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<div class="SECT1">
<h1 class="SECT1"><a name="QUICKSTART" id="QUICKSTART">4. Quickstart to
Using Privoxy</a></h1>
-
<ul>
<li>
<p>Install <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>. See the <a href=
"installation.html">Installation Section</a> below for platform
specific information.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>Advanced users and those who want to offer <span class=
"APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> service to more than just their local
"config.html#ACCESS-CONTROL">security-relevant</a> options. These are
off by default.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>Start <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>, if the
installation program has not done this already (may vary according to
platform). See the section <a href="startup.html">Starting
<span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span></a>.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>Set your browser to use <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>
as HTTP and HTTPS (SSL) <a href=
HTTP and HTTPS (SSL) unless you intend to prevent your browser from
using these protocols.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>Flush your browser's disk and memory caches, to remove any cached
ad images. If using <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> to
"_top">cookies</a>, you should remove any currently stored cookies
too.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>A default installation should provide a reasonable starting point
for most. There will undoubtedly be occasions where you will want to
you may want to enable the <a href="config.html#ENABLE-EDIT-ACTIONS"
target="_top">web-based action editor</a> though. Be sure to read the
warnings first.</p>
-
<p>See the <a href="configuration.html">Configuration section</a> for
more configuration options, and how to customize your installation.
You might also want to look at the <a href=
introduction to how <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> blocks
ads and banners.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>If you experience ads that slip through, innocent images that are
blocked, or otherwise feel the need to fine-tune <span class=
of an Action</a>"</span> has hints on how to understand and debug
actions that <span class="QUOTE">"misbehave"</span>.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>Please see the section <a href="contact.html">Contacting the
Developers</a> on how to report bugs, problems with websites or to
get help.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>Now enjoy surfing with enhanced control, comfort and privacy!</p>
</li>
</ul>
-
<div class="SECT2">
<h2 class="SECT2"><a name="QUICKSTART-AD-BLOCKING" id=
"QUICKSTART-AD-BLOCKING">4.1. Quickstart to Ad Blocking</a></h2>
-
<p>Ad blocking is but one of <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy's</span>
array of features. Many of these features are for the technically
minded advanced user. But, ad and banner blocking is surely common
ground for everybody.</p>
-
<p>This section will provide a quick summary of ad blocking so you can
get up to speed quickly without having to read the more extensive
information provided below, though this is highly recommended.</p>
-
<p>First a bit of a warning ... blocking ads is much like blocking
SPAM: the more aggressive you are about it, the more likely you are to
block things that were not intended. And the more likely that some
"EMPHASIS">most</i></span> ads blocked with the default configuration,
or jump in and tweak it for your personal surfing habits and
preferences.</p>
-
<p>Secondly, a brief explanation of <span class=
"APPLICATION">Privoxy's</span> <span class="QUOTE">"actions"</span>.
<span class="QUOTE">"Actions"</span> in this context, are the
used for ad blocking. <a href="actions-file.html#ACTIONS">Actions</a>,
and <a href="actions-file.html">action configuration files</a>, are
explained in depth below.</p>
-
<p>Actions are specified in <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy's</span>
configuration, followed by one or more URLs to which the action should
apply. URLs can actually be URL type <a href=
"actions-file.html#AF-PATTERNS">patterns</a> that use wildcards so they
can apply potentially to a range of similar URLs. The actions, together
with the URL patterns are called a section.</p>
-
<p>When you connect to a website, the full URL will either match one or
more of the sections as defined in <span class=
"APPLICATION">Privoxy's</span> configuration, or not. If so, then
such embedded URLs. <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> can deal
with each URL individually, so, for instance, the main page text is not
touched, but images from such-and-such server are blocked.</p>
-
<p>The most important actions for basic ad blocking are: <tt class=
"LITERAL"><a href="actions-file.html#BLOCK">block</a></tt>, <tt class=
"LITERAL"><a href=
"actions-file.html#HANDLE-AS-EMPTY-DOCUMENT">handle-as-empty-document</a></tt>,and
<tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
"actions-file.html#SET-IMAGE-BLOCKER">set-image-blocker</a></tt>:</p>
-
<ul>
<li>
<p><tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
own built-in BLOCKED page instead to let you now what has happened
(with some exceptions, see below).</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p><tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
"actions-file.html#HANDLE-AS-IMAGE">handle-as-image</a></tt> -
instance, you can't just brute-force an image substitution for an
