1 <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
2 "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
6 <meta name="generator" content=
7 "HTML Tidy for Linux/x86 (vers 7 December 2008), see www.w3.org">
9 <title>Contacting the developers, Bug Reporting and Feature
11 <meta name="GENERATOR" content=
12 "Modular DocBook HTML Stylesheet Version 1.79">
13 <link rel="HOME" title="Privoxy Developer Manual" href="index.html">
14 <link rel="PREVIOUS" title="Update the Webserver" href=
15 "webserver-update.html">
16 <link rel="NEXT" title="Privoxy Copyright, License and History" href=
18 <link rel="STYLESHEET" type="text/css" href="../p_doc.css">
19 <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
20 <style type="text/css">
22 background-color: #EEEEEE;
25 :link { color: #0000FF }
26 :visited { color: #840084 }
27 :active { color: #0000FF }
28 span.c2 {font-style: italic}
29 hr.c1 {text-align: left}
34 <div class="NAVHEADER">
35 <table summary="Header navigation table" width="100%" border="0"
36 cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
38 <th colspan="3" align="center">Privoxy Developer Manual</th>
42 <td width="10%" align="left" valign="bottom"><a href=
43 "webserver-update.html" accesskey="P">Prev</a></td>
45 <td width="80%" align="center" valign="bottom"></td>
47 <td width="10%" align="right" valign="bottom"><a href=
48 "copyright.html" accesskey="N">Next</a></td>
51 <hr class="c1" width="100%">
55 <h1 class="SECT1"><a name="CONTACT" id="CONTACT">8. Contacting the
56 developers, Bug Reporting and Feature Requests</a></h1>
58 <p>We value your feedback. In fact, we rely on it to improve <span class=
59 "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> and its configuration. However, please note
60 the following hints, so we can provide you with the best support:</p>
63 <h2 class="SECT2"><a name="CONTACT-SUPPORT" id="CONTACT-SUPPORT">8.1.
66 <p>For casual users, our <a href=
67 "http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=11118&atid=211118"
68 target="_top">support forum at SourceForge</a> is probably best suited:
70 "http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=11118&atid=211118"
71 target="_top">http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=11118&atid=211118</a></p>
73 <p>All users are of course welcome to discuss their issues on the
74 <a href="http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ijbswa-users"
75 target="_top">users mailing list</a>, where the developers also hang
78 <p>Please don't sent private support requests to individual Privoxy
79 developers, either use the mailing lists or the support trackers.</p>
81 <p>If you have to contact a Privoxy developer directly for other
82 reasons, please send a real mail and do not bother with SourceForge's
83 messaging system. Answers to SourceForge messages are usually bounced
84 by SourceForge's mail server in which case the developer wasted time
85 writing a response you don't get. From your point of view it will look
86 like your message has been completely ignored, so this is frustrating
87 for all parties involved.</p>
89 <p>Note that the Privoxy mailing lists are moderated. Posts from
90 unsubscribed addresses have to be accepted manually by a moderator.
91 This may cause a delay of several days and if you use a subject that
92 doesn't clearly mention Privoxy or one of its features, your message
93 may be accidentally discarded as spam.</p>
95 <p>If you aren't subscribed, you should therefore spend a few seconds
96 to come up with a proper subject. Additionally you should make it clear
97 that you want to get CC'd. Otherwise some responses will be directed to
98 the mailing list only, and you won't see them.</p>
102 <h2 class="SECT2"><a name="REPORTING" id="REPORTING">8.2. Reporting
105 <p><span class="QUOTE">"Problems"</span> for our purposes, come in two
110 <p>Configuration issues, such as ads that slip through, or sites
111 that don't function properly due to one <span class=
112 "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> <span class="QUOTE">"action"</span> or
113 another being turned <span class="QUOTE">"on"</span>.</p>
117 <p><span class="QUOTE">"Bugs"</span> in the programming code that
118 makes up <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>, such as that
119 might cause a crash.</p>
124 <h3 class="SECT3"><a name="CONTACT-ADS" id="CONTACT-ADS">8.2.1.
