$ Linux Command

Network

squidclient

HTTP client for monitoring and managing Squid proxy.

squidproxyclientmanagementhttp

Additional Notes

squidclient is a command-line HTTP client specifically designed to interact with the Squid proxy cache manager interface. It can retrieve cache statistics, purge cached objects, and reconfigure Squid remotely via the cache manager (cachemgr.cgi) interface.

It is useful for administrators who need to monitor cache performance, check hit rates, view active connections, or purge stale objects without using a web browser. The cache manager interface is protected by ACLs in squid.conf and optionally by a password.

Syntax

squidclient [options] [command]

Parameters

  • options: Flags that change how squidclient behaves.
  • target: Optional file, device, interface, user, service, or command target when the command supports one.

Common Options

  • -h host: Connect to Squid on the specified host (default: localhost).
  • -p port: Connect to Squid on the specified port (default: 3128).
  • -m method: HTTP method to use (GET, POST, PURGE, etc.).
  • -u user: Username for cache manager authentication.
  • -w password: Password for cache manager authentication.
  • -I ident: Identification string for the request.
  • -U user_agent: Custom User-Agent header.
  • -H header: Add a custom HTTP header.
  • -d level: Debug verbosity level.
  • -s: Silent mode (suppress output).
  • -t timeout: Set the connection timeout in seconds.
  • -v: Verbose output (show HTTP headers).
  • -V: Show version information.

Cache Manager Commands

  • info: General cache information.
  • menu: Show available cache manager commands.
  • objects: List cached objects.
  • squid.conf: Show active Squid configuration.
  • server_list: Show peer/server information.
  • parameter: Show configurable parameters.
  • ipcache: Show IP cache contents.
  • fqdncache: Show FQDN cache contents.
  • storedir: Show storage directory usage.
  • utilization: Show resource utilization.
  • histogram: Show request rate histogram.
  • pconn: Show persistent connection data.
  • carp: Show CARP (Cache Array Routing Protocol) data.

Examples

squidclient cache_object://localhost/info

Show general cache information for the local Squid instance.

squidclient -p 8080 cache_object://proxy.example.com/menu

List available cache manager commands on a remote Squid at port 8080.

squidclient -m PURGE http://example.com/cached-page

Purge a specific cached object from Squid.

squidclient -h 10.0.0.1 -w secret cache_object://10.0.0.1/parameter

Connect to a remote Squid with authentication and show parameters.

Practical Notes

  • The cache manager interface must be enabled in squid.conf with appropriate ACLs.
  • Many cache manager commands require authentication configured via cachemgr_passwd in squid.conf.
  • The PURGE method requires the http_access allow PURGE ACL to be configured.
  • On some distributions, squidclient is replaced by squidclient -m or a newer version with different syntax.
  • The default port for Squid is 3128 unless changed in the configuration.
  • Output from cache manager commands is plain text, suitable for parsing by monitoring tools.