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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 2.57 2009/03/19 19:07:49 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 GPL2.</P
89 > Please note that this document is a work in progress. This copy represents
90 the state at the release of version 3.0.12.
91 You can find the latest version of the document at <A
92 HREF="http://www.privoxy.org/faq/"
94 >http://www.privoxy.org/faq/</A
100 contact the developers.
112 >Table of Contents</B
117 >General Information</A
123 HREF="general.html#WHO-USES"
124 >Who should give <SPAN
131 HREF="general.html#BESTCHOICE"
132 >Is Privoxy the best choice for
137 HREF="general.html#PROXYMORON"
146 HREF="general.html#OTHERSTUFF"
147 >Does Privoxy do anything more than ad blocking?</A
151 HREF="general.html#NEWJB"
152 >What is this new version of
160 HREF="general.html#AEN76"
164 >? Why change the name from
165 Junkbuster at all?</A
169 HREF="general.html#DIFFERS"
170 >How does Privoxy differ
171 from the old Junkbuster?</A
175 HREF="general.html#WHATSANAD"
176 >How does Privoxy know what is
177 an ad, and what is not?</A
181 HREF="general.html#AEN158"
182 >Can Privoxy make mistakes?
183 This does not sound very scientific.</A
187 HREF="general.html#AEN164"
188 >Will I have to configure Privoxy
189 before I can use it?</A
193 HREF="general.html#LAN"
194 >Can Privoxy run as a server on a network?</A
198 HREF="general.html#BROWSERS2"
199 >My browser does the same things as
200 Privoxy. Why should I use Privoxy at all?</A
204 HREF="general.html#WHYTRUST"
205 >Why should I trust Privoxy?</A
209 HREF="general.html#LICENSE"
210 >Is there is a license or fee? What about a
211 warranty? Registration?</A
215 HREF="general.html#SPYWARE"
216 >Can Privoxy remove spyware? Adware? Viruses?</A
220 HREF="general.html#OTHERADS"
221 >Can I use Privoxy with other ad-blocking software?</A
225 HREF="general.html#JOINTEAM"
226 >I would like to help you, what can I do?</A
232 HREF="general.html#JOINTEAM-WORK"
233 >Would you like to participate?</A
237 HREF="general.html#DONATING"
246 HREF="installation.html"
253 HREF="installation.html#WHICHBROWSERS"
254 >Which browsers are supported by Privoxy?</A
258 HREF="installation.html#WHICHOS"
259 >Which operating systems are supported?</A
263 HREF="installation.html#EMAIL-CLIENT"
264 >Can I use Privoxy with my email client?</A
268 HREF="installation.html#FIRSTSTEP"
269 >I just installed Privoxy. Is there anything
270 special I have to do now?</A
274 HREF="installation.html#LOCALHOST"
275 >What is the proxy address of Privoxy?</A
279 HREF="installation.html#NOTHING"
280 >I just installed Privoxy, and nothing is happening.
281 All the ads are there. What's wrong?</A
285 HREF="installation.html#NOTUSED"
288 >"Privoxy is not being used"</SPAN
289 > dummy page although
290 Privoxy is running and being used.</A
296 HREF="configuration.html"
303 HREF="configuration.html#AEN352"
304 >What exactly is an <SPAN
311 HREF="configuration.html#ACTIONSS"
315 > concept confuses me. Please list
323 HREF="configuration.html#AEN375"
324 >How are actions files configured? What is the easiest
329 HREF="configuration.html#AEN384"
330 >There are several different <SPAN
338 HREF="configuration.html#GETUPDATES"
339 >Where can I get updated Actions Files?</A
343 HREF="configuration.html#NEWCONFIG"
344 >Can I use my old config files?</A
348 HREF="configuration.html#DIFFICULT"
349 >Why is the configuration so complicated?</A
353 HREF="configuration.html#YAHOO"
354 >How can I make my Yahoo/Hotmail/Gmail account work?</A
358 HREF="configuration.html#CONFIGFILES"
359 >What's the difference between the
373 HREF="configuration.html#BROWSECONFIG"
374 >Why can I change the configuration
375 with a browser? Does that not raise security issues?</A
379 HREF="configuration.html#AEN479"
383 > file? What is a <SPAN
390 HREF="configuration.html#LANCONFIG"
391 >How can I set up Privoxy to act as a proxy for my
396 HREF="configuration.html#AEN530"
397 >Instead of ads, now I get a checkerboard pattern. I don't want to see anything.</A
401 HREF="configuration.html#AEN547"
402 >Why would anybody want to see a checkerboard pattern?</A
406 HREF="configuration.html#AEN553"
407 >I see some images being replaced with text
408 instead of the checkerboard image. Why and how do I get rid of this?</A
