Solving Proxy Troubles with the Intel® XDK

On some occasions, especially if you are working behind a company firewall, you may find that the Intel® XDK will either not start or it will function in what is known as “offline mode.” This is generally due to problems with proxy settings (although it can also be caused by a bad network connection). Unfortunately, there is no single solution to proxy problems, as the solution depends on your development system’s operating system (Windows, OS X or Linux*), the configuration of your company firewall and/or proxy manager, your company’s IT network and application policies, etc.

If you see a screen or a dialog box like those shown below, and you have determined that the problem is not a network connection problem, you may be working behind a firewall and your proxy settings need to be configured.

Following is a list of some places where improper proxy settings can impact your ability to install, start or use the Intel XDK, listed in the recommended order to check (please finish reading the rest of this section before proceeding):

If you are having proxy issues it is likely that only one of the above proxy configuration points is responsible, but all are worth checking to determine if any adjustments will affect your ability to install, start or use the Intel XDK.

NOTE: not every possible proxy solution is covered by this article. As new information and solutions are uncovered they will be added to this article. It is very important that you keep good notes regarding any proxy changes you make, so you can undo any unsuccessful changes you make!

NOTE: The Intel XDK uses only the HTTP and HTTPS protocols to communicate with its network components, so only the proxy settings for these two protocols need to be modified to address any proxy problems you may be having with the XDK.

While you are working on proxy settings, it helps to keep the XDK emulator window open (assuming it has been successfully installed and will start) so that you can monitor the connection status of the XDK. If your proxy changes are successful you should see the XDK window change to a screen like the following. In that case, push the "connect" button to have the XDK reestablish its connection to the Intel XDK servers.

Intel XDK Proxy Settings

The following screenshots were obtained on an OS X machine, however, the instructions apply equally to Windows machines. On a Linux machine there is no Intel XDK control tool for direct proxy configuration of the Intel XDK.

To configure the Intel XDK internal proxy settings locate the blue XDK icon in your status bar and select "Proxy Settings" from the context menu. Select "Manual Proxy Configuration" and specify the proper name and port number for your proxy server. This information is specific to your site, you may need to consult with your local IT support personnel to get the information you need for this dialog box.

NOTE: The proxy URL and port number shown below will not work on your system, they are for illustration only.

Operating System Proxy Settings

Your development system's operating system (and browser) proxy settings are the most fundamental proxy options and are probably set correctly if you are able to reach servers outside of your company's firewall.The following screen shots and text will help you locate the proxy settings for your specific OS.

NOTE: If you believe your OS proxy settings are incorrect, you should consult with your IT department to determine the proper settings, since changing the system proxy settings can impact virtually every network-aware application on your development system!

Microsoft* Windows*

There are multiple paths to get to the Windows system proxy settings. The most common route, shown below, is to open Internet Explorer and select "Internet options" from the Tools menu (or the "gear" menu, as shown here).

Then choose the "Connections" tab from the dialog box that appears and click the "LAN settings" button, as shown below.

From here you can manually configure the proxy server settings (most systems will be configured to "Automatically detect settings").

If you wish to configure the proxy settings for individual protocols, select the "Advanced" button (above) and you will be presented with the following dialog box, where you can configure protocol-specific proxy settings.

Apple* OS X*

To set the system proxy settings on an OS X machine open "System Preferences" and select the "Network" application.

From here you must select the specific network interface for which you want to configure the proxy settings. In the example shown below the USB Ethernet interface has been selected for configuration.

After you've selected the network interface you wish to adjust, click the "Advanced..." button and you will be presented with a dialog box where you can configure the proxy settings to match the requirements of your network. Note that Intel XDK uses both the HTTP and HTTPS protocols.

Linux*

...to be written...

Browser Proxy Settings

The Intel XDK requires the Chrome* browser to function. If you attempt to modify the Chrome browser's proxy settings you will be redirected to the operating system proxy settings described in the section above.

If you are curious, you can get to the Chrome proxy settings by following this sequence:

"Customize and control Google Chrome"(three horizontal bars icon in the upper right corner)
"Settings" (selected from the customize and control drop down menu)
"Show advanced settings..."(link located at the bottom of the settings window that appears)
"Change proxy settings..."(under the Network heading in the settings window)

Java Runtime Proxy Settings

On rare occassions, the Java runtime engine proxy settings can interfere with installation and startup of the Intel XDK. Normally, the Java runtime engine will work fine using the system or browser proxy settings. However, if you are having connection troubles and nothing else seems to work you might try adjusting the Java runtime proxy settings, it has been known to work.

Locate the Java Control Panel and make changes like those shown in the following screenshots. (OS-specific instructions on how to open the Java Control Panel are given directly following this section.)

NOTE: the layout and controls in the Java control panel are consistent regardless of your operating system, these screenshots were taken on an OS X machine, but they match very closely the dialog boxes you will see on a Windows and Linux machine.

NOTE: The proxy URL and port number shown below will not work on your system, they are for illustration only.

Microsoft* Windows*

The easiest way to locate the Java Control Panel on a Windows machine is to open the Windows Control Panel and type "java" in the Control Panel's search box. These screenshots are from a Windows 8 machine but this technique will work on older versions of Windows, as well.