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39 >Privoxy Frequently Asked Questions</TH
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82 >3.1. Can I use my old config files?</A
85 > There are major changes to <SPAN
92 > configuration from version 2.0.x to
93 2.9.x and later. Most of the older files will not work at all. This is
94 especially true of <TT
97 >. If this is the case, you
98 will need to re-enter your old data into the new configuration structure.
99 This is probably also a good recommendation even if upgrading from 2.9.x to
100 3.x since there were many minor changes along the way.
109 >3.2. What is an <SPAN
118 > files are where various actions that
122 > might take, are configured.
123 Typically, you would define a set of default actions that apply
124 to all URLs, then add exceptions to these defaults.</P
126 > Actions can be defined on a per site basis, or for groups of sites. Actions
127 can also be grouped together and then applied to one or more sites. There
128 are many possible actions that might apply to any given site. As an example,
129 if we are blocking cookies as one of our default
133 >, but need to accept cookies from a given
134 site, we would define this in our <SPAN
142 > comes with several default
146 > files, with varying degrees
147 of filtering and blocking, as starting points for your own
148 configuration (see below).</P
159 > concept confuses me. Please list
166 > These are all explained in the
168 HREF="../user-manual/configuration.html#ACTIONS-FILE"
172 Please refer to that.</P
180 >3.4. How are actions files configured? What is the easiest
184 > The easiest way to do this, is to access <SPAN
188 with your web browser at <A
195 HREF="http://config.privoxy.org"
197 >Edit the actions list</A
199 from the selection list. You can also do this by editing the appropriate
200 file with a text editor.</P
204 HREF="../user-manual/configuration.html#ACTIONS-FILE"
208 detailed explanation of these and other configuration files, and their
209 various options and syntax.</P
217 >3.5. Why can I change the configuration with a
218 browser? Does that not raise security issues?</A
221 >What I don't understand, is how I can browser edit the config file as a
222 regular user, while the whole <TT
226 belongs to the user <SPAN
229 >, with only 644 permissions.
232 >When you use the browser-based editor, <SPAN
236 itself is writing to the config files. Because
240 > is running as the user <SPAN
244 update the config files.
247 >If you don't like this, setting <SPAN
249 >"enable-edit-actions 0"</SPAN
251 config file will disable the browser-based editor. If you're that paranoid,
252 you should also consider setting <SPAN
254 >"enable-remote-toggle 0"</SPAN
256 browser-based enabling/disabling of <SPAN
262 >Note that normally only local users can connect to
266 >, so this is not (normally) a security
278 >"default.filter"</SPAN
284 >"default.filter"</SPAN
285 > file is used to <SPAN
289 web page content. By <SPAN
292 > we mean it can modify, remove,
296 > on the page, including HTML tags, and
297 JavaScript. Regular expressions are used to accomplish this, and operate
298 on a line by line basis. This is potentially a very powerful feature, but
299 requires some expertise. </P
301 > If you are familiar with regular expressions, and HTML, you can look at
305 > with a text editor and see
306 some of things it can be used for.</P
308 > Presently, there is no GUI editor option for this part of the configuration,
309 but you can disable/enable various sections of the included default
312 >"Actions List Editor"</SPAN
313 > from your browser.</P
321 >3.7. How can I set up <SPAN
324 > to act as a proxy for my
331 > only responds to requests
332 from localhost. To have it act as a server for a network, this needs to be
333 changed in the main config file where the <SPAN
337 configuration is located. In that file is a <SPAN
339 >"listen-address"</SPAN
341 option. It may be commented out with a <SPAN
345 it is uncommented, and assign it the address of the LAN gateway interface,
346 and port number to use:</P
356 > listen-address 192.168.1.1:8118</PRE
362 > Save the file, and restart <SPAN
366 all browsers on the network then to use this address and port number.</P
374 >3.8. Instead of ads, now I get a checkerboard pattern. I don't want to see anything.</A
377 > This is a configuration option for images that
381 > is stopping. You have the choice of a checkerboard
382 pattern, a transparent 1x1 GIF image (aka <SPAN
386 URL of your choice. Note that to fit this category, the URL must match both
395 > If you want to see nothing, then change the <SPAN
397 >"+image-blocker"</SPAN
401 >"+image-blocker{blank}"</SPAN
402 >. This can be done from the
405 >"Edit Actions List"</SPAN
410 >. Or by hand editing the appropriate
411 actions file. This will only effect what is defined as <SPAN
415 though. Also, some URLs that generate the bright red <SPAN
419 banner, can be moved to the <SPAN
421 >"+image-blocker"</SPAN
423 same reason, but there are some limits and risks to this (see below).</P
431 >3.9. Why would anybody want to see a checkerboard pattern?</A
434 > This can be helpful for troubleshooting problems. It might also be good
435 for anyone new to <SPAN
439 see if their favorite pages are displaying correctly, and
443 > is not inadvertently removing something
452 >3.10. I see large red banners on some pages that say
456 >. Why and how do I get rid of this?</A
459 > These are URLs that match something in one of
463 > block actions (+block). It is meant
464 to be a warning so that you know something has been blocked and an easy way
465 for you to see why. These are handled differently than what has been defined
469 > (e.g. ad banners). Depending on the
470 URL itself, it is sometimes hard for <SPAN
474 really know whether there is indeed an ad image there or not. And there are
475 limitations as to what <SPAN
484 > For instance, if the ad is in a frame, then it is embedded in the separate
485 HTML page used for the frame. In this case, you cannot just substitute an
486 aribitray image (like we would for a <SPAN
489 > image), for an HTML
490 page. The browser is expecting an HTML page, and that is what it must have
491 for frames. So this situation can be a little trickier to deal with, and
500 > If you want these to be treated as if they were images, so that they can be
501 made invisible, you can try moving the offending URL from the
505 > section to the <SPAN
509 your actions file. Just be forewarned, if any URL is made
513 >, you may not have any inkling that something has
514 been removed from that page, or why. If this approach does not work, then you are
515 probably dealing with a frame (or <SPAN
518 >), and the only thing
519 that can go there is an HTML page of some sort.</P
521 > To deal with this situation, you could modify the
528 > HTML template that is used by
532 > to display this, and make it something
533 more to your liking. Currently, there is no configuration option for this.
534 You will have to modify, or create your own page, and use this to replace
537 >templates/blocked</TT
542 > uses to display the <SPAN
548 > Another way to deal with this is find why and where
552 > is blocking the frame, and
553 diable this. Then let the <SPAN
555 >"+image-blocker"</SPAN
557 handle the ad that is embedded in the frame's HTML page. </P
565 >3.11. I cannot see all of the <SPAN
569 see is a bright red square.</A
572 > There is not enough space to fit the entire page. Try right clicking on the
573 visible, red portion, and select <SPAN
577 This will usually allow you to see the entire Privoxy <SPAN
581 page, and from there you can see just what is being blocked, and why.</P
596 > Yes, it can run as a system service using <B
600 The only catch is that this will effectively disable the
604 > icon in the taskbar. You can have
605 one or the other, but not both at this time :( </P
607 > There is a pending feature request for this functionality. See
609 HREF="http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=361118&aid=485617&group_id=11118"
611 >http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=361118&aid=485617&group_id=11118</A
613 for details, and a sample configuration. </P
621 >3.13. How can I make <SPAN
631 > This can be done. See the <A
632 HREF="../user-manual/configuration.html#FORWARDING"
636 which describes how to do this. </P
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