1 <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN""http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
5 >Privoxy Frequently Asked Questions</TITLE
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10 TITLE="General Information"
11 HREF="general.html"><LINK
14 HREF="../p_doc.css"></HEAD
30 >Privoxy Frequently Asked Questions</A
40 HREF="http://www.privoxy.org/"
42 >Privoxy Developers</A
48 >$Id: faq.sgml,v 2.35 2007/11/19 17:57:59 fabiankeil Exp $<BR></P
58 > This FAQ gives quick answers to frequently asked questions about
60 HREF="http://www.privoxy.org/"
64 It is not a substitute for the
66 HREF="../user-manual/index.html"
70 >Privoxy User Manual</I
78 > Privoxy is a non-caching
80 HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy_server"
84 with advanced filtering capabilities for enhancing privacy,
85 modifying web page data, managing HTTP
87 HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browser_cookie"
91 controlling access, and removing ads, banners, pop-ups and other obnoxious
92 Internet junk. Privoxy has a flexible configuration and can be
93 customized to suit individual needs and tastes. Privoxy has application for
94 both stand-alone systems and multi-user networks.</P
96 > Privoxy is based on Internet Junkbuster (tm).</P
98 > Please note that this document is a work in progress. This copy represents
99 the state at the release of version 3.0.7.
100 You can find the latest version of the document at <A
101 HREF="http://www.privoxy.org/faq/"
103 >http://www.privoxy.org/faq/</A
109 contact the developers.
121 >Table of Contents</B
126 >General Information</A
132 HREF="general.html#WHO-USES"
133 >Who should give <SPAN
140 HREF="general.html#BESTCHOICE"
141 >Is Privoxy the best choice for
146 HREF="general.html#PROXYMORON"
155 HREF="general.html#OTHERSTUFF"
156 >Does Privoxy do anything more than ad blocking?</A
160 HREF="general.html#NEWJB"
161 >What is this new version of
169 HREF="general.html#AEN79"
173 >? Why change the name from
174 Junkbuster at all?</A
178 HREF="general.html#DIFFERS"
179 >How does Privoxy differ
180 from the old Junkbuster?</A
184 HREF="general.html#WHATSANAD"
185 >How does Privoxy know what is
186 an ad, and what is not?</A
190 HREF="general.html#AEN151"
191 >Can Privoxy make mistakes?
192 This does not sound very scientific.</A
196 HREF="general.html#AEN157"
197 >Will I have to configure Privoxy
198 before I can use it?</A
202 HREF="general.html#LAN"
203 >Can Privoxy run as a server on a network?</A
207 HREF="general.html#BROWSERS2"
208 >My browser does the same things as
209 Privoxy. Why should I use Privoxy at all?</A
213 HREF="general.html#WHYTRUST"
214 >Why should I trust Privoxy?</A
218 HREF="general.html#LICENSE"
219 >Is there is a license or fee? What about a
220 warranty? Registration?</A
224 HREF="general.html#SPYWARE"
225 >Can Privoxy remove spyware? Adware? Viruses?</A
229 HREF="general.html#OTHERADS"
230 >Can I use Privoxy with other ad-blocking software?</A
234 HREF="general.html#JOINTEAM"
235 >I would like to help you, what can I do?</A
241 HREF="general.html#JOINTEAM-WORK"
242 >Would you like to participate?</A
246 HREF="general.html#JOINTEAM-MONEY"
251 HREF="general.html#JOINTEAM-SOFTWARE"
260 HREF="installation.html"
267 HREF="installation.html#WHICHBROWSERS"
268 >Which browsers are supported by Privoxy?</A
272 HREF="installation.html#WHICHOS"
273 >Which operating systems are supported?</A
277 HREF="installation.html#EMAIL-CLIENT"
278 >Can I use Privoxy with my email client?</A
282 HREF="installation.html#FIRSTSTEP"
283 >I just installed Privoxy. Is there anything
284 special I have to do now?</A
288 HREF="installation.html#LOCALHOST"
289 >What is the proxy address of Privoxy?</A
293 HREF="installation.html#NOTHING"
294 >I just installed Privoxy, and nothing is happening.
