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- accesskey="N">Next</a></td>
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- <hr align="left" width="100%">
- </div>
-
- <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
- machine should check the <a href="config.html">main config file</a>,
- especially the <a href=
- "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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy_server" target="_top">proxy</a>
- by setting the proxy configuration for address of <tt class=
- "LITERAL">127.0.0.1</tt> and port <tt class="LITERAL">8118</tt>.
- <span class="emphasis"><i class="EMPHASIS">DO NOT</i></span> activate
- proxying for <tt class="LITERAL">FTP</tt> or any protocols besides
- 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
- manage <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browser_cookie" target=
- "_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
- adjust the configuration, but that can be dealt with as the need
- arises. Little to no initial configuration is required in most cases,
- 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=
- "quickstart.html#QUICKSTART-AD-BLOCKING">next section</a> for a quick
- 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=
- "APPLICATION">Privoxy's</span> behavior, take a look at the <a href=
- "actions-file.html">actions files</a>. As a quick start, you might
- find the <a href="actions-file.html#ACT-EXAMPLES">richly commented
- examples</a> helpful. You can also view and edit the actions files
- through the <a href="http://config.privoxy.org" target=
- "_top">web-based user interface</a>. The Appendix <span class=
- "QUOTE">"<a href="appendix.html#ACTIONSANAT">Troubleshooting: Anatomy
- 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
- things may not work as intended. So there is a trade off here. If you
- want extreme ad free browsing, be prepared to deal with more
- <span class="QUOTE">"problem"</span> sites, and to spend more time
- adjusting the configuration to solve these unintended consequences. In
- short, there is not an easy way to eliminate <span class=
- "emphasis"><i class="EMPHASIS">all</i></span> ads. Either take the easy
- way and settle for <span class="emphasis"><i class=
- "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
- directives we use to tell <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> to
- perform some task relating to HTTP transactions (i.e. web browsing). We
- tell <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> to take some <span class=
- "QUOTE">"action"</span>. Each action has a unique name and function.
- While there are many potential <span class="APPLICATION">actions</span>
- in <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy's</span> arsenal, only a few are
- 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
- <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> will perform the respective
- actions. If not, then nothing special happens. Furthermore, web pages
- may contain embedded, secondary URLs that your web browser will use to
- load additional components of the page, as it parses the original
- page's HTML content. An ad image for instance, is just an URL embedded
- in the page somewhere. The image itself may be on the same server, or a
- server somewhere else on the Internet. Complex web pages will have many
- 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-IMAGE">handle-as-image</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>
-
+ <head>
+ <title>
+ Quickstart to Using Privoxy
+ </title>
+ <meta name="GENERATOR" content=
+ "Modular DocBook HTML Stylesheet Version 1.79">
+ <link rel="HOME" title="Privoxy 3.0.25 User Manual" href="index.html">
+ <link rel="PREVIOUS" title="What's New in this Release" href=
+ "whatsnew.html">
+ <link rel="NEXT" title="Starting Privoxy" href="startup.html">
+ <link rel="STYLESHEET" type="text/css" href="../p_doc.css">
+ <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1">
+ <link rel="STYLESHEET" type="text/css" href="p_doc.css">
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+ "#840084" alink="#0000FF">
+ <div class="NAVHEADER">
+ <table summary="Header navigation table" width="100%" border="0"
+ cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
+ <tr>
+ <th colspan="3" align="center">
+ Privoxy 3.0.25 User Manual
+ </th>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td width="10%" align="left" valign="bottom">
+ <a href="whatsnew.html" accesskey="P">Prev</a>
+ </td>
+ <td width="80%" align="center" valign="bottom">
+ </td>
+ <td width="10%" align="right" valign="bottom">
+ <a href="startup.html" accesskey="N">Next</a>
+ </td>
+ </tr>
+ </table>
+ <hr align="LEFT" width="100%">
+ </div>
+ <div class="SECT1">
+ <h1 class="SECT1">
+ <a name="QUICKSTART">4. Quickstart to Using Privoxy</a>
+ </h1>
+ <p>
+ </p>
<ul>
<li>
- <p><tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
- "actions-file.html#BLOCK">block</a></tt> - this is perhaps the
- single most used action, and is particularly important for ad
- blocking. This action stops any contact between your browser and
- any URL patterns that match this action's configuration. It can be
- used for blocking ads, but also anything that is determined to be
- unwanted. By itself, it simply stops any communication with the
- remote server and sends <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>'s
- 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> -
- tells <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> to treat this URL as
- an image. <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>'s default
- configuration already does this for all common image types (e.g.
