X-Git-Url: http://www.privoxy.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=doc%2Fsource%2Ffaq.sgml;h=9dcba749a503776e4040c0105528a5a78295d7c5;hb=cb965dd32dbe3e831cead6e2da3dcaa7ba72abd3;hp=e3a230126bde2aa08d9928bf9e27f39eb0968285;hpb=0be6c4d411b319c9dc6f7b8894a32f8fb5aeff0e;p=privoxy.git diff --git a/doc/source/faq.sgml b/doc/source/faq.sgml index e3a23012..9dcba749 100644 --- a/doc/source/faq.sgml +++ b/doc/source/faq.sgml @@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ - - - + + + @@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ This file belongs into ijbswa.sourceforge.net:/home/groups/i/ij/ijbswa/htdocs/ - $Id: faq.sgml,v 1.59 2002/05/15 04:03:30 hal9 Exp $ + $Id: faq.sgml,v 2.2 2002/09/05 04:25:05 hal9 Exp $ Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 Privoxy Developers See LICENSE. @@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ -$Id: faq.sgml,v 1.59 2002/05/15 04:03:30 hal9 Exp $ +$Id: faq.sgml,v 2.2 2002/09/05 04:25:05 hal9 Exp $ @@ -122,9 +126,12 @@ Hal. + Please note that this document is constantly evolving. This copy represents + the state at the release of version &p-version;. You can find the latest version of the document at http://www.privoxy.org/faq/. - Please see the Contact section if you want to contact the developers. + Please see the Contact section if you want to + contact the developers. @@ -266,7 +273,7 @@ an ad, and what is not? This does not sound very scientific. Actually, it's a black art ;-) And yes, it is always possible to have a broad - rule accidentally block of change something by mistake. There is a good chance + rule accidentally block or change something by mistake. There is a good chance you may run into such a situation at some point. It is tricky writing rules to cover every conceivable possibility, and not occasionally get false positives. @@ -425,8 +432,9 @@ special I have to do now? If you set up the Privoxy to run on the computer you browse from (rather than your ISP's server or some - networked computer on a LAN), the proxy will be on localhost - (which is the special name used by every computer on the Internet to refer + networked computer on a LAN), the proxy will be on 127.0.0.1 + (sometimes referred to as localhost, + which is the special name used by every computer on the Internet to refer to itself) and the port will be 8118 (unless you have Privoxy to run on a different port with the listen-address config option). @@ -454,8 +462,8 @@ special I have to do now? - -I just installed <application>Privoxy</application>, and nothing is happening. +<sect2 renderas="sect3" id="nothing"> +<title>I just installed <application>Privoxy</application>, and nothing is happening. All the ads are there. What's wrong? @@ -464,7 +472,7 @@ All the ads are there. What's wrong? the browser's caches to force a full re-reading of pages. You can verify that Privoxy is running, and your browser is correctly configured by entering the special URL: - http://config.privoxy.org/. + http://config.privoxy.org/. This should take you to a page titled This is Privoxy.. with access to Privoxy's internal configuration. If you see this, then you are good to go. If you receive a page saying @@ -474,8 +482,6 @@ All the ads are there. What's wrong? be that the browser is not set up correctly, or that Privoxy is not running at all. Check the log file. - - @@ -487,6 +493,23 @@ All the ads are there. What's wrong? Configuration +Where can I get updated Actions Files? + + Based on your feedback and the continuing development, updated actions files will be + made available on the files section of + our project page. + + + + If you wish to receive an email notification whenever we release updates of + Privoxy or the actions file, subscribe + to our announce mailing list, ijbswa-announce@lists.sourceforge.net. + + + + Can I use my old config files? The syntax, number, and purpose of configuration files has substantially @@ -545,7 +568,7 @@ way to do this? Actions files are just text files in a special syntax and can be edited - with a text editor. The probably easiest way is to access + with a text editor. But probably the easiest way is to access Privoxy's user interface with your web browser at http://config.privoxy.org/ (Shortcut: http://p.p/) and then select @@ -601,7 +624,7 @@ the differences? What's the difference between the -<quote>Cautious</quote>, <quote>Medium</quote> and <quote>Advenced</quote> defaults? +Cautious, Medium and Advanced defaults? Configuring Privoxy is not entirely trivial. To help you get started, we provide you with three different default action packages in @@ -673,7 +696,7 @@ the differences? Pop-up killing no - no + yes yes @@ -712,6 +735,21 @@ the differences? yes + + Image tag reordering + no + no + yes + + + + Ad-filtering by link + no + no + yes + + + @@ -758,22 +796,25 @@ with a browser? Does that not raise security issues? -What is the <filename>default.filter</filename> file? +What is the <filename>default.filter</filename> file? What is a <quote>filter</quote>? The default.filter file is where filters are defined, which can be used to modify or - remove, web page content on the fly. This applies to anything + remove, web page content on the fly. Filters apply to anything in the page source, including HTML tags, and JavaScript. Regular expressions are used to accomplish this. There are a number of pre-defined