125 Reporting Ads or Other Configuration Problems</a></h3>
127 <p>Please send feedback on ads that slipped through, innocent images
128 that were blocked, sites that don't work properly, and other
129 configuration related problem of <tt class=
130 "FILENAME">default.action</tt> file, to <a href=
131 "http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=11118&atid=460288"
133 "_top">http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=11118&atid=460288</a>,
134 the Actions File Tracker.</p>
136 <p>New, improved <tt class="FILENAME">default.action</tt> files may
137 occasionally be made available based on your feedback. These will be
138 announced on the <a href=
139 "http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ijbswa-announce" target=
140 "_top">ijbswa-announce</a> list and available from our the <a href=
141 "http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=11118" target=
142 "_top">files section</a> of our <a href=
143 "http://sf.net/projects/ijbswa/" target="_top">project page</a>.</p>
147 <h3 class="SECT3"><a name="CONTACT-BUGS" id="CONTACT-BUGS">8.2.2.
148 Reporting Bugs</a></h3>
150 <p>Please report all bugs through our bug tracker: <a href=
151 "http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=11118&atid=111118"
153 "_top">http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=11118&atid=111118</a>.</p>
155 <p>Before doing so, please make sure that the bug has <span class=
156 "emphasis EMPHASIS c2">not already been submitted</span> and observe
157 the additional hints at the top of the <a href=
158 "http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=add&group_id=11118&atid=111118"
159 target="_top">submit form</a>. If already submitted, please feel free
160 to add any info to the original report that might help to solve the
163 <p>Please try to verify that it is a <span class=
164 "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> bug, and not a browser or site bug or
165 documented behaviour that just happens to be different than what you
166 expected. If unsure, try <a href=
167 "http://config.privoxy.org/toggle?set=disable" target="_top">toggling
168 off</a> <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>, and see if the
169 problem persists.</p>
171 <p>If you are using your own custom configuration, please try the
172 stock configs to see if the problem is configuration related. If
173 you're having problems with a feature that is disabled by default,
174 please ask around on the mailing list if others can reproduce the
177 <p>If you aren't using the latest Privoxy version, the bug may have
178 been found and fixed in the meantime. We would appreciate if you
179 could take the time to <a href=
180 "http://www.privoxy.org/user-manual/installation.html" target=
181 "_top">upgrade to the latest version</a> (or even the latest CVS
182 snapshot) and verify that your bug still exists.</p>
184 <p>Please be sure to provide the following information:</p>
188 <p>The exact <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> version you
189 are using (if you got the source from CVS, please also provide
190 the source code revisions as shown in <a href=
191 "http://config.privoxy.org/show-version" target=
192 "_top">http://config.privoxy.org/show-version</a>).</p>
196 <p>The operating system and versions you run <span class=
197 "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> on, (e.g. <span class=
198 "APPLICATION">Windows XP SP2</span>), if you are using a Unix
199 flavor, sending the output of <span class="QUOTE">"uname
200 -a"</span> should do, in case of GNU/Linux, please also name the
205 <p>The name, platform, and version of the <span class=
206 "APPLICATION">browser</span> you were using (e.g. <span class=
207 "APPLICATION">Internet Explorer v5.5</span> for Mac).</p>
211 <p>The URL where the problem occurred, or some way for us to
212 duplicate the problem (e.g. <tt class=
213 "LITERAL">http://somesite.example.com/?somethingelse=123</tt>).</p>
217 <p>Whether your version of <span class=
218 "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> is one supplied by the <span class=
219 "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> developers via SourceForge, or if
220 you got your copy somewhere else.</p>
224 <p>Whether you are using <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>
225 in tandem with another proxy such as <span class=
226 "APPLICATION">Tor</span>. If so, please temporary disable the
227 other proxy to see if the symptoms change.</p>
231 <p>Whether you are using a personal firewall product. If so, does
232 <span class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> work without it?</p>
236 <p>Any other pertinent information to help identify the problem
237 such as config or log file excerpts (yes, you should have log
