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5 >Privoxy Frequently Asked Questions</TITLE
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33 >Privoxy Frequently Asked Questions</A
43 HREF="http://www.privoxy.org/"
45 >Privoxy Developers</A
51 >$Id: faq.sgml,v 2.75 2010/11/13 10:08:00 fabiankeil Exp $<BR></P
61 > This FAQ gives quick answers to frequently asked questions about
63 HREF="http://www.privoxy.org/"
67 It is not a substitute for the
69 HREF="../user-manual/index.html"
73 >Privoxy User Manual</I
81 > Privoxy is a non-caching web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities
82 for enhancing privacy, modifying web page data and HTTP headers, controlling
83 access, and removing ads and other obnoxious Internet junk. Privoxy has a
84 flexible configuration and can be customized to suit individual needs and tastes.
85 It has application for both stand-alone systems and multi-user networks.</P
87 > Privoxy is Free Software and licensed under the GNU GPLv2.</P
89 > Privoxy is an associated project of Software in the Public Interest (SPI).</P
91 > Helping hands and donations are welcome:
98 HREF="http://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#PARTICIPATE"
100 >http://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#PARTICIPATE</A
107 HREF="http://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#DONATE"
109 >http://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#DONATE</A
116 > Please note that this document is a work in progress. This copy represents
117 the state at the release of version 3.0.17.
118 You can find the latest version of the document at <A
119 HREF="http://www.privoxy.org/faq/"
121 >http://www.privoxy.org/faq/</A
127 contact the developers.
139 >Table of Contents</B
144 >General Information</A
150 HREF="general.html#WHO-USES"
151 >Who should give <SPAN
158 HREF="general.html#BESTCHOICE"
159 >Is Privoxy the best choice for
164 HREF="general.html#PROXYMORON"
173 HREF="general.html#OTHERSTUFF"
174 >Does Privoxy do anything more than ad blocking?</A
178 HREF="general.html#NEWJB"
179 >What is this new version of
187 HREF="general.html#AEN85"
191 >? Why change the name from
192 Junkbuster at all?</A
196 HREF="general.html#DIFFERS"
197 >How does Privoxy differ
198 from the old Junkbuster?</A
202 HREF="general.html#WHATSANAD"
203 >How does Privoxy know what is
204 an ad, and what is not?</A
208 HREF="general.html#AEN163"
209 >Can Privoxy make mistakes?
210 This does not sound very scientific.</A
214 HREF="general.html#AEN169"
215 >Will I have to configure Privoxy
216 before I can use it?</A
220 HREF="general.html#LAN"
221 >Can Privoxy run as a server on a network?</A
225 HREF="general.html#BROWSERS2"
226 >My browser does the same things as
227 Privoxy. Why should I use Privoxy at all?</A
231 HREF="general.html#WHYTRUST"
232 >Why should I trust Privoxy?</A
236 HREF="general.html#LICENSE"
237 >Is there is a license or fee? What about a
238 warranty? Registration?</A
242 HREF="general.html#SPYWARE"
243 >Can Privoxy remove spyware? Adware? Viruses?</A
247 HREF="general.html#OTHERADS"
248 >Can I use Privoxy with other ad-blocking software?</A
252 HREF="general.html#HELP-THE-DEVELOPERS"
253 >I would like to help you, what can I do?</A
259 HREF="general.html#PARTICIPATE"
260 >Would you like to participate?</A
264 HREF="general.html#DONATE"
265 >Would you like to donate?</A
273 HREF="installation.html"
280 HREF="installation.html#WHICHBROWSERS"
281 >Which browsers are supported by Privoxy?</A
285 HREF="installation.html#WHICHOS"
286 >Which operating systems are supported?</A
290 HREF="installation.html#EMAIL-CLIENT"
291 >Can I use Privoxy with my email client?</A
295 HREF="installation.html#FIRSTSTEP"
296 >I just installed Privoxy. Is there anything
297 special I have to do now?</A
301 HREF="installation.html#LOCALHOST"
302 >What is the proxy address of Privoxy?</A
306 HREF="installation.html#NOTHING"
307 >I just installed Privoxy, and nothing is happening.