filters to deal with common annoyances. The filters are only defined here, to invoke them, you need to use the - filter action. + filter + action in one of the actions files. Filtering is automatically + disabled for inappropriate MIME types. If you are familiar with regular expressions, and HTML, you can look at the provided default.filter with a text editor and define your own filters. This is potentially a very powerful feature, but - requires some expertise. + requires some expertise in both regular expressions and HTML/HTTP. @@ -790,15 +831,16 @@ with a browser? Does that not raise security issues? LAN? By default, Privoxy only responds to requests - from localhost. To have it act as a server for a network, this needs to be - changed in themain configuration - file. Look for the listen-address - option, which may be commented out with a # symbol. Make sure - it is uncommented, and assign it the address of the LAN gateway interface, - and port number to use. Assuming your LAN address is 192.168.1.1 and you wish - to run Privoxy on port 8118, this line schould look - like: + from 127.0.0.1 (localhost). To have it act as a server for + a network, this needs to be changed in the main configuration file. Look for + the listen-address + option, which may be commented out with a # symbol. Make sure + it is uncommented, and assign it the address of the LAN gateway interface, + and port number to use. Assuming your LAN address is 192.168.1.1 and you + wish to run Privoxy on port 8118, this line + should look like: @@ -995,6 +1037,17 @@ proxies like Squid? + +Can I just set <application>Privoxy</application> to use port 80 +and thus avoid individual browser configuration? + + + No, its more complicated than that. This only works with special kinds + of proxies known as transparent proxies (see below). + + + + Can <application>Privoxy</application> run as a <quote>transparent </quote> proxy? @@ -1066,6 +1119,10 @@ delays in page requests compared to the old Junkbuster. What's wrong? content, giving the user a feeling of "it works". This effect is especially noticeable on slow dialup connections. + + Filtering is automatically disabled for inappropriate MIME types. + + @@ -1364,9 +1421,70 @@ secure is it? Do I need to take any special precautions? The easiest way is to access Privoxy with your browser by using the remote toggle URL: http://config.privoxy.org/toggle. + See the Bookmarklets section + of the User Manual for an easy way to access this + feature. + + + + +When <quote>disabled</quote> is <application>Privoxy</application> totally +out of the picture? + + No, this just means all filtering and actions are disabled. + Privoxy is still acting as a proxy, but just not + doing any of the things that Privoxy would + normally be expected to do. It is still a middle-man in + the interaction between your browser and web sites. + + + + +My logs show <application>Privoxy</application> <quote>crunches</quote> +ads, but also its own CGI pages. What is a <quote>crunch</quote>? + + A crunch simply means Privoxy intercepted + something, nothing more. Often this is indeed ads or + banners, but Privoxy uses the same mechanism for + trapping requests for its own internal pages. For instance, a request for + Privoxy's configuration page at: http://config.privoxy.org, is + intercepted (i.e. it does not go out to the 'net), and the familiar CGI + configuration is returned to the browser, and the log consequently will show + a crunch. + + + + +Can <application>Privoxy</application> effect files that I download +from a webserver? FTP server? + + From the webserver's perspective, there is no difference between + viewing a document (i.e. a page), and downloading a file. The same is true of + Privoxy. If there is a match for a block pattern, + it will still be blocked, and of course this is obvious. Filtering is + potentially more of a concern since the results are not always so obvious. + + + Privoxy knows the differences in files according + to the Document Type as reported by the webserver. If this is + reported accurately (e.g. application/zip for a zip archive), + then Privoxy knows to ignore these where + appropriate. It is possible, however, that documents that are of an unknown + type (generally assumed to be text/plain) will be filtered, as + will those that might be incorrectly reported by the webserver. If such a + file is a downloaded file that is intended to be saved to disk, then any + content that might have been altered by filtering, will be saved too, for + these (probably very rare) cases. + + + Privoxy does not do FTP at all, only HTTP + protocols. + Where can I find more information about <application>Privoxy</application> and related issues? @@ -1383,6 +1501,20 @@ and related issues? --> + +I've noticed that Privoxy changes <quote>Microsoft</quote> to +<quote>MicroSuck</quote>! Why are you manipulating my browsing? + + + We're not. The text substitutions that you are seeing are disabled + in the default configuration as shipped. You have either manually + activated the fun filter which + is clearly labeled Text replacements for subversive browsing + fun! or you have implicitly activated it by choosing the + Advanced profile in the web-based editor. + + + @@ -1434,8 +1566,8 @@ still getting through. How? - -One of my favorite sites does not work with <application>Privoxy</application>. +<sect2 