238 file entries for each action taken). To get a meaningful logfile,
239 please make sure that the <a href=
240 "../user-manual/config.html#LOGFILE" target="_top">logfile
241 directive</a> is being used and the following <a href=
242 "../user-manual/config.html#DEBUG" target="_top">debug
243 options</a> are enabled:</p>
245 <p class="LITERALLAYOUT">
246 debug 1 # Log the destination for each request Privoxy let through. See also debug 1024.<br>
248 debug 2 # show each connection status<br>
250 debug 4 # show I/O status<br>
252 debug 8 # show header parsing<br>
254 debug 128 # debug redirects<br>
255 debug 256 # debug GIF de-animation<br>
257 debug 512 # Common Log Format<br>
259 debug 1024 # Log the destination for requests Privoxy didn't let through, and the reason why.<br>
261 debug 4096 # Startup banner and warnings.<br>
263 debug 8192 # Non-fatal errors</p>If you
264 are having trouble with a filter, please additionally enable
266 <p class="LITERALLAYOUT">
267 debug 64 # debug regular expression filters</p>If
268 you are using Privoxy 3.0.17 or later and suspect that it
269 interprets the request or the response incorrectly, please enable
271 <p class="LITERALLAYOUT">
272 debug 32768 # log all data read from the network</p>Note
273 that Privoxy log files may contain sensitive information so
274 please don't submit any logfiles you didn't read first. You can
275 mask sensitive information as long as it's clear that you removed
280 <p>You don't have to tell us your actual name when filing a problem
281 report, but if you don't, please use a nickname so we can
282 differentiate between your messages and the ones entered by other
283 "anonymous" users that may respond to your request if they have the
284 same problem or already found a solution. Note that due to spam the
285 trackers may not always allow to post without being logged into
286 SourceForge. If that's the case, you are still free to create a login
287 that isn't directly linked to your name, though.</p>
289 <p>Please also check the status of your request a few days after
290 submitting it, as we may request additional information. If you use a
291 SF id, you should automatically get a mail when someone responds to
292 your request. Please don't bother to add an email address when using
293 the tracker. If you prefer to communicate through email, just use one
294 of the mailing lists directly.</p>
296 <p>If you are new to reporting problems, you might be interested in
297 <a href="http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html"
298 target="_top">How to Report Bugs Effectively</a>.</p>
301 "http://www.privoxy.org/user-manual/appendix.html#ACTIONSANAT"
302 target="_top">appendix of the Privoxy User Manual</a> also has
303 helpful information on understanding <tt class=
304 "LITERAL">actions</tt>, and <tt class="LITERAL">action</tt>
310 <h2 class="SECT2"><a name="CONTACT-FEATURE" id="CONTACT-FEATURE">8.3.
311 Request New Features</a></h2>
313 <p>You are welcome to submit ideas on new features or other proposals
314 for improvement through our feature request tracker at <a href=
315 "http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=361118&group_id=11118"
316 target="_top">http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=361118&group_id=11118</a>.</p>
320 <h2 class="SECT2"><a name="MAILING-LISTS" id="MAILING-LISTS">8.4.
321 Mailing Lists</a></h2>
323 <p>If you prefer to communicate through email, instead of using a web
324 interface, feel free to use one of the mailing lists. To discuss issues
325 that haven't been completely diagnosed yet, please use the Privoxy
326 users list. Technically interested users and people who wish to
327 contribute to the project are always welcome on the developers list.
328 You can find an overview of all <span class=
329 "APPLICATION">Privoxy</span>-related mailing lists, including list
330 archives, at: <a href="http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=11118"
331 target="_top">http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=11118</a>.</p>
335 <div class="NAVFOOTER">
336 <hr class="c1" width="100%">
338 <table summary="Footer navigation table" width="100%" border="0"
339 cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
341 <td width="33%" align="left" valign="top"><a href=
342 "webserver-update.html" accesskey="P">Prev</a></td>
344 <td width="34%" align="center" valign="top"><a href="index.html"
345 accesskey="H">Home</a></td>
347 <td width="33%" align="right" valign="top"><a href="copyright.html"
348 accesskey="N">Next</a></td>
352 <td width="33%" align="left" valign="top">Update the Webserver</td>
354 <td width="34%" align="center" valign="top"> </td>
356 <td width="33%" align="right" valign="top">Privoxy Copyright, License