308 All the ads are there. What's wrong?</A
312 HREF="installation.html#NOTUSED"
315 >"Privoxy is not being used"</SPAN
316 > dummy page although
317 Privoxy is running and being used.</A
323 HREF="configuration.html"
330 HREF="configuration.html#AEN360"
331 >What exactly is an <SPAN
338 HREF="configuration.html#ACTIONSS"
342 > concept confuses me. Please list
350 HREF="configuration.html#AEN383"
351 >How are actions files configured? What is the easiest
356 HREF="configuration.html#AEN392"
357 >There are several different <SPAN
365 HREF="configuration.html#GETUPDATES"
366 >Where can I get updated Actions Files?</A
370 HREF="configuration.html#NEWCONFIG"
371 >Can I use my old config files?</A
375 HREF="configuration.html#DIFFICULT"
376 >Why is the configuration so complicated?</A
380 HREF="configuration.html#YAHOO"
381 >How can I make my Yahoo/Hotmail/Gmail account work?</A
385 HREF="configuration.html#CONFIGFILES"
386 >What's the difference between the
400 HREF="configuration.html#BROWSECONFIG"
401 >Why can I change the configuration
402 with a browser? Does that not raise security issues?</A
406 HREF="configuration.html#AEN480"
410 > file? What is a <SPAN
417 HREF="configuration.html#LANCONFIG"
418 >How can I set up Privoxy to act as a proxy for my
423 HREF="configuration.html#AEN531"
424 >Instead of ads, now I get a checkerboard pattern. I don't want to see anything.</A
428 HREF="configuration.html#AEN548"
429 >Why would anybody want to see a checkerboard pattern?</A
433 HREF="configuration.html#AEN554"
434 >I see some images being replaced with text
435 instead of the checkerboard image. Why and how do I get rid of this?</A
439 HREF="configuration.html#SRVANY"
440 >Can Privoxy run as a service
445 HREF="configuration.html#OTHERPROXY"
446 >How can I make Privoxy work with other proxies?</A
450 HREF="configuration.html#PORT-80"
451 >Can I just set Privoxy to use port 80
452 and thus avoid individual browser configuration?</A
456 HREF="configuration.html#TRANSPARENT"
457 >Can Privoxy run as a <SPAN
464 HREF="configuration.html#INTERCEPTING"
465 >Can Privoxy run as a <SPAN
467 >"intercepting"</SPAN
472 HREF="configuration.html#OUTLOOK"
473 >How can I configure Privoxy for use with Outlook?</A
477 HREF="configuration.html#OUTLOOK-MORE"
478 >How can I have separate rules just for HTML mail?</A
482 HREF="configuration.html#SNEAKY-COOKIES"
483 >I sometimes notice cookies sneaking through. How?</A
487 HREF="configuration.html#EVIL-COOKIES"
488 >Are all cookies bad? Why?</A
492 HREF="configuration.html#ALLOW-COOKIES"
493 >How can I allow permanent cookies for my trusted sites?</A
497 HREF="configuration.html#MULTIPLES"
498 >Can I have separate configurations for different users?</A
502 HREF="configuration.html#WHITELISTS"
503 >Can I set-up Privoxy as a whitelist of
511 HREF="configuration.html#NO-ADBLOCK"
512 >How can I turn off ad-blocking?</A
516 HREF="configuration.html#TEMPLATES"
517 >How can I have custom template pages, like the
528 HREF="configuration.html#BLOCKALL"
529 >How can I remove the <SPAN
531 >"Go There Anyway"</SPAN
552 HREF="misc.html#AEN729"
553 >How much does Privoxy slow my browsing down? This
554 has to add extra time to browsing.</A
558 HREF="misc.html#LOADINGTIMES"
559 >I notice considerable
560 delays in page requests. What's wrong?</A
564 HREF="misc.html#CONFIGURL"
565 >What are "http://config.privoxy.org/" and
570 HREF="misc.html#NEWADS"
571 >How can I submit new ads, or report
576 HREF="misc.html#NEWADS2"
577 >If I do submit missed ads, will
578 they be included in future updates?</A
582 HREF="misc.html#NOONECARES"
583 >Why doesn't anyone answer my support
589 >How can I hide my IP address?</A
593 HREF="misc.html#AEN794"
594 >Can Privoxy guarantee I am anonymous?</A
598 HREF="misc.html#AEN812"
599 >A test site says I am not using a Proxy.</A
604 >How do I use Privoxy
605 together with Tor?</A
609 HREF="misc.html#AEN868"
610 >Might some things break because header information or
611 content is being altered?</A
615 HREF="misc.html#AEN882"
616 >Can Privoxy act as a <SPAN
620 speed up web browsing?</A
624 HREF="misc.html#AEN892"
625 >What about as a firewall? Can Privoxy protect me?</A
629 HREF="misc.html#AEN897"
630 >I have large empty spaces / a checkerboard pattern now where
631 ads used to be. Why?</A
635 HREF="misc.html#AEN905"
636 >How can Privoxy filter Secure (HTTPS) URLs?</A
640 HREF="misc.html#AEN919"
641 >Privoxy runs as a <SPAN
645 secure is it? Do I need to take any special precautions?</A
649 HREF="misc.html#TURNOFF"
650 >Can I temporarily disable Privoxy?</A
654 HREF="misc.html#REALLYOFF"
659 out of the picture?</A
663 HREF="misc.html#TURNOFF2"
664 >How can I tell Privoxy to totally ignore certain sites?</A
668 HREF="misc.html#CRUNCH"
669 >My logs show Privoxy <SPAN
673 ads, but also its own internal CGI pages. What is a <SPAN
680 HREF="misc.html#DOWNLOADS"
681 >Can Privoxy effect files that I download
682 from a webserver? FTP server?</A
686 HREF="misc.html#DOWNLOADS2"
687 >I just downloaded a Perl script, and Privoxy
688 altered it! Yikes, what is wrong!</A
692 HREF="misc.html#HOSTSFILE"
693 >Should I continue to use a <SPAN
696 > file for ad-blocking?</A
700 HREF="misc.html#SEEALSO"
701 >Where can I find more information about Privoxy
702 and related issues?</A
706 HREF="misc.html#MICROSUCK"
707 >I've noticed that Privoxy changes <SPAN
714 >! Why are you manipulating my browsing?</A
718 HREF="misc.html#VALID"
719 >Does Privoxy produce <SPAN
722 > HTML (or XHTML)?</A
726 HREF="misc.html#SURPRISE-PRIVOXY"
727 >How did you manage to get Privoxy on my computer without my consent?</A
740 HREF="trouble.html#AEN1091"
741 >I cannot connect to any websites. Or, I am getting
744 >"connection refused"</SPAN
745 > message with every web page. Why?</A
749 HREF="trouble.html#ERROR503"
750 >Why am I getting a 503 Error (WSAECONNREFUSED) on every page?</A
754 HREF="trouble.html#AEN1114"
755 >I just added a new rule, but the steenkin ad is
756 still getting through. How?</A
760 HREF="trouble.html#BADSITE"
761 >One of my favorite sites does not work with Privoxy.
