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38 >Privoxy Frequently Asked Questions</TH
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81 >3.1. Can I use my old config files?</A
84 > There are major changes to <SPAN
91 > configuration from version 2.0.x to
92 2.9.x and later. Most of the older files will not work at all. This is
93 especially true of <TT
96 >. If this is the case, you
97 will need to re-enter your old data into the new configuration structure.
98 This is probably also a good recommendation even if upgrading from 2.9.x to
99 3.x since there were many minor changes along the way.
108 >3.2. What is an <SPAN
117 > files are where various actions that
121 > might take, are configured.
122 Typically, you would define a set of default actions that apply
123 to all URLs, then add exceptions to these defaults.</P
125 > Actions can be defined on a per site basis, or for groups of sites. Actions
126 can also be grouped together and then applied to one or more sites. There
127 are many possible actions that might apply to any given site. As an example,
128 if we are blocking cookies as one of our default
132 >, but need to accept cookies from a given
133 site, we would define this in our <SPAN
141 > comes with several default
145 > files, with varying degrees
146 of filtering and blocking, as starting points for your own
147 configuration (see below).</P
158 > concept confuses me. Please list
165 > These are all explained in the
167 HREF="../user-manual/configuration.html#ACTIONSFILE"
171 Please refer to that.</P
179 >3.4. How are actions files configured? What is the easiest
183 > The easiest way to do this, is to access <SPAN
187 with your web browser at <A
194 HREF="http://config.privoxy.org"
196 >Edit the actions list</A
198 from the selection list. You can also do this by editing the appropriate
199 file with a text editor.</P
203 HREF="../user-manual/configuration.html#ACTIONSFILE"
207 detailed explanation of these and other configuration files, and their
208 various options and syntax.</P
216 >3.5. What are the differences between
217 intermediate.action, basic.action, etc.?</A
223 > is not easy. To help you get
224 started, we provide you with three different default configurations. The
225 following table shows you, which features are enabled in each configuration.
235 >Table 1. Default Configurations</B
261 >intermediate.action</TH
383 >jon's +no-cookies-keep (i.e. session cookies only)</TD
410 >no-popup windows</TD
518 >content-modification</TD
632 >3.6. Why can I change the configuration with a
633 browser? Does that not raise security issues?</A
636 >What I don't understand, is how I can browser edit the config file as a
637 regular user, while the whole <TT
641 belongs to the user <SPAN
644 >, with only 644 permissions.
647 >When you use the browser-based editor, <SPAN
651 itself is writing to the config files. Because
655 > is running as the user <SPAN
659 update the config files.
662 >If you don't like this, setting <SPAN
664 >"enable-edit-actions 0"</SPAN
666 config file will disable the browser-based editor. If you're that paranoid,
667 you should also consider setting <SPAN
669 >"enable-remote-toggle 0"</SPAN
671 browser-based enabling/disabling of <SPAN
677 >Note that normally only local users can connect to
681 >, so this is not (normally) a security
693 >"default.filter"</SPAN
699 >"default.filter"</SPAN
700 > file is used to <SPAN
704 web page content. By <SPAN
707 > we mean it can modify, remove,
711 > on the page, including HTML tags, and
712 JavaScript. Regular expressions are used to accomplish this, and operate
713 on a line by line basis. This is potentially a very powerful feature, but
714 requires some expertise. </P
716 > If you are familiar with regular expressions, and HTML, you can look at
720 > with a text editor and see
721 some of things it can be used for.</P
723 > Presently, there is no GUI editor option for this part of the configuration,
724 but you can disable/enable various sections of the included default
727 >"Actions List Editor"</SPAN
728 > from your browser.</P
736 >3.8. How can I set up <SPAN
739 > to act as a proxy for my
746 > only responds to requests
747 from localhost. To have it act as a server for a network, this needs to be
748 changed in the main config file where the <SPAN
752 configuration is located. In that file is a <SPAN
754 >"listen-address"</SPAN
756 option. It may be commented out with a <SPAN
