📋 Before You Begin
Ensure you have your username and SSH password ready. You'll need your SSH server hostname (provided via email when you requested SOCKS access), username, and password to connect to our secure SOCKS proxy servers.
Important: All SOCKS proxy servers are under the cotse.net domain. The codamail.com domain is exclusively for email services. SOCKS access must be requested separately from your email account.
📦 Step 1: SSH Client Installation
Most Unix/Linux installations contain SSH by default. If not installed, use your distribution's package manager:
🎩 Red Hat/Fedora/CentOS:
sudo dnf install openssh-clients
🐧 Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install openssh-client
🦎 openSUSE:
sudo zypper install openssh
🏹 Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -S openssh
Accessing Terminal:
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + T (most distributions)
Applications menu: Look for "Terminal", "Console", or "Command Line"
Activities/Dash: Search for "terminal"
🔐 Step 2: Create SOCKS Proxy Tunnel
Open a Terminal window and type the command below. Make sure to substitute your account name and the SSH server you were assigned:
ssh -L 5000:127.0.0.1:1080 youraccount@yourassignedsocksserver
SOCKS Configuration: This command creates a SOCKS proxy tunnel on port 5000, forwarding to port 1080 on the server. Unlike HTTP tunnels, SOCKS works at a lower network level.
🚀 Step 3: Establish SOCKS Connection
First Connection:
Paste the command into Terminal and press Enter
On first connection, you'll see a host key verification prompt (example server shown):
The authenticity of host 'sp1.cotse.net (67.159.26.71)' can't be established.
DSA key fingerprint is 88:f6:bc:71:bf:6f:1f:be:85:a0:81:4d:ed:3c:d7:dc.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?
Type yes to accept the server key
Enter your password when prompted (typing may not echo - just type and press Enter)
Important: Leave the Terminal window open - this maintains your SOCKS tunnel
Connection Success: Once connected, you'll see a shell prompt or the connection will appear to "hang" - this is normal and means your SOCKS tunnel is active.
🦊 Firefox Configuration (Recommended)
Configure Firefox SOCKS Proxy:
Run Firefox
Click menu (☰) → Settings
Scroll to Network Settings and click Settings
Select Manual proxy configuration
Enter 127.0.0.1 and port 5000 in the SOCKS Host field only
Select SOCKS v5
Important: Every other field must be blank for SOCKS
Click OK
Click OK again
Recommendation: We recommend Firefox with the NoScript and AdBlock Plus addons for your best protection with a SOCKS proxy.
🌐 Other Browser Configuration
Chromium/Chrome Configuration:
Launch Chrome/Chromium with SOCKS proxy settings:
google-chrome --proxy-server="socks5://127.0.0.1:5000"
or
chromium-browser --proxy-server="socks5://127.0.0.1:5000"
Alternatively, use system proxy settings through your desktop environment's network configuration
System-Wide Proxy (GNOME):
Settings → Network → Network Proxy
Select Manual
SOCKS Host: 127.0.0.1, Port: 5000
Apply system-wide
System-Wide Proxy (KDE):
System Settings → Network → Proxy
Select Manually specify proxy settings
SOCKS proxy: 127.0.0.1:5000
Apply settings
🐧 Linux-Specific Features
Background Connection Management:
Background Process: Use
nohup or
screen:
nohup ssh -L 5000:127.0.0.1:1080 youraccount@yourassignedsocksserver &
screen -S socks_tunnel ssh -L 5000:127.0.0.1:1080 youraccount@yourassignedsocksserver
Systemd Service: Create a service file for automatic startup
Cron Job: Automatic reconnection on system reboot
SSH Configuration File:
Create
~/.ssh/config for permanent settings:
Host cotse-socks
Hostname yourassignedsocksserver
User youraccount
LocalForward 5000 127.0.0.1:1080
ServerAliveInterval 60
Then connect with: ssh cotse-socks
Understanding SOCKS vs HTTP:
SOCKS Proxy: Works at lower network level, supports more protocols
Port 1080: Standard SOCKS port (vs HTTP ports 8888/8080/9999)
Application Support: Works with more applications beyond browsers
SOCKS v5: Preferred version with authentication and UDP support
Network Manager Integration:
Some Linux distributions can integrate SOCKS proxies with NetworkManager
Check for SOCKS proxy plugins in your distribution's repository
Consider GUI SSH managers like Remmina or PAC Manager for SOCKS tunnels
🔧 Troubleshooting
Common Linux SOCKS proxy issues and solutions:
Permission Denied: Check SSH client is installed, verify credentials
Connection Refused: Verify SOCKS server hostname is correct
Host Key Verification Failed: Remove old key: ssh-keygen -R hostname
Port Already in Use: Kill existing process: sudo netstat -tulpn | grep :5000
Broken Pipe: Connection dropped, restart SSH command
Browser Not Using Proxy: Verify SOCKS settings and restart browser
Distribution-Specific Issues:
SELinux (RHEL/CentOS): May block SSH tunneling, check with sealert -a /var/log/audit/audit.log
AppArmor (Ubuntu): SSH profile may restrict tunneling
Firewall (UFW/iptables): Ensure local ports are not blocked
Network Manager: May interfere with proxy settings
Process Management:
List SSH processes: ps aux | grep ssh
Kill SOCKS tunnel: pkill -f "ssh -L"
Monitor connection: netstat -an | grep 5000
📞 Need Help?
If you need additional assistance with SOCKS proxy setup on Linux or encounter any issues not covered in this guide, please contact our support team at helpdesk@codamail.com.
We're here to help ensure your SOCKS proxy works perfectly and keeps your Linux system browsing secure and private.
