This FAQ gives quick answers to frequently asked questions about
+> This FAQ gives quick answers to frequently asked questions about
Privoxy.
- It can't and doesn't replace the
+ It is not a substitute for the
User ManualPrivoxy User Manual.
Privoxy is a web proxy with advanced filtering
- capabilities for protecting privacy, modifying web page data, managing
- cookies, controlling access, and removing ads, banners, pop-ups and other
- obnoxious Internet junk. Privoxy has a very
- flexible configuration and can be customized to suit individual needs and
- tastes. Privoxy has application for both
- stand-alone systems and multi-user networks.
What is Privoxy?
Privoxy is based on Internet
- Junkbuster (tm).
Privoxy is a non-caching
+
web proxy
+ with advanced filtering capabilities for enhancing privacy,
+ modifying web page data, managing HTTP
+
cookies,
+ controlling access, and removing ads, banners, pop-ups and other obnoxious
+ Internet junk. Privoxy has a flexible configuration and can be
+ customized to suit individual needs and tastes. Privoxy has application for
+ both stand-alone systems and multi-user networks.
Privoxy is based on Internet Junkbuster (tm).
Please note that this document is a work in progress. This copy represents
- the state at the release of version 3.0.4.
+ the state at the release of version 3.0.9.
You can find the latest version of the document at - 1.1. What is this new version of Who should give Junkbuster?Privoxy a try?
1.2. Why "Privoxy"? Why change the name from
-Junkbuster at all?Is Privoxy the best choice for
+me?1.3. How does Privoxy differ
-from the old Junkbuster?1.4. What is a "proxy"? How does
-Privoxy work?1.4. Does Privoxy do anything more than ad blocking?1.5. What is this new version of
+"Junkbuster"?1.6. Why "Privoxy"? Why change the name from
+Junkbuster at all?1.7. How does Privoxy differ
+from the old Junkbuster?1.8. How does Privoxy know what is
+>How does Privoxy know what is
an ad, and what is not?1.6. Can Privoxy make mistakes?
+>1.9. Can Privoxy make mistakes?
This does not sound very scientific.1.7. Will I have to configure Privoxy
+>1.10. Will I have to configure Privoxy
before I can use it?1.8. 1.11. Can Privoxy run as a server on a network?1.12. My browser does the same things as
-Privoxy. Why should I use
-Privoxy at all?1.9. 1.13. Why should I trust Privoxy?1.14. Is there is a license or fee? What about a
warranty? Registration?1.10. 1.15. Can Privoxy remove spyware? Adware? Viruses?1.16. Can I use Privoxy with other ad-blocking software?1.17. I would like to help you, what do I do?I would like to help you, what can I do?- 1.10.1. 1.17.1. Would you like to participate?
- 1.17.2. Contribute!
- 1.10.2. 1.17.3. Software
- 1.10.3. Would you like to participate?
2.1. Which browsers are supported by Privoxy?Which browsers are supported by Privoxy?2.2. 2.3. Can I use Privoxy with my email client?Can I use Privoxy with my email client?2.4. Can I install
- Privoxy over Junkbuster?2.5. I just installed Privoxy. Is there anything
+HREF="installation.html#FIRSTSTEP"
+>I just installed Privoxy. Is there anything
special I have to do now?2.6. 2.5. What is the proxy address of Privoxy?What is the proxy address of Privoxy?2.7. 2.6. I just installed Privoxy, and nothing is happening.
+>I just installed Privoxy, and nothing is happening.
All the ads are there. What's wrong?2.8. 2.7. I get a "Privoxy is not being used" dummy page although
-Privoxy is running and being used.- 3.1. Where can I get updated Actions Files?
- 3.2. Can I use my old config files?
- 3.3. What is an What exactly is an "actions" file?
- 3.4. 3.2. The .
- 3.5. 3.3. How are actions files configured? What is the easiest
way to do this?