760 it is uncommented, and assign it the address of the LAN gateway interface,
761 and port number to use:</P
771 > listen-address 192.168.1.1:8118
778 > Save the file, and restart <SPAN
782 all browsers on the network then to use this address and port number.</P
790 >3.9. Instead of ads, now I get a checkerboard pattern. I don't want to see anything.</A
793 > This is a configuration option for images that
797 > is stopping. You have the choice of a checkerboard
798 pattern, a transparent 1x1 GIF image (aka <SPAN
802 URL of your choice. Note that to fit this category, the URL must match both
811 > If you want to see nothing, then change the <SPAN
813 >"+image-blocker"</SPAN
817 >"+image-blocker{blank}"</SPAN
818 >. This can be done from the
821 >"Edit Actions List"</SPAN
826 >. Or by hand editing the appropriate
827 actions file. This will only effect what is defined as <SPAN
831 though. Also, some URLs that generate the bright red <SPAN
835 banner, can be moved to the <SPAN
837 >"+image-blocker"</SPAN
839 same reason, but there are some limits and risks to this (see below).</P
847 >3.10. Why would anybody want to see a checkerboard pattern?</A
850 > This can be helpful for troubleshooting problems. It might also be good
851 for anyone new to <SPAN
855 see if their favorite pages are displaying correctly, and
859 > is not inadvertently removing something
868 >3.11. I see large red banners on some pages that say
872 >. Why and how do I get rid of this?</A
875 > These are URLs that match something in one of
879 > block actions (+block). It is meant
880 to be a warning so that you know something has been blocked and an easy way
881 for you to see why. These are handled differently than what has been defined
885 > (e.g. ad banners). Depending on the
886 URL itself, it is sometimes hard for <SPAN
890 really know whether there is indeed an ad image there or not. And there are
891 limitations as to what <SPAN
900 > For instance, if the ad is in a frame, then it is embedded in the separate
901 HTML page used for the frame. In this case, you cannot just substitute an
902 aribitray image (like we would for a <SPAN
905 > image), for an HTML
906 page. The browser is expecting an HTML page, and that is what it must have
907 for frames. So this situation can be a little trickier to deal with, and
916 > If you want these to be treated as if they were images, so that they can be
917 made invisible, you can try moving the offending URL from the
921 > section to the <SPAN
925 your actions file. Just be forewarned, if any URL is made
929 >, you may not have any inkling that something has
930 been removed from that page, or why. If this approach does not work, then you are
931 probably dealing with a frame (or <SPAN
934 >), and the only thing
935 that can go there is an HTML page of some sort.</P
937 > To deal with this situation, you could modify the
944 > HTML template that is used by
948 > to display this, and make it something
949 more to your liking. Currently, there is no configuration option for this.
950 You will have to modify, or create your own page, and use this to replace
953 >templates/blocked</TT
958 > uses to display the <SPAN
964 > Another way to deal with this is find why and where
968 > is blocking the frame, and
969 diable this. Then let the <SPAN
971 >"+image-blocker"</SPAN
973 handle the ad that is embedded in the frame's HTML page. </P
981 >3.12. I cannot see all of the <SPAN
985 see is a bright red square.</A
988 > There is not enough space to fit the entire page. Try right clicking on the
989 visible, red portion, and select <SPAN
993 This will usually allow you to see the entire Privoxy <SPAN
997 page, and from there you can see just what is being blocked, and why.</P
1012 > Yes, it can run as a system service using <B
1016 The only catch is that this will effectively disable the
1020 > icon in the taskbar. You can have
1021 one or the other, but not both at this time :( </P
1023 > There is a pending feature request for this functionality. See
1025 HREF="http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=361118&aid=485617&group_id=11118"
1027 >http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=361118&aid=485617&group_id=11118</A
1029 for details, and a sample configuration. </P
1037 >3.14. How can I make <SPAN
1047 > This can be done. See the <A
1048 HREF="../user-manual/configuration.html#FORWARDING"
1052 which describes how to do this. </P
1070 HREF="installation.html"
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