Override Subversion's HTTP Proxy for One Command

Subversion's command-line client can override runtime settings for one invocation. For an HTTP repository operation, repeat --config-option for the proxy host and port:

svn checkout \
  --config-option servers:global:http-proxy-host=proxy.example \
  --config-option servers:global:http-proxy-port=8080 \
  https://svn.example/repository/project working-copy

The backslash continuation shown is for a POSIX shell. The option values themselves use the same FILE:SECTION:OPTION=VALUE grammar on other platforms.

servers names the runtime configuration file, global names its section, and http-proxy-host or http-proxy-port names the setting. The hostname and port are separate values. These assignments last for the command rather than rewriting the user's servers file. An entry from the HTTP proxy list can supply the temporary host and port for an allowed public repository route, provided the matching configuration contains no retained proxy account.

If the configuration already has a server group matching this repository, inspect its more specific values too. An override in the global section is not a replacement for understanding the selected group.

For a reusable alternate environment, --config-dir selects a directory containing Subversion runtime configuration files. It is a directory argument, not a path to the servers file itself. Use that option when the intention is to select a complete prepared configuration rather than supply two temporary values.