proxy-doctor
Diagnoses proxy misconfigurations that break AI coding tools like Cursor, VS Code, and Windsurf.
README
<p align="center"> <img src="assets/logo.svg" width="120" alt="proxy-doctor logo"> </p>
<h1 align="center">proxy-doctor</h1>
<p align="center"> <a href="https://pypi.org/project/proxy-doctor/"><img src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/proxy-doctor" alt="PyPI"></a> <a href="LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/license/Jiansen/proxy-doctor" alt="License"></a> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/platform-macOS-blue" alt="Platform"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/python-%3E%3D3.9-blue" alt="Python"> <a href="https://github.com/Jiansen/proxy-doctor/stargazers"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/Jiansen/proxy-doctor?style=social" alt="GitHub Stars"></a> </p>
Diagnose proxy misconfigurations that break AI coding tools.
When your browser works fine but Cursor / VS Code / Windsurf AI features don't — proxy-doctor tells you exactly why and how to fix it.
The Problem
AI coding tools (Cursor, VS Code with Copilot, Windsurf) rely on long-lived streaming connections (SSE/HTTP2) that break when:
- Your system proxy points to a localhost port where nothing is listening
- A VPN/proxy app was closed but its settings linger in macOS system preferences
- Your editor inherited stale proxy environment variables from
launchctl - The proxy is running but buffers streaming responses, breaking AI completions
The result: "browser works, AI editor doesn't" — the most common and frustrating developer experience.
What It Checks
proxy-doctor inspects 5 layers of your macOS proxy configuration:
| Layer | What | How |
|---|---|---|
| 1. System Proxy | Web/HTTPS/SOCKS proxy across all network services | networksetup |
| 2. Residual Values | Disabled proxies with stale localhost addresses | Parse disabled-but-set entries |
| 3. Port Health | Whether referenced proxy ports are actually listening | socket.connect() |
| 4. Editor Config | settings.json, argv.json, recent error logs |
File read + pattern match |
| 5. GUI Environment | http_proxy/https_proxy in GUI app context |
launchctl getenv |
Quick Start
CLI
# Install
pip install proxy-doctor
# Run diagnosis (JSON output — default, optimized for AI agents)
proxy-doctor check
# Run diagnosis (human-readable output)
proxy-doctor check --human
# Show recommended fixes
proxy-doctor fix
# Check a different editor
proxy-doctor check --editor vscode
As an MCP Tool (for AI agents)
proxy-doctor ships as an MCP server that AI agents can call directly:
# Install with MCP support
pip install proxy-doctor[mcp]
# Run MCP server
python -m proxy_doctor.mcp_server
Add to your MCP configuration (e.g., Cursor ~/.cursor/mcp.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"proxy-doctor": {
"command": "python3",
"args": ["-m", "proxy_doctor.mcp_server"]
}
}
}
Note:
"command"must point to the Python whereproxy-doctor[mcp]is installed. Ifpython3doesn't work, use the full path (runwhich python3orpython3 -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)"to find it).
Your AI agent can then call:
diagnose_proxy(editor="cursor")— full 5-layer diagnosis with evidencelist_fixes(editor="cursor")— recommended fixes with executable commandssupported_editors()— list available editors
For AI Agents: Quick Install
One-liner (paste this to your AI agent):
Install proxy-doctor (
pip install proxy-doctor[mcp]) and add it to your MCP config with commandpython -m proxy_doctor.mcp_server. Then use thediagnose_proxytool to check proxy health.
If you are an AI agent setting up proxy-doctor for your user:
# 1. Install
pip install proxy-doctor[mcp]
# 2. Find the Python path
python3 -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)"
# 3. Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (use the path from step 2)
# {
# "mcpServers": {
# "proxy-doctor": {
# "command": "<python-path-from-step-2>",
# "args": ["-m", "proxy_doctor.mcp_server"]
# }
# }
# }
# 4. If MCP is not available, use CLI directly (zero dependencies):
proxy-doctor check # JSON output
proxy-doctor check --human # human-readable
proxy-doctor fix # show fixes (read-only)
proxy-doctor fix --apply # apply fixes (asks for confirmation)
Daemon Mode (v0.2+)
Run proxy-doctor as a persistent background service with automatic health monitoring:
# Start daemon (installs as macOS launchd service)
proxy-doctor daemon start
# Check daemon status
proxy-doctor daemon status
# Stop daemon
proxy-doctor daemon stop
# Check for updates
proxy-doctor update
The daemon runs every 5 minutes, compares results with the previous check, and sends a macOS notification when status changes (e.g. healthy → unhealthy).
