- <div class="SECT1">
- <h1 class="SECT1">
- <a name="CONFIGURATION">6. Privoxy Configuration</a>
- </h1>
- <p>
- All <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> configuration is stored
- in text files. These files can be edited with a text editor. Many
- important aspects of <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> can
- also be controlled easily with a web browser.
- </p>
- <div class="SECT2">
- <h2 class="SECT2">
- <a name="AEN933">6.1. Controlling Privoxy with Your Web Browser</a>
- </h2>
- <p>
- <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>'s user interface can be
- reached through the special URL <a href=
- "http://config.privoxy.org/" target=
- "_top">http://config.privoxy.org/</a> (shortcut: <a href=
- "http://p.p/" target="_top">http://p.p/</a>), which is a built-in
- page and works without Internet access. You will see the following
- section:
- </p>
- <table border="0" bgcolor="#E0E0E0" width="100%">
- <tr>
- <td>
-<pre class="SCREEN">
-
-</pre>
- <h2 class="BRIDGEHEAD">
- <a name="AEN941"></a> Privoxy Menu
- </h2>
-<pre>
-</pre>
- <table border="0">
- <tbody>
- <tr>
- <td>
- ▪ <a
- href="http://config.privoxy.org/show-status" target=
- "_top">View & change the current configuration</a>
- </td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td>
- ▪ <a
- href="http://config.privoxy.org/show-version" target=
- "_top">View the source code version numbers</a>
- </td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td>
- ▪ <a
- href="http://config.privoxy.org/show-request" target=
- "_top">View the request headers.</a>
- </td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td>
- ▪ <a
- href="http://config.privoxy.org/show-url-info" target=
- "_top">Look up which actions apply to a URL and why</a>
-
- </td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td>
- ▪ <a
- href="http://config.privoxy.org/toggle" target=
- "_top">Toggle Privoxy on or off</a>
- </td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td>
- ▪ <a
- href="http://www.privoxy.org/3.0.18/user-manual/"
- target="_top">Documentation</a>
- </td>
- </tr>
- </tbody>
- </table>
-<pre>
-</pre>
- </td>
- </tr>
- </table>
- <p>
- This should be self-explanatory. Note the first item leads to an
- editor for the <a href="actions-file.html">actions files</a>, which
- is where the ad, banner, cookie, and URL blocking magic is
- configured as well as other advanced features of <span class=
- "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>. This is an easy way to adjust various
- aspects of <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> configuration.
- The actions file, and other configuration files, are explained in
- detail below.
- </p>
- <p>
- <span class="QUOTE">"Toggle Privoxy On or Off"</span> is handy for
- sites that might have problems with your current actions and
- filters. You can in fact use it as a test to see whether it is
- <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> causing the problem or
- not. <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> continues to run as a
- proxy in this case, but all manipulation is disabled, i.e. <span
- class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> acts like a normal forwarding
- proxy. There is even a toggle <a href=
- "appendix.html#BOOKMARKLETS">Bookmarklet</a> offered, so that you
- can toggle <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> with one click
- from your browser.
- </p>
- <p>
- Note that several of the features described above are disabled by
- default in <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> 3.0.7 beta and
- later. Check the <a href="config.html" target="_top">configuration
- file</a> to learn why and in which cases it's safe to enable them
- again.
- </p>
- </div>
- <div class="SECT2">
- <h2 class="SECT2">
- <a name="CONFOVERVIEW">6.2. Configuration Files Overview</a>
- </h2>
- <p>
- For Unix, *BSD and Linux, all configuration files are located in
- <tt class="FILENAME">/etc/privoxy/</tt> by default. For MS Windows,
- OS/2, and AmigaOS these are all in the same directory as the <span
- class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> executable. The name and number
- of configuration files has changed from previous versions, and is
- subject to change as development progresses.
- </p>
- <p>
- The installed defaults provide a reasonable starting point, though
- some settings may be aggressive by some standards. For the time
- being, the principle configuration files are:
- </p>
- <p>
- </p>
- <ul>
- <li>
- <p>
- The <a href="config.html">main configuration file</a> is named
- <tt class="FILENAME">config</tt> on Linux, Unix, BSD, OS/2, and
- AmigaOS and <tt class="FILENAME">config.txt</tt> on Windows.
