Anyone who is interested in security, privacy, or in +> Anyone who is interested in security, privacy, or in finer-grained control over their web and Internet experience.
Privoxy is certainly a good choice, especially for those who want more +> is certainly a good choice, especially for those who want more control and security. Those with the willingness to read the documentation and the ability to fine-tune their installation will benefit the most. HTML, and +>, and Privoxy. - A new installation just includes a very basic configuration. The user - should take this as a starting point only, and enhance it as he or she - sees fit. In fact, the user is encouraged, and expected to, fine-tune the +>. + A new installation just includes a very basic configuration. The user + should take this as a starting point only, and enhance it as he or she + sees fit. In fact, the user is encouraged, and expected to, fine-tune the configuration. Much of Privoxy's configuration can be done
- with a configuration can be done
+ with a Web browser.
- But there are areas where configuration is done using a
+ But there are areas where configuration is done using a
A A web proxy
- is a service, based on a software such as
- Privoxy, that clients (i.e. browsers) can use
- instead of connecting directly to web servers on the Internet. The
- clients then ask the proxy to fetch the objects they need (web pages,
- images, movies etc) on their behalf, and when the proxy has done so, it
- hands the results back to the client. It is a , that clients
+ (i.e. browsers) can use instead of connecting to web servers directly.
+ The clients then ask the proxy to request objects (web pages, images, movies etc)
+ on their behalf and to forward the data to the clients.
+ It is a "go-between". See
- the . For details, see
+ Wikipedia proxy
- definition for more.
+>Wikipedia's proxy definition
There are many reasons to use web proxies, such as security (firewalling), @@ -214,9 +215,9 @@ TARGET="_top" > Privoxy is a proxy that is primarily focused on privacy - protection, ad and junk elimination and freeing the user from restrictions placed on his - activities. Sitting between your browser(s) and the Internet, +> is a proxy that is primarily focused on + privacy enhancement, ad and junk elimination and freeing the user from + restrictions placed on his activities. Sitting between your browser(s) and the Internet, it is in a perfect position to filter outbound personal information that your browser is leaking, as well as inbound junk. It uses a variety of techniques to do this, all of which are under your complete control via the various configuration @@ -233,12 +234,11 @@ NAME="OTHERSTUFF" >1.4. Does Privoxy do anything more than ad blocking?
- Yes, ad blocking is but one possible use. There are many, many ways Yes, ad blocking is but one possible use. There are many, many ways Privoxy - can be used to sanitize and customize web browsing.
+ can be used to sanitize and customize web browsing.A long time ago, there was the - A long time ago, there was the Internet Junkbuster, - by Anonymous Coders and Junkbusters - Corporation. This saved many users a lot of pain in the early days of - web advertising and user tracking.
, + by Anonymous Coders and Junkbusters Corporation. This saved many users a lot of + pain in the early days of web advertising and user tracking.But the web, its protocols and standards, and with it, the techniques for - forcing ads on users, give up autonomy over their browsing, and + forcing ads on users, give up autonomy over their browsing, and for tracking them, keeps evolving. Unfortunately, the Internet Junkbuster did not. Version 2.0.2, published in 1998, was - (and is) the last official - release - available from Junkbusters Corporation. +> did not. Version 2.0.2, published in 1998, was + the last official release, available from Junkbusters Corporation. Fortunately, it had been released under the GNU GPL, which allowed further - development by others.
GPL, + which allowed further development by others.So Stefan Waldherr started maintaining an - improved version of the - software, to which eventually a number of people contributed patches. +> So Stefan Waldherr started maintaining an improved version of the + software, to which eventually a number of people contributed patches. It could already replace banners with a transparent image, and had a first version of pop-up killing, but it was still very closely based on the original, with all its limitations, such as the lack of HTTP/1.1 support, @@ -311,14 +286,14 @@ TARGET="_top" >
Then, some developers picked up the thread, and started turning the software inside out, upside down, and then reassembled it, adding many new featuresPrivoxy, whose first - stable version, 3.0, was released August, 2002. + stable version, 3.0, was released August, 2002.