- 3.6. 3.4. There are several different "actions"
- 3.5. Where can I get updated Actions Files?
- 3.6. Can I use my old config files?
- 3.7. Why is the configuration so complicated?
- 3.8. How can I make my Yahoo/Hotmail/Gmail account work?
- 3.8. 3.9. What's the difference between the
"Medium" and "Adventuresome""Advanced" defaults?
- 3.9. 3.10. Why can I change the configuration
with a browser? Does that not raise security issues?
- 3.10. 3.11. What is the default.filter?
- 3.11. How can I set up Privoxy to act as a proxy for my
+>3.12. How can I set up Privoxy to act as a proxy for my
LAN?
- 3.12. 3.13. Instead of ads, now I get a checkerboard pattern. I don't want to see anything.
- 3.13. 3.14. Why would anybody want to see a checkerboard pattern?
- 3.14. I see some images being replaced by a text
+>3.15. I see some images being replaced with text
instead of the checkerboard image. Why and how do I get rid of this?
- 3.15. 3.16. Can Privoxy run as a service
-on Win2K/NT?Can Privoxy run as a service
+on Win2K/NT/XP?
- 3.16. 3.17. How can I make Privoxy work with other
-proxies like Squid or TOR?How can I make Privoxy work with other
+proxies like Squid or Tor?
- 3.17. 3.18. Can I just set Privoxy to use port 80
+>Can I just set Privoxy to use port 80
and thus avoid individual browser configuration?
- 3.18. 3.19. Can Privoxy run as a Can Privoxy run as a "transparent" proxy?
- 3.19. 3.20. Can Privoxy run as a "intercepting" proxy?
- 3.21. How can I configure Privoxy for use with Outlook
- Express?How can I configure Privoxy for use with Outlook
+ Express?
- 3.20. 3.22. How can I have separate rules just for HTML mail?
- 3.21. 3.23. I sometimes notice cookies sneaking through. How?
- 3.24. Are all cookies bad? Why?
- 3.25. How can I allow permanent cookies for my trusted sites?
- 3.22. 3.26. Can I have separate configurations for different users?
- 3.23. 3.27. Can I set-up Privoxy as a whitelist of
+>Can I set-up Privoxy as a whitelist of
"good" sites?
- 3.28. How can I turn off ad-blocking?
- 3.29. How can I have custom template pages, like the
+BLOCKED page?
- 3.30. How can I remove the "Go There Anyway" link from
+the BLOCKED page?
- 4.1. How much does Privoxy slow my browsing down? This
+HREF="misc.html#AEN723"
+>How much does Privoxy slow my browsing down? This
has to add extra time to browsing.
- 4.2. I noticed considerable
-delays in page requests compared to the old Junkbuster. What's wrong?I notice considerable
+delays in page requests. What's wrong?
- 4.3. I just installed Privoxy, and all my
-browsing has slowed to a crawl. What gives?
- 4.4. What are "http://config.privoxy.org/" and
"http://p.p/"?
- 4.5. 4.4. How can I submit new ads, or report
problems?
- 4.5. If I do submit missed ads, will
+they be included in future updates?
- 4.6. Why doesn't anyone answer my support
@@ -582,128 +582,119 @@ HREF="misc.html#IP"
>
- 4.8. Can Privoxy guarantee I am anonymous?Can Privoxy guarantee I am anonymous?
- 4.9. A test site says I am not using a Proxy.
- 4.10. How do I use Privoxy
+ together with Tor?
- 4.11. Might some things break because header information or
content is being altered?
- 4.10. Can Privoxy act as a 4.12. Can Privoxy act as a "caching" proxy to
speed up web browsing?
- 4.11. What about as a firewall? Can Privoxy protect me?4.13. What about as a firewall? Can Privoxy protect me?
- 4.12. 4.14. I have large empty spaces / a checkerboard pattern now where
ads used to be. Why?