295 All the ads are there. What's wrong?</A
299 HREF="installation.html#NOTUSED"
302 >"Privoxy is not being used"</SPAN
303 > dummy page although
304 Privoxy is running and being used.</A
310 HREF="configuration.html"
317 HREF="configuration.html#AEN341"
318 >What exactly is an <SPAN
325 HREF="configuration.html#ACTIONSS"
329 > concept confuses me. Please list
337 HREF="configuration.html#AEN364"
338 >How are actions files configured? What is the easiest
343 HREF="configuration.html#AEN373"
344 >There are several different <SPAN
352 HREF="configuration.html#GETUPDATES"
353 >Where can I get updated Actions Files?</A
357 HREF="configuration.html#NEWCONFIG"
358 >Can I use my old config files?</A
362 HREF="configuration.html#DIFFICULT"
363 >Why is the configuration so complicated?</A
367 HREF="configuration.html#YAHOO"
368 >How can I make my Yahoo/Hotmail/Gmail account work?</A
372 HREF="configuration.html#CONFIGFILES"
373 >What's the difference between the
387 HREF="configuration.html#BROWSECONFIG"
388 >Why can I change the configuration
389 with a browser? Does that not raise security issues?</A
393 HREF="configuration.html#AEN470"
397 > file? What is a <SPAN
404 HREF="configuration.html#LANCONFIG"
405 >How can I set up Privoxy to act as a proxy for my
410 HREF="configuration.html#AEN521"
411 >Instead of ads, now I get a checkerboard pattern. I don't want to see anything.</A
415 HREF="configuration.html#AEN538"
416 >Why would anybody want to see a checkerboard pattern?</A
420 HREF="configuration.html#AEN544"
421 >I see some images being replaced with text
422 instead of the checkerboard image. Why and how do I get rid of this?</A
426 HREF="configuration.html#SRVANY"
427 >Can Privoxy run as a service
432 HREF="configuration.html#OTHERPROXY"
433 >How can I make Privoxy work with other
434 proxies like Squid or Tor?</A
438 HREF="configuration.html#PORT-80"
439 >Can I just set Privoxy to use port 80
440 and thus avoid individual browser configuration?</A
444 HREF="configuration.html#TRANSPARENT"
445 >Can Privoxy run as a <SPAN
452 HREF="configuration.html#INTERCEPTING"
453 >Can Privoxy run as a <SPAN
455 >"intercepting"</SPAN
460 HREF="configuration.html#OUTLOOK"
461 >How can I configure Privoxy for use with Outlook
466 HREF="configuration.html#OUTLOOK-MORE"
467 >How can I have separate rules just for HTML mail?</A
471 HREF="configuration.html#SNEAKY-COOKIES"
472 >I sometimes notice cookies sneaking through. How?</A
476 HREF="configuration.html#EVIL-COOKIES"
477 >Are all cookies bad? Why?</A
481 HREF="configuration.html#ALLOW-COOKIES"
482 >How can I allow permanent cookies for my trusted sites?</A
486 HREF="configuration.html#MULTIPLES"
487 >Can I have separate configurations for different users?</A
491 HREF="configuration.html#WHITELISTS"
492 >Can I set-up Privoxy as a whitelist of
500 HREF="configuration.html#NO-ADBLOCK"
501 >How can I turn off ad-blocking?</A
505 HREF="configuration.html#TEMPLATES"
506 >How can I have custom template pages, like the
517 HREF="configuration.html#BLOCKALL"
518 >How can I remove the <SPAN
520 >"Go There Anyway"</SPAN
541 HREF="misc.html#AEN717"
542 >How much does Privoxy slow my browsing down? This
543 has to add extra time to browsing.</A
547 HREF="misc.html#LOADINGTIMES"
548 >I notice considerable
549 delays in page requests. What's wrong?</A
553 HREF="misc.html#CONFIGURL"
554 >What are "http://config.privoxy.org/" and
559 HREF="misc.html#NEWADS"
560 >How can I submit new ads, or report
565 HREF="misc.html#NEWADS2"
566 >If I do submit missed ads, will
567 they be included in future updates?</A
571 HREF="misc.html#NOONECARES"
572 >Why doesn't anyone answer my support
578 >How can I hide my IP address?</A
582 HREF="misc.html#AEN782"
583 >Can Privoxy guarantee I am anonymous?</A
587 HREF="misc.html#AEN800"
588 >A test site says I am not using a Proxy.</A
593 >How do I use Privoxy
594 together with Tor?</A
598 HREF="misc.html#AEN856"
599 >Might some things break because header information or
600 content is being altered?</A
604 HREF="misc.html#AEN870"
605 >Can Privoxy act as a <SPAN
609 speed up web browsing?</A
613 HREF="misc.html#AEN880"
614 >What about as a firewall? Can Privoxy protect me?</A
618 HREF="misc.html#AEN885"
619 >I have large empty spaces / a checkerboard pattern now where
620 ads used to be. Why?</A
624 HREF="misc.html#AEN893"
625 >How can Privoxy filter Secure (HTTPS) URLs?</A