- GIF), but there are many situations where this is not so easy to
- determine. So we'll force it in these cases. This is particularly
- important for ad blocking, since only if we know that it's an image
- of some kind, can we replace it with an image of our choosing,
- instead of the <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> BLOCKED
- page (which would only result in a <span class="QUOTE">"broken
- image"</span> icon). There are some limitations to this though. For
- instance, you can't just brute-force an image substitution for an
- entire HTML page in most situations.</p>
+ <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><tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
- "actions-file.html#HANDLE-AS-EMPTY-DOCUMENT">handle-as-empty-document</a></tt>
- - sends an empty document instead of <span class=
- "APPLICATION">Privoxy's</span> normal BLOCKED HTML page. This is
- useful for file types that are neither HTML nor images, such as
- blocking JavaScript files.</p>
+ <p>
+ Advanced users and those who want to offer <span class=
+ "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> service to more than just their
+ local machine should check the <a href="config.html">main config
+ file</a>, especially the <a href=
+ "config.html#ACCESS-CONTROL">security-relevant</a> options. These
+ are off by default.
+ </p>
</li>
-
<li>
- <p><tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
- "actions-file.html#SET-IMAGE-BLOCKER">set-image-blocker</a></tt> -
- tells <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> what to display in
- place of an ad image that has hit a block rule. For this to come
- into play, the URL must match a <tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
- "actions-file.html#BLOCK">block</a></tt> action somewhere in the
- configuration, <span class="emphasis"><i class=
- "EMPHASIS">and</i></span>, it must also match an <tt class=
- "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=
- "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=
- "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=
- "EMPHASIS">http://<URL></i></span> - A redirect to any
- image anywhere of the user's choosing (advanced usage).</td>
- </tr>
- </tbody>
- </table>
+ <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>
- </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
- different from <tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
- "actions-file.html#BLOCK">blocks</a></tt>. A <span class=
- "QUOTE">"block"</span> blocks a site, page, or unwanted contented.
- Filters are a way of filtering or modifying what is actually on the
- page. An example filter usage: a text replacement of <span class=
- "QUOTE">"no-no"</span> for <span class="QUOTE">"nasty-word"</span>.
- 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
- personal or local preferences in <tt class="FILENAME">user.action</tt>
- since this is not meant to be overwritten during upgrades, and will
- over-ride the settings in other files. Here you can insert new
- <span class="QUOTE">"actions"</span>, and URLs for ad blocking or other
- 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>
+ <p>
+ Set your browser to use <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>
+ as HTTP and HTTPS (SSL) <a href=
+ "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy_server" target=
+ "_top">proxy</a> by setting the proxy configuration for address
+ of <tt class="LITERAL">127.0.0.1</tt> and port <tt class=
+ "LITERAL">8118</tt>. <span class="emphasis"><i class=
+ "EMPHASIS">DO NOT</i></span> activate proxying for <tt class=
+ "LITERAL">FTP</tt> or any protocols besides HTTP and HTTPS (SSL)
+ unless you intend to prevent your browser from using these
+ protocols.
+ </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>
+ <p>
+ Flush your browser's disk and memory caches, to remove any cached
+ ad images. If using <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> to
+ manage <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browser_cookie"
+ target="_top">cookies</a>, you should remove any currently stored
+ cookies too.
+ </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="AEN612" id="AEN612"></a>
-
- <p><b>Figure 1. Actions Files in Use</b></p>
-
- <div class="MEDIAOBJECT">
- <p><img src="files-in-use.jpg"></p>
- </div>
- </div>
+ <p>
+ A default installation should provide a reasonable starting point
+ for most. There will undoubtedly be occasions where you will want
+ to adjust the configuration, but that can be dealt with as the
+ need arises. Little to no initial configuration is required in
+ most cases, 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=
+ "quickstart.html#QUICKSTART-AD-BLOCKING">next section</a> for a
+ quick introduction to how <span class=
+ "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> blocks ads and banners.