412 HREF="configuration.html#SRVANY"
413 >Can Privoxy run as a service
418 HREF="configuration.html#OTHERPROXY"
419 >How can I make Privoxy work with other
420 proxies like Squid or Tor?</A
424 HREF="configuration.html#PORT-80"
425 >Can I just set Privoxy to use port 80
426 and thus avoid individual browser configuration?</A
430 HREF="configuration.html#TRANSPARENT"
431 >Can Privoxy run as a <SPAN
438 HREF="configuration.html#INTERCEPTING"
439 >Can Privoxy run as a <SPAN
441 >"intercepting"</SPAN
446 HREF="configuration.html#OUTLOOK"
447 >How can I configure Privoxy for use with Outlook?</A
451 HREF="configuration.html#OUTLOOK-MORE"
452 >How can I have separate rules just for HTML mail?</A
456 HREF="configuration.html#SNEAKY-COOKIES"
457 >I sometimes notice cookies sneaking through. How?</A
461 HREF="configuration.html#EVIL-COOKIES"
462 >Are all cookies bad? Why?</A
466 HREF="configuration.html#ALLOW-COOKIES"
467 >How can I allow permanent cookies for my trusted sites?</A
471 HREF="configuration.html#MULTIPLES"
472 >Can I have separate configurations for different users?</A
476 HREF="configuration.html#WHITELISTS"
477 >Can I set-up Privoxy as a whitelist of
485 HREF="configuration.html#NO-ADBLOCK"
486 >How can I turn off ad-blocking?</A
490 HREF="configuration.html#TEMPLATES"
491 >How can I have custom template pages, like the
502 HREF="configuration.html#BLOCKALL"
503 >How can I remove the <SPAN
505 >"Go There Anyway"</SPAN
526 HREF="misc.html#AEN727"
527 >How much does Privoxy slow my browsing down? This
528 has to add extra time to browsing.</A
532 HREF="misc.html#LOADINGTIMES"
533 >I notice considerable
534 delays in page requests. What's wrong?</A
538 HREF="misc.html#CONFIGURL"
539 >What are "http://config.privoxy.org/" and
544 HREF="misc.html#NEWADS"
545 >How can I submit new ads, or report
550 HREF="misc.html#NEWADS2"
551 >If I do submit missed ads, will
552 they be included in future updates?</A
556 HREF="misc.html#NOONECARES"
557 >Why doesn't anyone answer my support
563 >How can I hide my IP address?</A
567 HREF="misc.html#AEN792"
568 >Can Privoxy guarantee I am anonymous?</A
572 HREF="misc.html#AEN810"
573 >A test site says I am not using a Proxy.</A
578 >How do I use Privoxy
579 together with Tor?</A
583 HREF="misc.html#AEN866"
584 >Might some things break because header information or
585 content is being altered?</A
589 HREF="misc.html#AEN880"
590 >Can Privoxy act as a <SPAN
594 speed up web browsing?</A
598 HREF="misc.html#AEN890"
599 >What about as a firewall? Can Privoxy protect me?</A
603 HREF="misc.html#AEN895"
604 >I have large empty spaces / a checkerboard pattern now where
605 ads used to be. Why?</A
609 HREF="misc.html#AEN903"
610 >How can Privoxy filter Secure (HTTPS) URLs?</A
614 HREF="misc.html#AEN917"
615 >Privoxy runs as a <SPAN
619 secure is it? Do I need to take any special precautions?</A
623 HREF="misc.html#TURNOFF"
624 >Can I temporarily disable Privoxy?</A
628 HREF="misc.html#REALLYOFF"
633 out of the picture?</A
637 HREF="misc.html#TURNOFF2"
638 >How can I tell Privoxy to totally ignore certain sites?</A
642 HREF="misc.html#CRUNCH"
643 >My logs show Privoxy <SPAN
647 ads, but also its own internal CGI pages. What is a <SPAN
654 HREF="misc.html#DOWNLOADS"
655 >Can Privoxy effect files that I download
656 from a webserver? FTP server?</A
660 HREF="misc.html#DOWNLOADS2"
661 >I just downloaded a Perl script, and Privoxy
662 altered it! Yikes, what is wrong!</A
666 HREF="misc.html#HOSTSFILE"
667 >Should I continue to use a <SPAN
670 > file for ad-blocking?</A
674 HREF="misc.html#SEEALSO"
675 >Where can I find more information about Privoxy
676 and related issues?</A
680 HREF="misc.html#MICROSUCK"
681 >I've noticed that Privoxy changes <SPAN
688 >! Why are you manipulating my browsing?</A
692 HREF="misc.html#VALID"
693 >Does Privoxy produce <SPAN
696 > HTML (or XHTML)?</A
709 HREF="trouble.html#AEN1082"
710 >I cannot connect to any websites. Or, I am getting
713 >"connection refused"</SPAN
714 > message with every web page. Why?</A
718 HREF="trouble.html#ERROR503"
719 >Why am I getting a 503 Error (WSAECONNREFUSED) on every page?</A
723 HREF="trouble.html#AEN1105"
724 >I just added a new rule, but the steenkin ad is
725 still getting through. How?</A
729 HREF="trouble.html#BADSITE"
730 >One of my favorite sites does not work with Privoxy.
