5. Starting Privoxy
+Before launching Privoxy for the first time, you will want to configure your + browser(s) to use Privoxy as a HTTP and HTTPS (SSL) proxy. The default is 127.0.0.1 (or localhost) for + the proxy address, and port 8118 (earlier versions used port 8000). This is the one configuration step that must be done!
+Please note that Privoxy can only proxy HTTP and HTTPS traffic. It will not + work with FTP or other protocols.
+ +
With Firefox, this is typically set under:
+Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> Network ->Connection -> Settings
+Or optionally on some platforms:
+Edit -> Preferences -> General -> Connection + Settings -> Manual Proxy Configuration
+With Netscape (and Mozilla), this can be set + under:
+Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced -> Proxies -> HTTP Proxy
+For Internet Explorer v.5-7:
+Tools -> Internet Options -> Connections -> LAN Settings
+Then, check "Use Proxy" and fill in the appropriate info (Address: 127.0.0.1, Port: + 8118). Include HTTPS (SSL), if you want HTTPS proxy support too (sometimes labeled "Secure"). Make sure any checkboxes like "Use the same proxy server for all + protocols" is UNCHECKED. You want only HTTP and HTTPS + (SSL)!
+Figure 3. Proxy Configuration Showing Internet Explorer HTTP and HTTPS (Secure) Settings
+
After doing this, flush your browser's disk and memory caches to force a re-reading of all pages and to get rid + of any ads that may be cached. Remove any cookies, if you want Privoxy to manage that. You are now ready to start + enjoying the benefits of using Privoxy!
+Privoxy itself is typically started by specifying the main configuration file + to be used on the command line. If no configuration file is specified on the command line, Privoxy will look for a file named config in the current directory. + Except on Win32 where it will try config.txt.
+5.1. Debian
+We use a script. Note that Debian typically starts Privoxy upon booting per + default. It will use the file /etc/privoxy/config as its main configuration file.
+
+ # /etc/init.d/privoxy start+ |
+
5.2. FreeBSD and ElectroBSD
+To start Privoxy upon booting, add "privoxy_enable='YES'" to /etc/rc.conf. Privoxy will use /usr/local/etc/privoxy/config as its main configuration file.
+If you installed Privoxy into a jail, the paths above are relative to the + jail root.
+To start Privoxy manually, run:
+
+ # service privoxy onestart+ |
+
5.3. Windows
+Click on the Privoxy Icon to start Privoxy. + If no configuration file is specified on the command line, Privoxy will look for + a file named config.txt. Note that Windows will automatically start Privoxy when the system starts if you chose that option when installing.
+Privoxy can run with full Windows service functionality. On Windows only, the + Privoxy program has two new command line arguments to install and uninstall + Privoxy as a service. See the Windows Installation instructions for details.
+5.4. Generic instructions for Unix derivates (Solaris, + NetBSD, HP-UX etc.)
+Example Unix startup command:
+
+ # /usr/sbin/privoxy --user privoxy /etc/privoxy/config+ |
+
Note that if you installed Privoxy through a package manager, the package + will probably contain a platform-specific script or configuration file to start Privoxy upon boot.
+5.5. OS/2
+During installation, Privoxy is configured to start automatically when the + system restarts. You can start it manually by double-clicking on the Privoxy + icon in the Privoxy folder.
+5.6. Mac OS X
+The privoxy service will automatically start after a successful installation (and thereafter every time your + computer starts up) however you will need to configure your web browser(s) to use it. To do so, configure them to + use a proxy for HTTP and HTTPS at the address 127.0.0.1:8118.
+To prevent the privoxy service from automatically starting when your computer starts up, remove or rename the + file /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.ijbswa.privoxy.plist (on OS X 10.5 and higher) or the + folder named /Library/StartupItems/Privoxy (on OS X 10.4 'Tiger').
+To manually start or stop the privoxy service, use the scripts startPrivoxy.sh and stopPrivoxy.sh supplied in + /Applications/Privoxy. They must be run from an administrator account, using sudo.
+5.7. Command Line Options
+Privoxy may be invoked with the following command-line options:
+-
+
-
+
--config-test
+Exit after loading the configuration files before binding to the listen address. The exit code signals + whether or not the configuration files have been successfully loaded.
+If the exit code is 1, at least one of the configuration files is invalid, if it is 0, all the + configuration files have been successfully loaded (but may still contain errors that can currently only be + detected at run time).
+This option doesn't affect the log setting, combination with --no-daemon is recommended if a configured log file shouldn't be used.
+
+ -
+
--version
+Print version info and exit. Unix only.
+
+ -
+
--help
+Print short usage info and exit. Unix only.
+
+ -
+
--no-daemon
+Don't become a daemon, i.e. don't fork and become process group leader, and don't detach from controlling + tty. Unix only.
+
+ -
+
--pidfile FILE
+On startup, write the process ID to FILE. Delete the + FILE on exit. Failure to create or delete the + FILE is non-fatal. If no FILE option is given, no PID file will be used. Unix only.
+
+ -
+
--user USER[.GROUP]
+After (optionally) writing the PID file, assume the user ID of USER, and if included the GID of GROUP. Exit if the privileges are not sufficient to do + so. Unix only.
+
+ -
+
--chroot
+Before changing to the user ID given in the --user + option, chroot to that user's home directory, i.e. make the kernel pretend to the Privoxy process that the directory tree starts there. If set up carefully, this can + limit the impact of possible vulnerabilities in Privoxy to the files + contained in that hierarchy. Unix only.
+
+ -
+
--pre-chroot-nslookup hostname
+Specifies a hostname (for example www.privoxy.org) to look up before doing a chroot. On some systems, + initializing the resolver library involves reading config files from /etc and/or loading additional shared + libraries from /lib. On these systems, doing a hostname lookup before the chroot reduces the number of files + that must be copied into the chroot tree.
+For fastest startup speed, a good value is a hostname that is not in /etc/hosts but that your local name + server (listed in /etc/resolv.conf) can resolve without recursion (that is, without having to ask any other + name servers). The hostname need not exist, but if it doesn't, an error message (which can be ignored) will + be output.
+
+ -
+
configfile
+If no configfile is included on the command line, + Privoxy will look for a file named "config" in + the current directory (except on Win32 where it will look for "config.txt" + instead). Specify full path to avoid confusion. If no config file is found, Privoxy will fail to start.
+
+
On MS Windows only there are two additional command-line options to allow + Privoxy to install and run as a service. See the Window Installation + section for details.
+