+ </p>
</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=
- "QUOTE">"Actions:"</span>. If not, click a <span class=
- "QUOTE">"<span class="GUIBUTTON">Insert new section
- below</span>"</span> button, and in the new section that just
- appeared, click the <span class="GUIBUTTON">Edit</span> button
- right under the word <span class="QUOTE">"Actions:"</span>. This
- will bring up a list of all actions. Find <tt class=
- "LITERAL"><a href="actions-file.html#BLOCK">block</a></tt> near the
- top, and click in the <span class="QUOTE">"Enabled"</span> column,
- then <span class="QUOTE">"<span class=
- "GUIBUTTON">Submit</span>"</span> just below the list.</p>
+ <p>
+ If you experience ads that slip through, innocent images that are
+ blocked, or otherwise feel the need to fine-tune <span class=
+ "APPLICATION">Privoxy's</span> behavior, take a look at the <a
+ href="actions-file.html">actions files</a>. As a quick start, you
+ might find the <a href="actions-file.html#ACT-EXAMPLES">richly
+ commented examples</a> helpful. You can also view and edit the
+ actions files through the <a href="http://config.privoxy.org"
+ target="_top">web-based user interface</a>. The Appendix <span
+ class="QUOTE">"<a href=
+ "appendix.html#ACTIONSANAT">Troubleshooting: Anatomy of an
+ Action</a>"</span> has hints on how to understand and debug
+ actions that <span class="QUOTE">"misbehave"</span>.
+ </p>
</li>
-
<li>
- <p>Now, in the <tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
- "actions-file.html#BLOCK">block</a></tt> actions section, click the
- <span class="QUOTE">"<span class="GUIBUTTON">Add</span>"</span>
- button, and paste the URL the browser got from <span class=
- "QUOTE">"<span class="GUIMENUITEM">Copy Link
- Location</span>"</span>. Remove the <tt class=
- "LITERAL">http://</tt> at the beginning of the URL. Then, click
- <span class="QUOTE">"<span class="GUIBUTTON">Submit</span>"</span>
- (or <span class="QUOTE">"<span class="GUIBUTTON">OK</span>"</span>
- if in a pop-up window).</p>
+ <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 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>
+ <p>
+ Now enjoy surfing with enhanced control, comfort and privacy!
+ </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
- <span class="QUOTE">"advanced"</span> usage category, and are explained
- in depth in later sections.</p>
+ <div class="SECT2">
+ <h2 class="SECT2">
+ <a name="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 things may not work as intended. So there is a trade off here.
+ If you want extreme ad free browsing, be prepared to deal with more
+ <span class="QUOTE">"problem"</span> sites, and to spend more time
+ adjusting the configuration to solve these unintended consequences.
+ In short, there is not an easy way to eliminate <span class=
+ "emphasis"><i class="EMPHASIS">all</i></span> ads. Either take the
+ easy way and settle for <span class="emphasis"><i class=
+ "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 directives we use to tell <span class=
+ "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> to perform some task relating to HTTP
+ transactions (i.e. web browsing). We tell <span class=
+ "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> to take some <span class=
+ "QUOTE">"action"</span>. Each action has a unique name and
+ function. While there are many potential <span class=
+ "APPLICATION">actions</span> in <span class=
+ "APPLICATION">Privoxy's</span> arsenal, only a few are 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
+ <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> will perform the
+ respective actions. If not, then nothing special happens.
+ Furthermore, web pages may contain embedded, secondary URLs that
+ your web browser will use to load additional components of the
+ page, as it parses the original page's HTML content. An ad image
+ for instance, is just an URL embedded in the page somewhere. The
+ image itself may be on the same server, or a server somewhere else
+ on the Internet. Complex web pages will have many 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-IMAGE">handle-as-image</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>
+ <p>
+ </p>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ <p>
+ <tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
+ "actions-file.html#BLOCK">block</a></tt> - this is perhaps the
+ single most used action, and is particularly important for ad
+ blocking. This action stops any contact between your browser
+ and any URL patterns that match this action's configuration. It
+ can be used for blocking ads, but also anything that is
+ determined to be unwanted. By itself, it simply stops any
+ communication with the remote server and sends <span class=
+ "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>'s 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> -
+ tells <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> to treat this
+ URL as an image. <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>'s
+ default configuration already does this for all common image
+ types (e.g. GIF), but there are many situations where this is
+ not so easy to determine. So we'll force it in these cases.