735 HREF="trouble.html#DUN"
736 >After installing Privoxy, I have to log in
737 every time I start IE. What gives?</A
741 HREF="trouble.html#FTP"
742 >I cannot connect to any FTP sites. Privoxy
747 HREF="trouble.html#MACOSXIE"
748 >In Mac OS X, I can't configure Microsoft Internet Explorer to use
749 Privoxy as the HTTP proxy.</A
753 HREF="trouble.html#MACOSXUNINSTALL"
754 >In Mac OS X, I dragged the Privoxy folder to the trash in order to
755 uninstall it. Now the finder tells me I don't have sufficient privileges to
760 HREF="trouble.html#MACOSXIMAGES"
761 >In Mac OS X Panther (10.3), images often fail to load and/or I
762 experience random delays in page loading. I'm using
766 > as my browser's proxy setting.</A
770 HREF="trouble.html#BLANKPAGE"
771 >I get a completely blank page at one site. <SPAN
777 ><html><body></body></html></SPAN
779 Privoxy the page loads fine.</A
783 HREF="trouble.html#NOHOSTNAME"
784 >My logs show many <SPAN
786 >"Unable to get my own hostname"</SPAN
792 HREF="trouble.html#INUSE"
793 >When I try to launch Privoxy, I get an
796 >"port 8118 is already in use"</SPAN
797 > (or similar wording).
802 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER"
803 >Pages with UTF-8 fonts are garbled.</A
807 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER2"
808 >Why are binary files (such as images) corrupted when Privoxy
813 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER3"
817 > and why is it there?</A
821 HREF="trouble.html#WINDOWOPEN"
822 >Why do I keep seeing <SPAN
824 >"PrivoxyWindowOpen()"</SPAN
825 > in raw source code?</A
829 HREF="trouble.html#DNSERRORS"
830 >I am getting too many DNS errors like <SPAN
832 >"404 No Such Domain"</SPAN
834 can't Privoxy do this better?</A
838 HREF="trouble.html#ALLCPU"
839 >At one site Privoxy just hangs, and starts taking
840 all CPU. Why is this?</A
844 HREF="trouble.html#SLOWCRAWL"
845 >I just installed Privoxy, and all my
846 browsing has slowed to a crawl. What gives?</A
850 HREF="trouble.html#PREVENTCOMP"
851 >Why do my filters work on some sites but not on others?</A
855 HREF="trouble.html#SSL-WARNINGS"
856 >On some HTTPS sites my browser warns me about unauthenticated content,
857 the URL bar doesn't get highlighted and the lock symbol appears to be broken.
862 HREF="trouble.html#SE-LINUX"
863 >I get selinux error messages. How can I fix this?</A
867 HREF="trouble.html#GENTOO-RICERS"
871 > with Gentoo's portage and it appears to be very slow. Why?</A
878 >Contacting the developers, Bug Reporting and Feature Requests</A
884 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-SUPPORT"
889 HREF="contact.html#REPORTING"
890 >Reporting Problems</A
896 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-ADS"
897 >Reporting Ads or Other Configuration Problems</A
901 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-BUGS"
908 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-FEATURE"
909 >Request New Features</A
913 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-OTHER"
920 HREF="copyright.html"
921 >Privoxy Copyright, License and History</A
927 HREF="copyright.html#AEN1449"
932 HREF="copyright.html#AEN1465"
945 SUMMARY="Footer navigation table"
986 >General Information</TD