All Privoxy configuration is stored - in text files. These files can be edited with a text editor. Many - important aspects of Privoxy can also be - controlled easily with a web browser.
- -Privoxy's user interface can be - reached through the special URL http://config.privoxy.org/ (shortcut: http://p.p/), which is a built-in page - and works without Internet access. You will see the following - section:
- -
- - -- - Privoxy Menu--- -
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This should be self-explanatory. Note the first item leads to an - editor for the actions files, which is - where the ad, banner, cookie, and URL blocking magic is configured as - well as other advanced features of Privoxy. This is an easy way to adjust various - aspects of Privoxy configuration. The - actions file, and other configuration files, are explained in detail - below.
- -"Toggle Privoxy On or Off" is handy for - sites that might have problems with your current actions and filters. - You can in fact use it as a test to see whether it is Privoxy causing the problem or not. Privoxy continues to run as a proxy in this case, - but all manipulation is disabled, i.e. Privoxy acts like a normal forwarding proxy. There - is even a toggle Bookmarklet - offered, so that you can toggle Privoxy with one click from your browser.
- -Note that several of the features described above are disabled by - default in Privoxy 3.0.7 beta and - later. Check the configuration - file to learn why and in which cases it's safe to enable them - again.
-For Unix, *BSD and Linux, all configuration files are located in - /etc/privoxy/ by default. For MS Windows, - OS/2, and AmigaOS these are all in the same directory as the - Privoxy executable. The name and - number of configuration files has changed from previous versions, and - is subject to change as development progresses.
- -The installed defaults provide a reasonable starting point, though - some settings may be aggressive by some standards. For the time being, - the principle configuration files are:
- -The main configuration file is named - config on Linux, Unix, BSD, OS/2, and - AmigaOS and config.txt on Windows. This - is a required file.
-match-all.action is used to define - which "actions" relating to - banner-blocking, images, pop-ups, content modification, cookie - handling etc should be applied by default. It should be the first - actions file loaded.
- -default.action defines many exceptions - (both positive and negative) from the default set of actions that's - configured in match-all.action. It should - be the second actions file loaded and shouldn't be edited by the - user.
- -Multiple actions files may be defined in config. These are processed in the order they are - defined. Local customizations and locally preferred exceptions to - the default policies as defined in match-all.action (which you will most probably want - to define sooner or later) are best applied in user.action, where you can preserve them across - upgrades. The file isn't installed by all installers, but you can - easily create it yourself with a text editor.
- -There is also a web based editor that can be accessed from - http://config.privoxy.org/show-status (Shortcut: - http://p.p/show-status) for the various actions - files.
-"Filter files" (the filter file) can be used to re-write the raw - page content, including viewable text as well as embedded HTML and - JavaScript, and whatever else lurks on any given web page. The - filtering jobs are only pre-defined here; whether to apply them or - not is up to the actions files. default.filter includes various filters made - available for use by the developers. Some are much more intrusive - than others, and all should be used with caution. You may define - additional filter files in config as you - can with actions files. We suggest user.filter for any locally defined filters or - customizations.
-The syntax of the configuration and filter files may change between - different Privoxy versions, unfortunately some enhancements cost - backwards compatibility.
- -All files use the "#" character to denote a comment (the rest of the - line will be ignored) and understand line continuation through placing - a backslash ("\") as the very last character - in a line. If the # is preceded by a - backslash, it looses its special function. Placing a # in front of an otherwise valid configuration line to - prevent it from being interpreted is called "commenting out" that line. - Blank lines are ignored.
- -The actions files and filter files can use Perl style regular expressions for maximum - flexibility.
- -After making any changes, there is no need to restart Privoxy in order for the changes to take effect. - Privoxy detects such changes - automatically. Note, however, that it may take one or two additional - requests for the change to take effect. When changing the listening - address of Privoxy, these "wake up" requests must obviously be sent to the - old listening address.
- -While under development, the configuration content is subject to - change. The below documentation may not be accurate by the time you - read this. Also, what constitutes a "default" setting, may change, so please check all your - configuration files on important issues.
