4 >Quickstart to Using Privoxy</TITLE
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39 >Privoxy User Manual</TH
47 HREF="upgradersnote.html"
74 >4. Quickstart to Using <SPAN
85 > If upgrading, from versions before 2.9.16, please back up any configuration
87 HREF="upgradersnote.html"
98 HREF="installation.html"
99 >Installation Section</A
100 > below for platform specific
106 > Advanced users and those who want to offer <SPAN
110 service to more than just their local machine should check the <A
114 HREF="config.html#ACCESS-CONTROL"
115 >security-relevant</A
125 >, if the installation program has
126 not done this already (may vary according to platform). See the section
138 > Set your browser to use <SPAN
142 HTTPS proxy by setting the proxy configuration for address of
153 > and earlier versions of
157 > used port 8000.) See the section <A
164 for more details on this.
169 > Flush your browser's disk and memory caches, to remove any cached ad images.
174 > A default installation should provide a reasonable starting point for
175 most. There will undoubtedly be occasions where you will want to adjust the
176 configuration, but that can be dealt with as the need arises. Little
177 to no initial configuration is required in most cases.
181 HREF="configuration.html"
182 >Configuration section</A
184 configuration options, and how to customize your installation.
190 > If you experience ads that slipped through, innocent images that are
191 blocked, or otherwise feel the need to fine-tune
195 > behaviour, take a look at the <A
196 HREF="actions-file.html"
198 >. As a quick start, you might
200 HREF="actions-file.html#ACT-EXAMPLES"
201 >richly commented examples</A
203 helpful. You can also view and edit the actions files through the <A
204 HREF="http://config.privoxy.org"
206 >web-based user interface</A
211 HREF="appendix.html#ACTIONSANAT"
215 > has hints how to debug actions that
224 > Please see the section <A
228 > on how to report bugs or problems with websites or to get
234 > Now enjoy surfing with enhanced comfort and privacy!
244 NAME="QUICKSTART-AD-BLOCKING"
245 >4.1. Quickstart to Ad Blocking</A
248 > Ad blocking is but one of <SPAN
252 array of features. Many of these features are for the technically minded advanced
253 user. But, ad and banner blocking is surely common ground for everybody.</P
256 This section will provide a quick summary of ad blocking so
257 you can get up to speed quickly without having to read the more extensive
258 information provided below, though this is highly recommeneded.</P
260 > First a bit of a warning ... blocking ads is much like blocking SPAM: the
261 more aggressive you are about it, the more likely you are to block
262 things that were not intended. So there is a trade off here. If you want
263 extreme ad free browsing, be prepared to deal with more
267 > sites, and to spend more time adjusting the
268 configuration to solve these unintended consequences. In short, there is
269 not an easy way to eliminate <I
273 the easy way and settle for <I
276 > ads blocked with the
277 default configuration, or jump in and tweak it for your personal surfing
278 habits and preferences.</P
280 > Secondly, a brief explanation of <SPAN
290 > in this context, are
291 the directives we use to tell <SPAN
295 some task relating to HTTP transactions (i.e. web browsing). We tell
303 action has a unique name and function. While there are many potential
311 arsenal, only a few are used for ad blocking. <A
312 HREF="actions-file.html#ACTIONS"
315 HREF="actions-file.html"
317 configuration files</A
318 >, are explained in depth below.</P
320 > Actions are specified in <SPAN
324 followed by one or more URLs to which the action should apply. URLs
325 can actually be URL type <A
326 HREF="actions-file.html#AF-PATTERNS"
329 wildcards so they can apply potentially to a range of similar URLs.</P
331 > When you connect to a website, the full path of the URL will either match one
339 > configuration, or not. If so, then
343 > will perform the action accordingly. If
344 not, then nothing special happens. Futhermore, web pages may contain
345 embedded, secondary URLs that your web browser will display as it parses the
346 original page's HTML content. An ad image for instance, is just a URL
347 embedded in the page somewhere. The image itself may be on the same server,
348 or a server somewhere else on the Internet. Complex web pages will have many
349 such embedded URLs.</P
351 > The actions we need to know about for ad blocking are: <A
352 HREF="actions-file.html#BLOCK"
355 HREF="actions-file.html#HANDLE-AS-IMAGE"
358 HREF="actions-file.html#SET-IMAGE-BLOCKER"
359 >set-image-blocker</A
368 HREF="actions-file.html#BLOCK"
373 > - this action stops
374 any contact between your browser and any URL patterns that match this
375 action's configuration. It can be used for blocking ads, but also anything
376 that is determined to be unwanted. By itself, it simply stops any
377 communication with the remote server. If this is the only action that
378 matches for this particular URL, then <SPAN
382 display its own BLOCKED page to let you now what has happened.
388 HREF="actions-file.html#HANDLE-AS-IMAGE"
397 > to treat this URL as if it were
401 > knows about common image
402 types (e.g. GIF), but there are many situations where this does not apply.
403 So we'll force it. This is particularly important for ad blocking, since
404 once we can treat it as an image, we can make more intelligent decisisions
405 on how to handle it. There are some limitations to this though. For
406 instance, you can't just force an image substituion for an entire HTML page
413 HREF="actions-file.html#SET-IMAGE-BLOCKER"
416 >set-image-blocker</I
422 > what to display in place of
423 an ad image that has hit a block rule. For this to come into play,
424 the URL must match a block action somewhere in the configuration.
428 >, it must also either be of a known image type, or
430 HREF="actions-file.html#HANDLE-AS-IMAGE"
439 > The configuration options on what to display instead of the ad are:
451 > - a checkboard pattern, so that an ad
452 replacement is obvious. This is the default.
469 > - A very small empty GIF image is displayed.
470 This is the so-called <SPAN
473 > configuration option.
489 >http://<URL></I
490 > - A redirect to any URL of the
491 user's choosing (advanced usage).
502 > The quickest way to adjust any of these settings is with your browser through
507 HREF="http://config.privoxy.org/show-status"
509 >http://config.privoxy.org/show-status</A
514 >http://p.p/show-status</A
516 is an internal page, and does not require Internet access. Select the
527 >. It is best to put personal or
528 local preferences in <TT
532 meant to be overwritten during upgrades, and will over-ride the settings in
533 other files. Here you can insert new <SPAN
537 blocking or other purposes, and make other adjustments to the configuration.
541 > will detect these changes automatically.</P
543 > A quick and simple step by step example:</P
550 > Right click on the ad image to be blocked, then select
555 >Copy Link Location</SPAN
563 > Set your browser to
565 HREF="http://config.privoxy.org/show-status"
567 >http://config.privoxy.org/show-status</A
576 > in the top section, and click
593 >Figure 1. Actions Files in Use</B
599 SRC="../images/files-in-use.jpg"
600 ALT="Screenshot of Files in Use"
610 > You should have an Actions section labeled <I
614 If not, click the <SPAN
624 >. This will bring up a list of all
628 > near the top, and click in the
639 > just below the list.
647 > actions section, click the
654 > button, and paste the URL the
655 browser got from <SPAN
666 the beginning of the URL. Then, click
678 > Now go back to the original page, and press <B
682 (or flush all browser caches). The image should be gone now.
688 > This is a very crude and simple example. There might be good reasons to use a
689 wildcard pattern match to include potentially similar images from the same
690 site. For a more extensive explanation of <SPAN
694 the entire actions concept, see <A
695 HREF="actions-file.html"
700 > For advanced users who want to hand edit their config files, you might want
702 HREF="actions-file.html#ACT-EXAMPLES"
703 >Actions Files Tutorial</A
722 HREF="upgradersnote.html"
747 >Note to Upgraders</TD