=== modified file 'UpdateManager/Core/utils.py'
--- UpdateManager/Core/utils.py	2009-10-30 11:05:50 +0000
+++ UpdateManager/Core/utils.py	2009-10-30 15:14:09 +0000
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@
   (scheme, netloc, path, querry, fragment) = urlparse.urlsplit(uri)
   if scheme == "http":
     import httplib
+    proxy = os.getenv("http_proxy")
+    if (proxy):
+      path = scheme + netloc + path
+      netloc = proxy
     try:
       c = httplib.HTTPConnection(netloc)
       c.request("HEAD", path)
@@ -115,37 +115,38 @@
   * then into gconf  (if gconfclient was supplied)
   """
   SYNAPTIC_CONF_FILE = "/root/.synaptic/synaptic.conf"
-  proxy = None
+  proxy = os.getenv("http_proxy")
   # generic apt config wins
-  apt_pkg.InitConfig()
-  if apt_pkg.Config.Find("Acquire::http::Proxy") != '':
-    proxy = apt_pkg.Config.Find("Acquire::http::Proxy")
-  # then synaptic
-  elif os.path.exists(SYNAPTIC_CONF_FILE):
-    cnf = apt_pkg.newConfiguration()
-    apt_pkg.ReadConfigFile(cnf, SYNAPTIC_CONF_FILE)
-    use_proxy = cnf.FindB("Synaptic::useProxy", False)
-    if use_proxy:
-      proxy_host = cnf.Find("Synaptic::httpProxy")
-      proxy_port = str(cnf.FindI("Synaptic::httpProxyPort"))
-      if proxy_host and proxy_port:
-        proxy = "http://%s:%s/" % (proxy_host, proxy_port)
-  # then gconf
-  elif gconfclient:
-    try: # see LP: #281248
-      if gconfclient.get_bool("/system/http_proxy/use_http_proxy"):
-        host = gconfclient.get_string("/system/http_proxy/host")
-        port = gconfclient.get_int("/system/http_proxy/port")
-        use_auth = gconfclient.get_bool("/system/http_proxy/use_authentication")
-        if host and port:
-          if use_auth:
-            auth_user = gconfclient.get_string("/system/http_proxy/authentication_user")
-            auth_pw = gconfclient.get_string("/system/http_proxy/authentication_password")
-            proxy = "http://%s:%s@%s:%s/" % (auth_user,auth_pw,host, port)
-          else:
-            proxy = "http://%s:%s/" % (host, port)
-    except Exception, e:
-      print "error from gconf: %s" % e
+  if not proxy:
+    apt_pkg.InitConfig()
+    if apt_pkg.Config.Find("Acquire::http::Proxy") != '':
+      proxy = apt_pkg.Config.Find("Acquire::http::Proxy")
+    # then synaptic
+    elif os.path.exists(SYNAPTIC_CONF_FILE):
+      cnf = apt_pkg.newConfiguration()
+      apt_pkg.ReadConfigFile(cnf, SYNAPTIC_CONF_FILE)
+      use_proxy = cnf.FindB("Synaptic::useProxy", False)
+      if use_proxy:
+        proxy_host = cnf.Find("Synaptic::httpProxy")
+        proxy_port = str(cnf.FindI("Synaptic::httpProxyPort"))
+        if proxy_host and proxy_port:
+          proxy = "http://%s:%s/" % (proxy_host, proxy_port)
+    # then gconf
+    elif gconfclient:
+      try: # see LP: #281248
+        if gconfclient.get_bool("/system/http_proxy/use_http_proxy"):
+          host = gconfclient.get_string("/system/http_proxy/host")
+          port = gconfclient.get_int("/system/http_proxy/port")
+          use_auth = gconfclient.get_bool("/system/http_proxy/use_authentication")
+          if host and port:
+            if use_auth:
+              auth_user = gconfclient.get_string("/system/http_proxy/authentication_user")
+              auth_pw = gconfclient.get_string("/system/http_proxy/authentication_password")
+              proxy = "http://%s:%s@%s:%s/" % (auth_user,auth_pw,host, port)
+            else:
+              proxy = "http://%s:%s/" % (host, port)
+      except Exception, e:
+        print "error from gconf: %s" % e
   # if we have a proxy, set it
   if proxy:
     # basic verification