SS-Cloak

Shadowsocks-Rust client (with GUI) and server (for VPS) with obfuscation.

Dependencies: systemd qrencode gtk2, lib64proxy-gnome, lib64proxy-kde, (libgtk2.0-0, libproxy1v5 for Ubuntu)

Client ports: SOCKS5 - 127.0.0.1:1080 (changeable), HTTP - 127.0.0.1:8889 (fixed, ver. >= 0.4.1)

Work directories / services:

• Client: ~/.config/ss-cloak-client; Service: /etc/systemd/user/ss-cloak-client.service
• Server: /etc/ss-cloak-server; Service: /etc/systemd/system/ss-cloak-server.service

SS-Cloak-Server

Rent a VPS with a foreign IP address and install a package on it ss-cloak-server (rpm/deb)

SS-Cloak-Client

Install the ss-cloak-client package to your computer, launch the GUI, enter the IP address / Port of your server and click the Create configurations button. The Client configuration files will be created and you will be prompted to save the server-conf.tar.gz archive in order to place the config.json and ckserver.json files on the server in the working directory /etc/ss-cloak-server. With each click of the Create configurations button, new/unique Client and Server configurations are created with automatic change of PublicKey, PrivateKey, Password, UID, etc.

After that, start the server: systemctl restart ss-cloak-server and the client (Start button). Set up a connection in your browser via the SOCKS5 proxy 127.0.0.1:1080. Also check the box Send DNS requests via SOCKS5 proxy. Chromium-based browsers receive proxy settings automatically: the proxy is enabled and disabled on the fly, without the need for manual intervention. You can check your new location here: https://whoer.net

System‑wide Proxy (SWP) and DNS considerations

Starting with ss-cloak-client v0.4.1, automatic system-wide proxy and domain zone bypass (direct connections bypassing proxies, such as .ru, .ir, etc.) were introduced. SWP starts immediately after clicking the Start button, and the server switches to autostart mode after a computer reboot. Clicking the Stop button disables proxy autostart and SWP mode.

The SWP mode hermetically seals the GUI session, including DNS resolution (browsers and other GUI applications). However, in desktop environments based on gsettings + libproxy, the env/CLI layer receives proxy variables as all_proxy/ALL_PROXY=socks://…. This results in SOCKS4‑level usage, meaning DNS resolution is performed locally, unlike socks5h://, where DNS is resolved through the proxy.

For reliable use of System‑wide Proxy mode in XFCE, LXDE (as well as i3, IceWM, OpenBox), it is strongly recommended to install XDE‑Proxy‑GUI, which ensures correct and consistent proxy handling in GUI sessions.

For robust DNS protection against MITM attacks when a proxy is not used, it is recommended to use DNSCrypt‑GUI.

Note

• If System‑wide Proxy is not feasible in your desktop environment, a practical alternative is to use browser‑level proxy extensions, such as Socks5 Configurator.
• To switch proxies on the fly, use Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Chromium, Brave, Edge, etc.). Firefox in most cases requires manual proxy activation and configuration.
• When setting up a proxy, don't forget about the presence of a firewall.
• By default, the .ru zone is bypassed. If complete anonymity is required, select any other zone from the list and click Start.
• For Android smartphones, it is convenient to use shadowsocks-android + Cloak-android.

Useful links: Shadowsocks-Rust, Cloak, GO Simple Tunnel. Similar project: SS-Obfuscator.