Simple Gluetun‑Based Proxy for Bypassing Imgur’s UK Geoblock

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Overview

This tiny project spins up Gluetun (a lightweight VPN/Proxy container) to act as a forward HTTP/S proxy. By routing traffic through a server located outside the United Kingdom, you can access Imgur resources that are otherwise blocked for UK IP addresses.

The setup is intentionally minimal—just a Docker Compose file and a few configuration variables—so you can get it running in minutes on any machine that supports Docker. There is also a simple HTTP server for providing a PAC file to your browser.

⚠️ Disclaimer
This repo is provided solely for personal, lawful use (e.g., accessing publicly available content you are otherwise entitled to view). Bypassing geo‑restrictions for copyrighted or illicit material may violate Imgur’s Terms of Service or local law. Use responsibly.

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Prerequisites

Requirement	Reason
Docker Engine (≥ 20.10)	Runs the Gluetun container
Docker Compose (v2)	Orchestrates the service
A VPN provider supported by Gluetun (e.g., Mullvad, AirVPN, Private Internet Access)	Provides the non‑UK exit node
Optional: curl or any HTTP client to test the proxy	Verify that the proxy works

Tip – If you already have a VPN subscription, check whether Gluetun supports it in its provider list.

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Quick Start

1. Clone the repository (or copy the files)

   git clone https://github.com/djonesuk/imgur-proxy.git
   cd imgur-proxy
   

2. Create a .env file (copy from the example)

   cp .env.example .env

   Edit .env and fill in the values for your VPN provider. Example for Mullvad:

   # .env
   VPN_PROVIDER=mullvad
   VPN_ACCOUNT_TOKEN=YOUR_MULLVAD_ACCOUNT_TOKEN
   # Choose a server outside the UK (e.g., NL, DE, US)
   VPN_SERVER_COUNTRY=NL

   How to obtain a token – Log in to your VPN provider’s dashboard and generate an API token or use the credentials they require.

3. Edit the PAC file Replace hostname with the hostname of the computer the container is running on. This can be localhost if the container is running on the same machine as the browser.

   function FindProxyForURL(url, host) {
       if (dnsDomainIs(host, "imgur.com")) {
           return "PROXY hostname:8888";
       }
       return "DIRECT";
   }

4. Start the proxy

   docker compose up -d

   Docker will pull the qmcgaw/gluetun image, configure the VPN, and expose an HTTP proxy on port 8888 (default).

5. Configure the browser If you only want to direct traffic to Imgur through the VPN, point your browser to the server's PAC file (http://hostname:8080/my.pac by default). This will send Imgur traffic through the VPN and all other traffic will be direct.

6. Test the proxy

   curl -x http://localhost:8888 https://imgur.com/

   You should receive the HTML of Imgur’s homepage without the “UK geoblock” error.

7. Stop & clean up

   docker compose down

License

This repository is released under the MIT License – feel free to fork, modify, and reuse it for personal projects.

Acknowledgements

Gluetun – the fantastic open‑source VPN client/container by qdm12. Docker community for making container orchestration painless.

Happy proxying!

If you run into any issues or have suggestions, open an Issue or submit a Pull Request. Enjoy unrestricted access to Imgur!