- 4.13. How can Privoxy filter Secure (HTTPS) URLs?4.15. How can Privoxy filter Secure (HTTPS) URLs?
- 4.14. Privoxy runs as a 4.16. Privoxy runs as a "server". How
secure is it? Do I need to take any special precautions?
- 4.15. 4.17. How can I temporarily disable Privoxy?Can I temporarily disable Privoxy?
- 4.16. 4.18. When "disabled" is Privoxy totally
+> is Privoxy totally
out of the picture?
- 4.17. 4.19. How can I tell Privoxy to totally ignore certain sites?
- 4.20. My logs show Privoxy My logs show Privoxy "crunches"
-ads, but also its own CGI pages. What is a "crunch"?
- 4.18. 4.21. Can Privoxy effect files that I download
+>Can Privoxy effect files that I download
from a webserver? FTP server?
- 4.19. 4.22. I just downloaded a Perl script, and Privoxy
+>I just downloaded a Perl script, and Privoxy
altered it! Yikes, what is wrong!
- 4.20. 4.23. Should I continue to use a "HOSTS" file for ad-blocking?
- 4.24. Where can I find more information about Privoxy
+>Where can I find more information about Privoxy
and related issues?
- 4.21. 4.25. I've noticed that Privoxy changes "MicroSuck"! Why are you manipulating my browsing?
- 4.26. Does Privoxy produce "valid" HTML (or XHTML)?
- 5.1. I am getting I cannot connect to any websites. Or, I am getting
+"connection refused"
-with every web page? message with every web page. Why?
- 5.2. Why am I getting a 503 Error (WSAECONNREFUSED) on every page?
- 5.3. I just added a new rule, but the steenkin ad is
still getting through. How?
- 5.3. 5.4. One of my favorite sites does not work with Privoxy.
+>One of my favorite sites does not work with Privoxy.
What can I do?
- 5.4. 5.5. After installing Privoxy, I have to log in
+>After installing Privoxy, I have to log in
every time I start IE. What gives?
- 5.5. 5.6. I cannot connect to any FTP sites. Privoxy
- seems to be blocking me.I cannot connect to any FTP sites. Privoxy
+ is blocking me.
- 5.6. In Mac OSX, I can't configure Microsoft Internet Explorer to use
- Privoxy as the HTTP proxy.5.7. In Mac OS X, I can't configure Microsoft Internet Explorer to use
+ Privoxy as the HTTP proxy.
- 5.7. In Mac OSX, I dragged the Privoxy folder to the trash in order to
- uninstall it. Now the finder tells me I don't have sufficient privileges to
+>5.8. In Mac OS X, I dragged the Privoxy folder to the trash in order to
+ uninstall it. Now the finder tells me I don't have sufficient privileges to
empty the trash.
- 5.8. In Mac OSX Panther (10.3), images often fail to load and/or I
+>5.9. In Mac OS X Panther (10.3), images often fail to load and/or I
experience random delays in page loading. I'm using
as my browser's proxy setting.
- 5.9. 5.10. I get a completely blank page at one site. <html><body></body></html>. Without
- Privoxy the page loads fine.
- 5.10. Why am I getting a 503 Error (WSAECONNREFUSED) on every page?
- 5.11.
- 5.12. When I try to launch Privoxy, I get an
+>When I try to launch Privoxy, I get an
error message "port 8118 is already in use"
- 5.14. Why are binary files (such as images) corrupted when Privoxy
+>Why are binary files (such as images) corrupted when Privoxy
is used?
- "404 No Such Domain". Why
- can't Privoxy do this better?
- 5.18. At one site Privoxy just hangs, and starts taking
+>At one site Privoxy just hangs, and starts taking
all CPU. Why is this?
- 5.19. I just installed Privoxy, and all my
+browsing has slowed to a crawl. What gives?
- 5.20. Why do my filters work on some sites but not on others?
- 7.1. License
- 7.2. History