setting "proxy configuration URL" in browser or KDE/Gnome
 

both firefox and KDE/Gnome offer a place to set a proxy configuration URL:

is it better to use the browser or the desktop manager? or both?

i have ubuntu/gnome and slackware/kde boxes;

imputerate

It depends on if you want only your browser to use the proxy or if you want all internet enabled apps to use the proxy.

thanks; i'm not quite sure what sort of "internet enabled app" would use a proxy, or how; i have access, thru ucla, to things like the OED, and archives of academic stuff; i access these thru my browser;

could you give me an example of the kind of app which would use a proxy?

Your browser, email client, instant messenger client, file sharing client etc.