766 HREF="trouble.html#DUN"
767 >After installing Privoxy, I have to log in
768 every time I start IE. What gives?</A
772 HREF="trouble.html#FTP"
773 >I cannot connect to any FTP sites. Privoxy
778 HREF="trouble.html#MACOSXIE"
779 >In Mac OS X, I can't configure Microsoft Internet Explorer to use
780 Privoxy as the HTTP proxy.</A
784 HREF="trouble.html#MACOSXUNINSTALL"
785 >In Mac OS X, I dragged the Privoxy folder to the trash in order to
786 uninstall it. Now the finder tells me I don't have sufficient privileges to
791 HREF="trouble.html#MACOSXIMAGES"
792 >In Mac OS X Panther (10.3), images often fail to load and/or I
793 experience random delays in page loading. I'm using
797 > as my browser's proxy setting.</A
801 HREF="trouble.html#BLANKPAGE"
802 >I get a completely blank page at one site. <SPAN
808 ><html><body></body></html></SPAN
810 Privoxy the page loads fine.</A
814 HREF="trouble.html#NOHOSTNAME"
815 >My logs show many <SPAN
817 >"Unable to get my own hostname"</SPAN
823 HREF="trouble.html#INUSE"
824 >When I try to launch Privoxy, I get an
827 >"port 8118 is already in use"</SPAN
828 > (or similar wording).
833 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER"
834 >Pages with UTF-8 fonts are garbled.</A
838 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER2"
839 >Why are binary files (such as images) corrupted when Privoxy
844 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER3"
848 > and why is it there?</A
852 HREF="trouble.html#WINDOWOPEN"
853 >Why do I keep seeing <SPAN
855 >"PrivoxyWindowOpen()"</SPAN
856 > in raw source code?</A
860 HREF="trouble.html#DNSERRORS"
861 >I am getting too many DNS errors like <SPAN
863 >"404 No Such Domain"</SPAN
865 can't Privoxy do this better?</A
869 HREF="trouble.html#ALLCPU"
870 >At one site Privoxy just hangs, and starts taking
871 all CPU. Why is this?</A
875 HREF="trouble.html#SLOWCRAWL"
876 >I just installed Privoxy, and all my
877 browsing has slowed to a crawl. What gives?</A
881 HREF="trouble.html#PREVENTCOMP"
882 >Why do my filters work on some sites but not on others?</A
886 HREF="trouble.html#SSL-WARNINGS"
887 >On some HTTPS sites my browser warns me about unauthenticated content,
888 the URL bar doesn't get highlighted and the lock symbol appears to be broken.
893 HREF="trouble.html#SE-LINUX"
894 >I get selinux error messages. How can I fix this?</A
898 HREF="trouble.html#GENTOO-RICERS"
902 > with Gentoo's portage and it appears to be very slow. Why?</A
909 >Contacting the developers, Bug Reporting and Feature Requests</A
915 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-SUPPORT"
920 HREF="contact.html#REPORTING"
921 >Reporting Problems</A
927 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-ADS"
928 >Reporting Ads or Other Configuration Problems</A
932 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-BUGS"
939 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-FEATURE"
940 >Request New Features</A
944 HREF="contact.html#MAILING-LISTS"
951 HREF="copyright.html"
952 >Privoxy Copyright, License and History</A
958 HREF="copyright.html#AEN1463"
963 HREF="copyright.html#AEN1479"
976 SUMMARY="Footer navigation table"
1017 >General Information</TD