When I start my VPN Firefox says its “configured to use a proxy that is refusing connections”. When I deactivate my VPN Firefox works fine, except I can’t get to things I need like Youtube. This does not happen when I use Ubuntu. I have been an excited and happy CatchyOS user for a little over 24 hours and this is my only problem. I tried installing another browser but it says my system can’t reach the AUR, The CatchyOS repos work fine.
Please help us out by stating the vpn in use.
Also tell us about any addons you have for firefox, and manual settings you have made within firefox.
I use 3 different VPN’s with zero problems
This may be useful to you:
But as is, your post leaves us with numerous thoughts or suggestions. 
Good Luck
Thank you for your reply. I use something named SquirrelVPN-Linux-1.7.0-1-x64-release.AppImage It calls itself “the worlds first decentralized VPN”. I do not even know if it is a real VPN or just a proxy. All I know about it, is that it doesn’t get blocked by China like all the better known VPNs and it lets my default firefox on Ubuntu get out to Youtube and other sites that are blocked here in China.
On both Ubuntu and CatchyOS the Firefox networking is set to “use system proxy settings” and the only extension is the EFF Privacy Badger and that is in use on both the Firefox in Ubuntu and in CatchyOS
Sorry for replying 3 times to finish my thoughts. I read that CatchyOS has a hardened version of Firefox. I guess I am asking if that could be the difference and the reason my VPN doesn’t work to let firefox get to the outside world?
Check if this is what your using:
paru -Ss cachyos-firefox-settings
cachyos/cachyos-firefox-settings 20250610-1 [8.31 KiB 16.06 KiB]
CachyOS settings for Firefox browser
If it is installed try removing it, or open a ticket on the VPN’s site: https://www.squirrelvpn.com/
It looks to me like they have quite the discription 
SquirrelVPN is a secure VPN powered by a decentralized tokenized P2P network potentially allowing your own nodes to join to do bandwidth mining.
The underlying blockchain system is under development to tokenize your bandwidth contribution.
Eventually, SquirrelVPN will be the Airbnb version of bandwidth market that delivers highly secure and private internet access with low cost.
So just to chime in here ..
Most modern browsers dictate how resolving queries works and will use their own DNS as well as bypass anything like a local /etc/hosts file .. unless “Enable DNS over HTTPS” is set to Off (Use your default DNS resolver).
You likely want to also make this change if needed.
By the way you may also double check yourself using resources like ipleak.net.
@anon15508052 and @cscs Thank you both. Using ```
paru -Ss cachyos-firefox-settings gave me just a response of ~ so I assume that means that it is not installed on my system. Then ipleak.net shows me that SquirrelVPN-Linux-1.7.0-1-x64-release.AppImage changes my ip address when run in Ubuntu but not in CatchyOS with Fuse2 installed. So I think I should open a ticket with the VPN company.
No, you cannot find it because it does not exist in the repos according to your search.
Thats the only way you get ‘nothing’ in return.
(which is its own problem because it does exist .. meaning you are not synced with the mirrors)*
That command searches the repos.
It happens to also report packages in that list that are installed .. but thats not what it is for, and why it wont actually show you an installed package that is apparently not being served or is not being served any longer.
Both here and on the EOS forums there is an odd standard to use -Ss even when looking for locally installed packages, but as shown above, this is obviously wrong and will not produce reliable results.
Instead to search packages you do have installed use the query (Q) flag.
pacman -Qs cachyos-firefox
* - For this other issue you should probably sort mirrors and run the update, etc, ex;
sudo cachyos-rate-mirrors && sudo pacman -Syu
This is what I get:
└─> pacman -Qs cachyos-firefox
┌───────────────────>
│~
└─> paru -Qs cachyos-firefox
┌───────────────────>
│~
└─> paru cachyos-firefox
1 cachyos/cachyos-firefox-settings 20250610-1 [8.31 KiB 16.06 KiB]
CachyOS settings for Firefox browser
:: Packages to install (eg: 1 2 3, 1-3):
Didn’t @ptr1337 remove it just recently?
The removal of Cachy-Browser was a strategic decision due to the significant maintenance burden and low user adoption, allowing the team to focus on core system improvements.
I guess if the install is old enough it might show up.
Those are just ported settings for firefox and not an own browser Someone in the community does maintain it