entire HTML page in most situations.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p><tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
"actions-file.html#HANDLE-AS-EMPTY-DOCUMENT">handle-as-empty-document</a></tt>
useful for file types that are neither HTML nor images, such as
blocking JavaScript files.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p><tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
"actions-file.html#SET-IMAGE-BLOCKER">set-image-blocker</a></tt> -
"LITERAL"><a href=
"actions-file.html#HANDLE-AS-IMAGE">handle-as-image</a></tt>
action.</p>
-
<p>The configuration options on what to display instead of the ad
are:</p>
-
<table border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
- <td> <span class="emphasis"><i class=
+ <td>���<span class="emphasis"><i class=
"EMPHASIS">pattern</i></span> - a checkerboard pattern, so
that an ad replacement is obvious. This is the default.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
-
<table border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
- <td> <span class="emphasis"><i class=
+ <td>���<span class="emphasis"><i class=
"EMPHASIS">blank</i></span> - A very small empty GIF image is
displayed. This is the so-called <span class=
"QUOTE">"invisible"</span> configuration option.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
-
<table border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
- <td> <span class="emphasis"><i class=
+ <td>���<span class="emphasis"><i class=
"EMPHASIS">http://<URL></i></span> - A redirect to any
image anywhere of the user's choosing (advanced usage).</td>
</tr>
</table>
</li>
</ul>
-
<p>Advanced users will eventually want to explore <span class=
"APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> <tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
"actions-file.html#FILTER">filters</a></tt> as well. Filters are very
That is a very simple example. This process can be used for ad
blocking, but it is more in the realm of advanced usage and has some
pitfalls to be wary off.</p>
-
<p>The quickest way to adjust any of these settings is with your
browser through the special <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>
editor at <a href="http://config.privoxy.org/show-status" target=
"_top">http://config.privoxy.org/show-status</a> (shortcut: <a href=
"http://p.p/" target="_top">http://p.p/show-status</a>). This is an
internal page, and does not require Internet access.</p>
-
<p>Note that as of <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> 3.0.7 beta
the action editor is disabled by default. Check the <a href=
"config.html#ENABLE-EDIT-ACTIONS" target="_top">enable-edit-actions
section in the configuration file</a> to learn why and in which cases
it's safe to enable again.</p>
-
<p>If you decided to enable the action editor, select the appropriate
<span class="QUOTE">"actions"</span> file, and click <span class=
"QUOTE">"<span class="GUIBUTTON">Edit</span>"</span>. It is best to put
purposes, and make other adjustments to the configuration. <span class=
"APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> will detect these changes
automatically.</p>
-
<p>A quick and simple step by step example:</p>
-
<ul>
<li>
<p>Right click on the ad image to be blocked, then select
<span class="QUOTE">"<span class="GUIMENUITEM">Copy Link
Location</span>"</span> from the pop-up menu.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>Set your browser to <a href=
"http://config.privoxy.org/show-status" target=
"_top">http://config.privoxy.org/show-status</a></p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>Find <tt class="FILENAME">user.action</tt> in the top section,
and click on <span class="QUOTE">"<span class=
"GUIBUTTON">Edit</span>"</span>:</p>
-
<div class="FIGURE">
- <a name="AEN844" id="AEN844"></a>
-
+ <a name="AEN657" id="AEN657"></a>
<p><b>Figure 1. Actions Files in Use</b></p>
-
<div class="MEDIAOBJECT">
<p><img src="files-in-use.jpg"></p>
</div>
</div>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>You should have a section with only <tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
"actions-file.html#BLOCK">block</a></tt> listed under <span class=
then <span class="QUOTE">"<span class=
"GUIBUTTON">Submit</span>"</span> just below the list.</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>Now, in the <tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
"actions-file.html#BLOCK">block</a></tt> actions section, click the
(or <span class="QUOTE">"<span class="GUIBUTTON">OK</span>"</span>
if in a pop-up window).</p>
</li>
-
<li>
<p>Now go back to the original page, and press <b class=
"KEYCAP">SHIFT-Reload</b> (or flush all browser caches). The image
should be gone now.</p>
</li>
</ul>
-
<p>This is a very crude and simple example. There might be good reasons
to use a wildcard pattern match to include potentially similar images
from the same site. For a more extensive explanation of <span class=
"QUOTE">"patterns"</span>, and the entire actions concept, see <a href=
"actions-file.html">the Actions section</a>.</p>
-
<p>For advanced users who want to hand edit their config files, you
might want to now go to the <a href=
"actions-file.html#ACT-EXAMPLES">Actions Files Tutorial</a>. The ideas
explained therein also apply to the web-based editor.</p>
-
<p>There are also various <a href=
"actions-file.html#FILTER">filters</a> that can be used for ad blocking
(filters are a special subset of actions). These fall into the
in depth in later sections.</p>
</div>
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