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- <a name="QUICKSTART">4. Quickstart to Using Privoxy</a>
- </h1>
- <p>
- </p>
+<head>
+ <title>Quickstart to Using Privoxy</title>
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+"#840084" alink="#0000FF">
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+ <table summary="Header navigation table" width="100%" border="0"
+ cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
+ <tr>
+ <th colspan="3" align="center">Privoxy 3.0.26 User Manual</th>
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+ <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" 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>
<ul>
<li>
- <p>
- Install <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>. See the <a
- href="installation.html">Installation Section</a> below for
- platform specific information.
- </p>
+ <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>
- 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>
+ <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>
- 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>
+ <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>
+ <ul>
<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>
+ <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>
- 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>
+ <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>
- 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>
+ <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="AEN655" id="AEN655"></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>
- 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>
+ <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>
- 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>
+ <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 enjoy surfing with enhanced control, comfort and privacy!
- </p>
+ <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>
-
- <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="AEN655"></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>
- <div class="NAVFOOTER">
- <hr align="LEFT" width="100%">
- <table summary="Footer navigation table" width="100%" border="0"
- cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
- <tr>
- <td width="33%" align="left" valign="top">
- <a href="whatsnew.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="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>
+ <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>
- </body>
+ </div>
+ <div class="NAVFOOTER">
+ <hr align="left" width="100%">
+ <table summary="Footer navigation table" width="100%" border="0"
+ cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
+ <tr>
+ <td width="33%" align="left" valign="top"><a href="whatsnew.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="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>
-
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