- This is a required file.
- </p>
- </li>
- <li>
- <p>
- <tt class="FILENAME">match-all.action</tt> is used to define
- which <span class="QUOTE">"actions"</span> relating to
- banner-blocking, images, pop-ups, content modification, cookie
- handling etc should be applied by default. It should be the
- first actions file loaded.
- </p>
- <p>
- <tt class="FILENAME">default.action</tt> defines many
- exceptions (both positive and negative) from the default set of
- actions that's configured in <tt class=
- "FILENAME">match-all.action</tt>. It should be the second
- actions file loaded and shouldn't be edited by the user.
- </p>
- <p>
- Multiple actions files may be defined in <tt class=
- "FILENAME">config</tt>. These are processed in the order they
- are defined. Local customizations and locally preferred
- exceptions to the default policies as defined in <tt class=
- "FILENAME">match-all.action</tt> (which you will most probably
- want to define sooner or later) are best applied in <tt class=
- "FILENAME">user.action</tt>, where you can preserve them across
- upgrades. The file isn't installed by all installers, but you
- can easily create it yourself with a text editor.
- </p>
- <p>
- There is also a web based editor that can be accessed from <a
- href="http://config.privoxy.org/show-status" target=
- "_top">http://config.privoxy.org/show-status</a> (Shortcut: <a
- href="http://p.p/show-status" target=
- "_top">http://p.p/show-status</a>) for the various actions
- files.
- </p>
- </li>
- <li>
- <p>
- <span class="QUOTE">"Filter files"</span> (the <a href=
- "filter-file.html">filter file</a>) can be used to re-write the
- raw page content, including viewable text as well as embedded
- HTML and JavaScript, and whatever else lurks on any given web
- page. The filtering jobs are only pre-defined here; whether to
- apply them or not is up to the actions files. <tt class=
- "FILENAME">default.filter</tt> includes various filters made
- available for use by the developers. Some are much more
- intrusive than others, and all should be used with caution. You
- may define additional filter files in <tt class=
- "FILENAME">config</tt> as you can with actions files. We
- suggest <tt class="FILENAME">user.filter</tt> for any locally
- defined filters or customizations.
- </p>
- </li>
- </ul>
-
- <p>
- The syntax of the configuration and filter files may change between
- different Privoxy versions, unfortunately some enhancements cost
- backwards compatibility.
- </p>
- <p>
- All files use the <span class="QUOTE">"<tt class=
- "LITERAL">#</tt>"</span> character to denote a comment (the rest of
- the line will be ignored) and understand line continuation through
- placing a backslash ("<tt class="LITERAL">\</tt>") as the very last
- character in a line. If the <tt class="LITERAL">#</tt> is preceded
- by a backslash, it looses its special function. Placing a <tt
- class="LITERAL">#</tt> in front of an otherwise valid configuration
- line to prevent it from being interpreted is called "commenting
- out" that line. Blank lines are ignored.
- </p>
- <p>
- The actions files and filter files can use Perl style <a href=
- "appendix.html#REGEX">regular expressions</a> for maximum
- flexibility.
- </p>
- <p>
- After making any changes, there is no need to restart <span class=
- "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> in order for the changes to take
- effect. <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> detects such
- changes automatically. Note, however, that it may take one or two
- additional requests for the change to take effect. When changing
- the listening address of <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>,
- these <span class="QUOTE">"wake up"</span> requests must obviously
- be sent to the <span class="emphasis"><i class=
- "EMPHASIS">old</i></span> listening address.
- </p>
- <p>
- While under development, the configuration content is subject to
- change. The below documentation may not be accurate by the time you
- read this. Also, what constitutes a <span class=
- "QUOTE">"default"</span> setting, may change, so please check all
- your configuration files on important issues.