As of 2012 the Junkbusters Corporation's website (http://www.junkbusters.com/) + has been shut down, but Privoxy is still actively maintained.
Though outdated, Junkbusters Corporation - continues to offer their original version of the Though outdated, Junkbusters Corporation continued to offer their original + version of the Internet - Junkbuster, so publishing our - Internet Junkbuster for a while, + so publishing our Junkbuster-derived software under the same name - led to confusion.
-derived software + under the same name would have led to confusion.There are also potential legal complications from our use of the +> There were also potential legal reasons not to use the Junkbuster name, which is a registered trademark of - Junkbusters Corporation. - There are, however, no objections from Junkbusters Corporation to the +> name, as it was (and maybe still is) + a registered trademark of Junkbusters Corporation. + There were, however, no objections from Junkbusters Corporation to the Privoxy project itself, and they, in fact, still - share our ideals and goals.
project itself, and they, in fact, + shared our ideals and goals.The developers also believed that there are so many improvements over the original - code, that it was time to make a clean break from the past and make - a name in their own right.
The Privoxy developers also believed that there were so many improvements + over the original code, that it was time to make a clean break from the past + and make a name in their own right.Privoxy is the +> is the "Junkbuster left off. All the old features remain. - The new left off. + Privoxy still blocks ads and banners, @@ -450,12 +419,46 @@ CLASS="APPLICATION" >Privoxy's new features include:
Integrated browser based configuration and control utility at Supports "Connection: keep-alive". Outgoing connections can + be kept alive independently from the client. +
Supports IPv6, provided the operating system does so too, + and the configure script detects it. +
Supports tagging which allows to change the behaviour + based on client and server headers. +
Can be run as an "intercepting" proxy, which obviates the need to + configure browsers individually. +
Sophisticated actions and filters for manipulating both server and client + headers. +
Can be chained with other proxies. +
Integrated browser-based configuration and control utility at http://config.privoxy.org/"web-bugs", JavaScript and HTML annoyances, - pop-up windows, header manipulation, etc.) +> and HTML annoyances, etc.)
Support for Perl Compatible Regular Expressions in the configuration files, and - generally a more sophisticated and flexible configuration syntax over - previous versions. -
Improved cookie management features (e.g. session based cookies). +> Support for Perl Compatible Regular Expressions in the configuration files, and + a more sophisticated and flexible configuration syntax.
GIF de-animation. +> GIF de-animation.
Multi-threaded (POSIX and native threads). -
User-customizable HTML templates for all proxy-generated pages (e.g. "blocked" page). +> User-customizable HTML templates for most proxy-generated pages (e.g. "blocked" page).
Improved signal handling, and a true daemon mode (Unix). -
Every feature now controllable on a per-site or per-location basis, configuration - more powerful and versatile over-all. +> Most features are controllable on a per-site or per-location basis.
Many smaller new features added, limitations and bugs removed, and security holes fixed. +> Many smaller new features added, limitations and bugs removed.
URL patterns to sort out and block the requests for things that sound +> to sort out and block the requests for things that sound like they would be ads or banners.
Second, banners tend to come in certain 1.9. Can Privoxy make mistakes?
+NAME="MISTAKES"
+>1.9. Can Privoxy make mistakes?
This does not sound very scientific.
1.10. Will I have to configure Privoxy
before I can use it?
ads and unwanted content,
but many of the more advanced features are off by default, and require
- you to activate them.
You do have to set up your browser to use (see the Installation section below).
).And you will certainly run into situations where there are false positives, or ads not being blocked that you may not want to see. In these cases, you @@ -680,8 +663,7 @@ NAME="LAN" >1.11. Can Privoxy run as a server on a network?
- Yes, Yes, Privoxy runs as a server already, and can easily be configured to @@ -722,11 +704,11 @@ CLASS="APPLICATION" your browser just can't.