id="badsite" renderas="sect3"> +<title >One of my favorite sites does not work with <application>Privoxy</application>. What can I do? @@ -1443,7 +1575,7 @@ What can I do? by toggling off Privoxy through http://config.privoxy.org/toggle, and then shift-reloading the problem page (i.e. holding down the shift key - while clicking reload. Alternatively, flush your browsers' disk any memory + while clicking reload. Alternatively, flush your browser's disk and memory caches). @@ -1467,7 +1599,7 @@ What can I do? Alternately, if you are comfortable with a text editor, you can accomplish - the same thing by editing the appropriate actions file. The probably easiest + the same thing by editing the appropriate actions file. Probably the easiest way to deal with such problems when editing by hand is to add your site to a { fragile } section in user.action, which is an alias that turns off most dangerous @@ -1483,6 +1615,134 @@ What can I do? + + + +After installing <application>Privoxy</application>, I have to log in +every time I start IE. What gives? + + + This is a quirk that effects the installation of + Privoxy, in conjunction with Internet Explorer and + Internet Connection Sharing on Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The symptoms may + appear to be corrupted or invalid DUN settings, or passwords. + + + + When setting up an NT based Windows system with + Privoxy you may find that things do not seem to be + doing what you expect. When you set your system up you will probably have set + up Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) with Dial up Networking (DUN) when + logged in with administrator privileges. You will probably have made this DUN + connection available to other accounts that you may have set-up on your + system. E.g. Mum or Dad sets up the system and makes accounts suitably + configured for the kids. + + + + When setting up Privoxy in this environment you + will have to alter the proxy set-up of Internet Explorer (IE) for the + specific DUN connection on which you wish to use + Privoxy. When you do this the ICS DUN set-up + becomes user specific. In this instance you will see no difference if you + change the DUN connection under the account used to set-up the connection. + However when you do this from another user you will notice that the DUN + connection changes to make available to "Me only". You will also find that + you have to store the password under each different user! + + + + The reason for this is that each user's set-up for IE is user specific. Each + set-up DUN connection and each LAN connection in IE store the settings for + each user individually. As such this enforces individual configurations + rather than common ones. Hence the first time you use a DUN connection after + re-booting your system it may not perform as you expect, and prompt you for + the password. Just set and save the password again and all should be OK. + + + +[Thanks to Ray Griffith for this submission.] + + + + + + +I cannot connect to any FTP sites. <application>Privoxy</application> + seems to be blocking me. + + Privoxy cannot act as a proxy for FTP traffic, + so do not configure your browser to use Privoxy + as an FTP proxy. The same is true for any protocol other than HTTP or HTTPS. + + + + + +In Mac OSX, I can't configure Microsoft Internet Explorer to use + <application>Privoxy</application> as the HTTP proxy. + + Microsoft Internet Explorer (in versions like 5.1) respects system-wide + network settings. In order to change the HTTP proxy, open System + Preferences, and click on the Network icon. In the settings pane that + comes up, click on the Proxies tab. Ensure the "Web Proxy (HTTP)" checkbox + is checked and enter 127.0.0.1 in the entry field. + Enter 8118 in the Port field. The next time you start + IE, it should reflect these values. + + + + + +In Mac OSX, I dragged the Privoxy folder to the trash in order to + uninstall it. Now the finder tells me I don't have sufficient privileges to + empty the trash. + + Just dragging the Privoxy folder to the trash is + not enough to delete it. Privoxy supplies an + uninstall.command file that takes care of + these details. Open the trash, drag the uninstall.command + file out of the trash and double-click on it. You will be prompted for + confirmation and the administration password. + + + The trash may still appear full after this command; emptying the trash + from the desktop should make it appear empty again. + + + + + + +I get a completely blank page at one site. <quote>View Source</quote> + shows only: <markup><![CDATA[<html><body></body></html>]]></markup>. Without + <application>Privoxy</application> the page loads fine. + + Chances are that the site suffers from a bug in + PHP, + which results in empty pages being sent if the client explicitly requests + an uncompressed page, like Privoxy does. + This bug has been fixed in PHP 4.2.3. + + + To find out if this is in fact the source of the problem, try adding + the site to a -prevent-compression section in + user.action: + + + # Make exceptions for ill-behaved sites: + # + {-prevent-compression} + .example.com + + If that works, you may also want to report the problem to the + site's webmasters, telling them to use zlib.output_compression + instead of ob_gzhandler in their PHP applications (workaround) + or upgrade to PHP 4.2.3 or later (fix). + + + +