Menu Bar (SwiftBar)
# If SwiftBar is installed
cp plugins/swiftbar/proxy-doctor.5m.sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/SwiftBar/Plugins/
chmod +x ~/Library/Application\ Support/SwiftBar/Plugins/proxy-doctor.5m.sh
Shows a green/red/orange indicator in your menu bar with one-click diagnosis.
Example Output
Unhealthy (Case A: dead proxy port)
{
"status": "unhealthy",
"diagnosis": {
"case": "A",
"root_cause": "Editor is configured to use proxy at 127.0.0.1:10903, but no process is listening on that port.",
"confidence": "high",
"source": "system proxy (Wi-Fi (http))",
"browser_explanation": "Browser may use a different proxy path (e.g. browser-only mode) or fall back to a direct connection."
},
"fixes": [
{
"fix_id": "clear-system-http-wi-fi",
"description": "Disable http proxy on Wi-Fi",
"command": "networksetup -setwebproxystate \"Wi-Fi\" off",
"risk": "low"
}
]
}
Healthy
proxy-doctor v0.2.0
Editor: cursor | Platform: Darwin
Status: HEALTHY
No proxy contamination detected.
Supported Editors
| Editor | Config Detection | Log Scanning | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor | yes | yes | supported |
| VS Code | yes | yes | supported |
| Windsurf | yes | yes | supported |
| Claude Desktop | planned | — | future |
| Zed | planned | planned | future |
How It Works
proxy-doctor identifies three failure patterns:
Case A — Dead proxy port (high confidence): Your system or editor points to 127.0.0.1:port but nothing is listening. This happens when a VPN/proxy app is closed but its settings remain.
Case B — Streaming broken (medium confidence): A proxy is running, but it buffers SSE/streaming connections that AI editors depend on. Common with browser-only proxy modes.
Case C — Path mismatch (medium confidence): Browser and editor use different proxy paths. Browser works via a dedicated proxy route; editor inherits a stale or incompatible one.
Platform Support
- macOS: Full support (system proxy, launchctl, networksetup)
- Linux: Partial (editor config + environment variables; no networksetup)
- Windows: Not yet supported
Trust & Permissions
proxy-doctor follows a read-only by default design. No system changes are made unless you explicitly opt in.
Default Behavior (read-only)
| Access | What | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reads | System proxy settings, editor config files, launchctl env vars, local port status | Core diagnostic functionality |
| Writes | ~/.proxy-doctor/ only (cache, logs, update state) |
Daemon state persistence |
| Network | pypi.org (version check only) |
Auto-update feature |
| Does NOT | Modify proxy settings, change editor config, send telemetry, access credentials | By design |
Opt-in Fix Application
proxy-doctor fix shows the recommended commands but does not execute them.
To apply fixes, use proxy-doctor fix --apply:
- Each fix is shown with its command and risk level
- You are prompted individually for each fix (
[y/N]) - Default is No — nothing runs unless you type
y - You can abort at any time with Ctrl+C
This two-step model lets AI agents safely call list_fixes() via MCP to see what needs fixing, then present the commands to users for approval.
Feedback
Found a bug? Have a suggestion? Diagnosis didn't help?
- GitHub Issues: https://github.com/Jiansen/proxy-doctor/issues/new
- For AI agents: The JSON output includes a
feedback.report_issueURL — include the full JSON when filing issues.
For AI agents providing feedback programmatically (zero dependencies):
# Create a GitHub issue via CLI (requires gh)
proxy-doctor check | gh issue create --repo Jiansen/proxy-doctor \
--title "Diagnosis report: [describe issue]" --body-file -
# Or simply: copy the JSON output into a new issue at
# https://github.com/Jiansen/proxy-doctor/issues/new
Development
git clone https://github.com/Jiansen/proxy-doctor.git
cd proxy-doctor
# Install in development mode
pip install -e ".[dev,mcp]"
# Run tests
make test
# Run linter
make lint
If proxy-doctor helped you fix a proxy issue, consider giving it a star on GitHub — it helps others discover the tool.
License
MIT
<!-- mcp-name: io.github.Jiansen/proxy-doctor -->
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