In addition, a proxy is good choice if you use multiple browsers, or +> In addition, a proxy is good choice if you use multiple browsers, or have a LAN with multiple computers since Privoxy can run as a server +> can run as a server application. This way all the configuration is in one place, and you don't have to maintain a similar configuration for possibly many browsers or users. @@ -742,7 +724,7 @@ CLASS="APPLICATION" CLASS="APPLICATION" >Privoxy offers, it should also be able to do some things more - reliable, for example restricting and suppressing JavaScript. + reliably, for example restricting and suppressing JavaScript.
LICENSE file +> file that should be included.
. There are many other tasks available. In fact, the programmers often can't spend as much time programming because of some of the other, more mundane things that need to be done, like checking the - Tracker feedback sections. + Tracker feedback sections or responding to user questions on the mailing + lists.
So first thing, So first thing, subscribe to the get an account on SourceForge.netPrivoxy Users - and mail your id to the Privoxy + Developers mailing list, join the discussion, help out other users, provide general + feedback or report problems you noticed. +
If you intend to help out with the trackers, you also might want to developers - mailing list. Then, please read the get an account on SourceForge.net + so we don't confuse you with the other name-less users. +
We also have a Developer's Manual, at least - the pertinent sections.
. + While it is partly out of date, it's still worth reading.You can also start helping out without SourceForge.net account, - simply by showing up on the mailing list, helping out other users, - providing general feedback or reporting problems you noticed. -
Our TODO list + may be of interest to you as well. + Please let us know if you want to work on one of the items listed.We, of course, welcome donations and could use money for domain registering, - buying software to test Donations are welcome. Our + TODO list + is rather long and being able to pay one (or more) developers to work on Privoxy + would make a huge difference, even if it was only for a couple of weeks. Donations may + also be used for Privoxy-related travel expenses (for example to attend conferences), + for hardware used for Privoxy development and for hosting expenses etc.
Privoxy with, and, of course, - for regular world-wide get-togethers (hahaha). If you enjoy the software and feel - like helping us with a donation, just is an associated + project of drop us a noteSoftware + in the Public Interest (SPI), which allows us to receive + tax-deductible donations in the United States. + You can donate via Paypal - and get your name on the list of contributors.
Click & Pledge. + For details, please have a look at + SPI's general donation page.You can also donate to Privoxy using a bank account or a "Paypal" address:
Name on account: Zwiebelfreunde e.V.
+ IBAN: DE95430609671126825604
+ BIC: GENODEM1GLS
+ Bank: GLS Bank
"Paypal" address: privoxy@zwiebelfreunde.de
Donations made through Zwiebelfreunde e.V. are tax-deductible in Germany + and other countries that recognize German charitable clubs. Feel free to + use the Subject field to provide a name to be credited and a list of TODO + list items you are interested in the most. For example: Max Mustermann: #16, #1, #14.
Note that donations made through Zwiebelfreunde e.V. currently can't be checked + automatically so you may not get credited right away. The credits currently + reflect donations received before 2016-01-14.
If you have any questions regarding donations please mail to either the + public user mailing list or, if it's a private matter, to + Fabian Keil (Privoxy's SPI liaison) + directly.
If you are a vendor of a web-related software like a browser, web server - or proxy, and would like us to ensure that Privoxy - runs smoothly with your product, you might consider supplying us with a - copy or license. We can't, however, guarantee that we will fix all potential - compatibility issues as a result.
We are currently offering the following sponsor levels as an experiment:Logo shown at the bottom of the + Privoxy homepage. + Logo, link and self description on the + sponsor page. +
Logo shown randomly at the bottom of the + Privoxy homepage. + Logo, link and self description on the + sponsor page. +
Logo and link on the sponsor page. +
The logo sizes depend on the sponsor level. Logos are served from + our server, no requests are made to the sponsor website unless + the links are being used.
The details may change over time but changes will only affect new sponsors + (or existing sponsors that explicitly agreed to the changes).
If you want to become a sponsor, please contact + Fabian Keil. + New sponsors are only accepted if no developer objects.