using policies, see #132, #172 for the same request with settings and tab proxy.

[erosman]

Let's see if there is a popular demand for this feature.

[phil-gg]

Hey, sorry if I am being dumb, but my Firefox container configuration is evidently not as advanced/dynamic as @portiatrivisonno, and I do know which specific containers IDs I want to use a specific FoxyProxy connection at all times.

I am just starting out looking for documentation for the following use case - ensure Container ID X must always use FoxyProxy connection Y, else show "no connection available" errors. @erosman it sounds like this can be done using policies from your comments on this thread, and that this ticket is specifically and only for discovering and using container IDs, on-the-fly, right?

Sadly PageRank is not as good as it once was, and this thread comes at the top of multiple different searches for configuring container-specific FoxyProxy settings in firefox.

@erosman, if you would be so kind as to add one more comment to this thread, along the lines of "If you have known container IDs, and want policies to force certain containers to use certain FoxyProxy connections, look at these link(s)...", that would be super helpful both to me, and potentially to many other future searchers. Thank you.

[erosman]

Container Proxy

• FoxyProxy has no access to the list of the available containers
• In FoxyProxy, users can set container-1 to proxy-A (for example)
• Container Proxy is saved in FoxyProxy settings
• Container Proxy can also be set via Enterprise Policy (along with the rest of the settings)
• When a net request is made, if the request is made from a container-1, FoxyProxy sets it to proxy-A
• Firefox opens links from a container tab in the same container

Tab Proxy

• Each new tab in Firefox (and other browsers) gets a unique ID
• The ID is useable while Tab is open and gets discarded once tab is closed
• Tab Proxy attaches proxy-B to tab ID 123 (for example)
• Tab Proxy setting is temporary and not saved
• Tab Proxy can not be set via Enterprise Policy
• As long as tab 123 is open, reloading or navigation will be set to proxy-B
• Opening links of tab 123 in a new tab (with a different ID) is not affected by the Tab Proxy that is set to tab 123

Open Link in New Tab Proxy

• Similar to Firefox's native "Open Link in New Container Tab" context menu, but for Tab Proxy
• Applicable to any link in any tab (normal/container)

Feature request

I do not know the container ID in advance as they are created dynamically. During a session I want to change the proxy for a particular container.

User selects in the FoxyProxy popup a container proxy

• If a tab is already opened in a container, it is possible to get that container ID and set a proxy to it. It would require an additional button in the Toolbar Popup UI.
• The setting will be saved as Container Proxy (not temporary)
• Dynamically created containers can not be set via Enterprise Policy as it requires knowing the container ID in advance

As mentioned, "Let's see if there is a popular demand for this feature."

---

@erosman, if you would be so kind as to add one more comment to this thread, along the lines of "If you have known container IDs, and want policies to force certain containers to use certain FoxyProxy connections, look at these link(s)...", that would be super helpful both to me, and potentially to many other future searchers.

Enterprise Policy is similar to FoxyProxy settings as outlined in the included Help -> Enterprise Policy
See also: Enterprise Policy

[phil-gg]

@erosman - thank you for your comment - super helpful!