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:
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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.
- -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.
++ 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. +
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