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RStudio Proxy Workaround (JupyterHub)

I’m sorry it’s sometimes difficult to open RStudio, but here is the hack to make it work.

When you click the RStudio button in JupyterLab, it will open a blank tab. Keep that tab open — it is the live connection to the proxy server. Into that blank tab, paste these two links one after the other:

  1. Login link (Link A)

https://<INSTANCE>.cyverse.run/rstudio/auth-sign-in 2. RStudio link (Link B)

https://<INSTANCE>.cyverse.run/rstudio/

Replace <INSTANCE> with the instance number from your JupyterHub URL (the long ID string after /user/).

How to use them

  1. Paste Link A into the blank RStudio tab and press Enter.

  2. Expected: It may fail or redirect you to a login page. Log in if prompted.

  3. After login, paste Link B into the same blank tab and press Enter.

  4. Expected: RStudio should now load in that tab.

You only need to do this once per session. After that, RStudio will keep working until you shut down your JupyterHub instance. Next time you start a new instance, repeat the process.

Quick checks if it still fails

  • Be sure you replaced <INSTANCE> with your actual instance number.
  • Use the same blank tab that the RStudio button opened.
  • Try a hard refresh (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+R) if the second link doesn’t load.
  • If you close your instance and start a new one, repeat the steps with the new instance number.

Primer: Why this is needed

RStudio runs through a proxy server inside JupyterHub. The proxy makes sure only authenticated users can access their private RStudio sessions. Sometimes the automatic login handshake doesn’t complete, which is why you have to visit the auth link first, then the RStudio link. The first link is like showing your badge at the front desk, and the second link is like walking into your office.