629 HREF="misc.html#AEN907"
630 >Privoxy runs as a <SPAN
634 secure is it? Do I need to take any special precautions?</A
638 HREF="misc.html#TURNOFF"
639 >Can I temporarily disable Privoxy?</A
643 HREF="misc.html#REALLYOFF"
648 out of the picture?</A
652 HREF="misc.html#TURNOFF2"
653 >How can I tell Privoxy to totally ignore certain sites?</A
657 HREF="misc.html#CRUNCH"
658 >My logs show Privoxy <SPAN
662 ads, but also its own internal CGI pages. What is a <SPAN
669 HREF="misc.html#DOWNLOADS"
670 >Can Privoxy effect files that I download
671 from a webserver? FTP server?</A
675 HREF="misc.html#DOWNLOADS2"
676 >I just downloaded a Perl script, and Privoxy
677 altered it! Yikes, what is wrong!</A
681 HREF="misc.html#HOSTSFILE"
682 >Should I continue to use a <SPAN
685 > file for ad-blocking?</A
689 HREF="misc.html#SEEALSO"
690 >Where can I find more information about Privoxy
691 and related issues?</A
695 HREF="misc.html#MICROSUCK"
696 >I've noticed that Privoxy changes <SPAN
703 >! Why are you manipulating my browsing?</A
707 HREF="misc.html#VALID"
708 >Does Privoxy produce <SPAN
711 > HTML (or XHTML)?</A
724 HREF="trouble.html#AEN1075"
725 >I cannot connect to any websites. Or, I am getting
728 >"connection refused"</SPAN
729 > message with every web page. Why?</A
733 HREF="trouble.html#ERROR503"
734 >Why am I getting a 503 Error (WSAECONNREFUSED) on every page?</A
738 HREF="trouble.html#AEN1098"
739 >I just added a new rule, but the steenkin ad is
740 still getting through. How?</A
744 HREF="trouble.html#BADSITE"
745 >One of my favorite sites does not work with Privoxy.
750 HREF="trouble.html#DUN"
751 >After installing Privoxy, I have to log in
752 every time I start IE. What gives?</A
756 HREF="trouble.html#FTP"
757 >I cannot connect to any FTP sites. Privoxy
762 HREF="trouble.html#OSXIE"
763 >In Mac OSX, I can't configure Microsoft Internet Explorer to use
764 Privoxy as the HTTP proxy.</A
768 HREF="trouble.html#OSXUNINSTALL"
769 >In Mac OSX, I dragged the Privoxy folder to the trash in order to
770 uninstall it. Now the finder tells me I don't have sufficient privileges to
775 HREF="trouble.html#OSXIMAGES"
776 >In Mac OSX Panther (10.3), images often fail to load and/or I
777 experience random delays in page loading. I'm using
781 > as my browser's proxy setting.</A
785 HREF="trouble.html#BLANKPAGE"
786 >I get a completely blank page at one site. <SPAN
792 ><html><body></body></html></SPAN
794 Privoxy the page loads fine.</A
798 HREF="trouble.html#NOHOSTNAME"
799 >My logs show many <SPAN
801 >"Unable to get my own hostname"</SPAN
807 HREF="trouble.html#INUSE"
808 >When I try to launch Privoxy, I get an
811 >"port 8118 is already in use"</SPAN
812 > (or similar wording).
817 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER"
818 >Pages with UTF-8 fonts are garbled.</A
822 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER2"
823 >Why are binary files (such as images) corrupted when Privoxy
828 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER3"
832 > and why is it there?</A
836 HREF="trouble.html#WINDOWOPEN"
837 >Why do I keep seeing <SPAN
839 >"PrivoxyWindowOpen()"</SPAN
840 > in raw source code?</A
844 HREF="trouble.html#DNSERRORS"
845 >I am getting too many DNS errors like <SPAN
847 >"404 No Such Domain"</SPAN
849 can't Privoxy do this better?</A
853 HREF="trouble.html#ALLCPU"
854 >At one site Privoxy just hangs, and starts taking
855 all CPU. Why is this?</A
859 HREF="trouble.html#SLOWCRAWL"
860 >I just installed Privoxy, and all my
861 browsing has slowed to a crawl. What gives?</A
865 HREF="trouble.html#PREVENTCOMP"
866 >Why do my filters work on some sites but not on others?</A
873 >Contacting the developers, Bug Reporting and Feature Requests</A
879 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-SUPPORT"
884 HREF="contact.html#REPORTING"
885 >Reporting Problems</A
891 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-ADS"
892 >Reporting Ads or Other Configuration Problems</A
896 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-BUGS"
903 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-FEATURE"
904 >Request New Features</A
908 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-OTHER"
915 HREF="copyright.html"
916 >Privoxy Copyright, License and History</A
922 HREF="copyright.html#AEN1389"
927 HREF="copyright.html#AEN1405"
940 SUMMARY="Footer navigation table"
981 >General Information</TD