- </p>
- </div>
- </div>
- <div class="NAVFOOTER">
- <hr width="100%" class="c1">
- <table summary="Footer navigation table" width="100%" border="0"
- cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
- <tr>
- <td width="33%" align="left" valign="top">
- <a href="startup.html" accesskey="P">Prev</a>
- </td>
- <td width="34%" align="center" valign="top">
- <a href="index.html" accesskey="H">Home</a>
- </td>
- <td width="33%" align="right" valign="top">
- <a href="config.html" accesskey="N">Next</a>
- </td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td width="33%" align="left" valign="top">
- Starting Privoxy
- </td>
- <td width="34%" align="center" valign="top">
-
- </td>
- <td width="33%" align="right" valign="top">
- The Main Configuration File
- </td>
- </tr>
- </table>
+ <div class="SECT2">
+ <h2 class="SECT2"><a name="CONFOVERVIEW">6.2. Configuration Files Overview</a></h2>
+ <p>For Unix, *BSD and GNU/Linux, all configuration files are located in <tt class="FILENAME">/etc/privoxy/</tt>
+ by default. For MS Windows these are all in the same directory as the <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>
+ executable.</p>
+ <p>The installed defaults provide a reasonable starting point, though some settings may be aggressive by some
+ standards. For the time being, the principle configuration files are:</p>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ <p>The <a href="config.html">main configuration file</a> is named <tt class="FILENAME">config</tt> on
+ GNU/Linux, Unix, BSD, and <tt class="FILENAME">config.txt</tt> on Windows. This is a required file.</p>
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ <p><tt class="FILENAME">match-all.action</tt> is used to define which <span class="QUOTE">"actions"</span>
+ relating to banner-blocking, images, pop-ups, content modification, cookie handling etc should be applied by
+ default. It should be the first actions file loaded.</p>
+ <p><tt class="FILENAME">default.action</tt> defines many exceptions (both positive and negative) from the
+ default set of actions that's configured in <tt class="FILENAME">match-all.action</tt>. It should be the
+ second actions file loaded and shouldn't be edited by the user.</p>
+ <p>Multiple actions files may be defined in <tt class="FILENAME">config</tt>. These are processed in the
+ order they are defined. Local customizations and locally preferred exceptions to the default policies as
+ defined in <tt class="FILENAME">match-all.action</tt> (which you will most probably want to define sooner or
+ later) are best applied in <tt class="FILENAME">user.action</tt>, where you can preserve them across
+ upgrades. The file isn't installed by all installers, but you can easily create it yourself with a text
+ editor.</p>
+ <p>There is also a web based editor that can be accessed from <a href="http://config.privoxy.org/show-status"
+ target="_top">http://config.privoxy.org/show-status</a> (Shortcut: <a href="http://p.p/show-status" target=
+ "_top">http://p.p/show-status</a>) for the various actions files.</p>
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ <p><span class="QUOTE">"Filter files"</span> (the <a href="filter-file.html">filter file</a>) can be used to
+ re-write the raw page content, including viewable text as well as embedded HTML and JavaScript, and whatever
+ else lurks on any given web page. The filtering jobs are only pre-defined here; whether to apply them or not
+ is up to the actions files. <tt class="FILENAME">default.filter</tt> includes various filters made available
+ for use by the developers. Some are much more intrusive than others, and all should be used with caution. You
+ may define additional filter files in <tt class="FILENAME">config</tt> as you can with actions files. We
+ suggest <tt class="FILENAME">user.filter</tt> for any locally defined filters or customizations.</p>
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+ <p>The syntax of the configuration and filter files may change between different Privoxy versions, unfortunately
+ some enhancements cost backwards compatibility.</p>
+ <p>All files use the <span class="QUOTE">"<tt class="LITERAL">#</tt>"</span> character to denote a comment (the
+ rest of the line will be ignored) and understand line continuation through placing a backslash ("<tt class=
+ "LITERAL">\</tt>") as the very last character in a line. If the <tt class="LITERAL">#</tt> is preceded by a
+ backslash, it looses its special function. Placing a <tt class="LITERAL">#</tt> in front of an otherwise valid
+ configuration line to prevent it from being interpreted is called "commenting out" that line. Blank lines are
+ ignored.</p>
+ <p>The actions files and filter files can use Perl style <a href="appendix.html#REGEX">regular expressions</a>
+ for maximum flexibility.</p>
+ <p>After making any changes, there is no need to restart <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> in order for
+ the changes to take effect. <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> detects such changes automatically. Note,
+ however, that it may take one or two additional requests for the change to take effect. When changing the
+ listening address of <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>, these <span class="QUOTE">"wake up"</span>
+ requests must obviously be sent to the <span class="emphasis"><i class="EMPHASIS">old</i></span> listening
+ address.</p>