+ This is particularly important for ad blocking, since only if
+ we know that it's an image of some kind, can we replace it with
+ an image of our choosing, instead of the <span class=
+ "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> BLOCKED page (which would only
+ result in a <span class="QUOTE">"broken image"</span> icon).
+ There are some limitations to this though. For 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>
+ - sends an empty document instead of <span class=
+ "APPLICATION">Privoxy's</span> normal BLOCKED HTML page. This
+ is 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>
+ - tells <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> what to
+ display in place of an ad image that has hit a block rule. For
+ this to come into play, the URL must match a <tt class=
+ "LITERAL"><a href="actions-file.html#BLOCK">block</a></tt>
+ action somewhere in the configuration, <span class=
+ "emphasis"><i class="EMPHASIS">and</i></span>, it must also
+ match an <tt class="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=
+ "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=
+ "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=
+ "EMPHASIS">http://<URL></i></span> - A redirect to
+ any image anywhere of the user's choosing (advanced
+ usage).
+ </td>
+ </tr>
+ </tbody>
+ </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 different from <tt class="LITERAL"><a href=
+ "actions-file.html#BLOCK">blocks</a></tt>. A <span class=
+ "QUOTE">"block"</span> blocks a site, page, or unwanted contented.
+ Filters are a way of filtering or modifying what is actually on the
+ page. An example filter usage: a text replacement of <span class=
+ "QUOTE">"no-no"</span> for <span class="QUOTE">"nasty-word"</span>.
+ 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 personal or local preferences in <tt class=
+ "FILENAME">user.action</tt> since this is not meant to be
+ overwritten during upgrades, and will over-ride the settings in
+ other files. Here you can insert new <span class=
+ "QUOTE">"actions"</span>, and URLs for ad blocking or other
+ 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>
+ <p>
+ </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>
+ <p>
+ </p>
+ <div class="FIGURE">
+ <a name="AEN612"></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="QUOTE">"Actions:"</span>. If not, click a <span
+ class="QUOTE">"<span class="GUIBUTTON">Insert new section
+ below</span>"</span> button, and in the new section that just
+ appeared, click the <span class="GUIBUTTON">Edit</span> button
+ right under the word <span class="QUOTE">"Actions:"</span>.
+ This will bring up a list of all actions. Find <tt class=
+ "LITERAL"><a href="actions-file.html#BLOCK">block</a></tt> near
+ the top, and click in the <span class="QUOTE">"Enabled"</span>
+ column, 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 <span class="QUOTE">"<span class=
+ "GUIBUTTON">Add</span>"</span> button, and paste the URL the
+ browser got from <span class="QUOTE">"<span class=
+ "GUIMENUITEM">Copy Link Location</span>"</span>. Remove the <tt
+ class="LITERAL">http://</tt> at the beginning of the URL. Then,
+ click <span class="QUOTE">"<span class=
+ "GUIBUTTON">Submit</span>"</span> (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 <span class="QUOTE">"advanced"</span> usage category, and are
+ explained in depth in later sections.
+ </p>
+ </div>
</div>
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+ <div class="NAVFOOTER">
+ <hr align="LEFT" width="100%">
+ <table summary="Footer navigation table" width="100%" border="0"
+ cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
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+ </td>
+ <td width="34%" align="center" valign="top">
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+ </td>
+ <td width="33%" align="right" valign="top">
+ <a href="startup.html" accesskey="N">Next</a>
+ </td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td width="33%" align="left" valign="top">
+ What's New in this Release
+ </td>
+ <td width="34%" align="center" valign="top">
+
+ </td>
+ <td width="33%" align="right" valign="top">
+ Starting Privoxy
+ </td>
+ </tr>
+ </table>
+ </div>
+ </body>
</html>
+
projects / privoxy.git / blobdiff