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| Starting Privoxy | - -- - | The Main Configuration - File | -
All Privoxy configuration is stored + in text files. These files can be edited with a text editor. + Many important aspects of Privoxy can + also be controlled easily with a web browser. +
Privoxy's user interface can be reached through the special + URL http://config.privoxy.org/ + (shortcut: http://p.p/), + which is a built-in page and works without Internet access. + You will see the following section:
This should be self-explanatory. Note the first item leads to an editor for the + actions files, which is where the ad, banner, + cookie, and URL blocking magic is configured as well as other advanced features of + Privoxy. This is an easy way to adjust various + aspects of Privoxy configuration. The actions + file, and other configuration files, are explained in detail below.
"Toggle Privoxy On or Off" is handy for sites that might + have problems with your current actions and filters. You can in fact use + it as a test to see whether it is Privoxy + causing the problem or not. Privoxy continues + to run as a proxy in this case, but all manipulation is disabled, i.e. + Privoxy acts like a normal forwarding proxy.
Note that several of the features described above are disabled by default + in Privoxy 3.0.7 beta and later. + Check the + configuration file to learn why + and in which cases it's safe to enable them again.
For Unix, *BSD and Linux, all configuration files are located in + /etc/privoxy/ by default. For MS Windows, OS/2, and + AmigaOS these are all in the same directory as the + Privoxy executable. The name + and number of configuration files has changed from previous versions, and is + subject to change as development progresses.
The installed defaults provide a reasonable starting point, though + some settings may be aggressive by some standards. For the time being, the + principle configuration files are:
The main configuration file is named config + on Linux, Unix, BSD, OS/2, and AmigaOS and config.txt + on Windows. This is a required file. +
match-all.action is used to define which "actions" + relating to banner-blocking, images, pop-ups, content modification, cookie handling + etc should be applied by default. It should be the first actions file loaded. +
default.action defines many exceptions (both positive and negative) + from the default set of actions that's configured in match-all.action. + It should be the second actions file loaded and shouldn't be edited by the user. +
Multiple actions files may be defined in config. These + are processed in the order they are defined. Local customizations and locally + preferred exceptions to the default policies as defined in + match-all.action (which you will most probably want + to define sooner or later) are best applied in user.action, + where you can preserve them across upgrades. The file isn't installed by all + installers, but you can easily create it yourself with a text editor. +
There is also a web based editor that can be accessed from + http://config.privoxy.org/show-status + (Shortcut: http://p.p/show-status) for the + various actions files. +
"Filter files" (the filter + file) can be used to re-write the raw page content, including + viewable text as well as embedded HTML and JavaScript, and whatever else + lurks on any given web page. The filtering jobs are only pre-defined here; + whether to apply them or not is up to the actions files. + default.filter includes various filters made + available for use by the developers. Some are much more intrusive than + others, and all should be used with caution. You may define additional + filter files in config as you can with + actions files. We suggest user.filter for any + locally defined filters or customizations. +
The syntax of the configuration and filter files may change between different + Privoxy versions, unfortunately some enhancements cost backwards compatibility. +
All files use the "#" character to denote a + comment (the rest of the line will be ignored) and understand line continuation + through placing a backslash ("\") as the very last character + in a line. If the # is preceded by a backslash, it looses + its special function. Placing a # in front of an otherwise + valid configuration line to prevent it from being interpreted is called "commenting + out" that line. Blank lines are ignored.
The actions files and filter files + can use Perl style regular expressions for + maximum flexibility.
After making any changes, there is no need to restart + Privoxy in order for the changes to take + effect. Privoxy detects such changes + automatically. Note, however, that it may take one or two additional + requests for the change to take effect. When changing the listening address + of Privoxy, these "wake up" requests + must obviously be sent to the old listening address.
While under development, the configuration content is subject to change. + The below documentation may not be accurate by the time you read this. + Also, what constitutes a "default" setting, may change, so + please check all your configuration files on important issues.