Setting up a web interface to http proxies?

Question

I want a way to allow users to go through my http proxy server (Squid, Privoxy, etc.) without having to type the IP/port in web browser settings. I was hoping I could use a simple web interface.

I'm envisioning this:

1. User goes to a website on my server (http://proxy.com) and types a URL
   into the form.
2. The user's browser URL looks like (http://proxy.com/url=URL)
3. All connections to any future links are passed through my http proxy
   running on a different port.

And I do NOT want to use existing php/cgi web proxy scripts.

My only reasoning for that is I feel it would be much more efficient re-routing connections through a native proxy server than having many php instances proxy the connections. Please tell me if you think this would not actually be the case.

Are there any simple ways of doing this? Thanks!

Answer 1

You may want to setup a transparent proxy. That way the clients do not know they are using a proxy so they do not have to set the proxy IP in their browsers. This obviously does not work for https. Some information for squid here: http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-setup-transparent-proxy-squid-howto.html