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5 >Privoxy Frequently Asked Questions</TITLE
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33 >Privoxy Frequently Asked Questions</A
43 HREF="https://www.privoxy.org/"
45 >Privoxy Developers</A
58 > This FAQ gives quick answers to frequently asked questions about
60 HREF="https://www.privoxy.org/"
64 It is not a substitute for the
66 HREF="../user-manual/index.html"
70 >Privoxy User Manual</I
77 > Privoxy is a non-caching web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities
78 for enhancing privacy, modifying web page data and HTTP headers, controlling
79 access, and removing ads and other obnoxious Internet junk. Privoxy has a
80 flexible configuration and can be customized to suit individual needs and tastes.
81 It has application for both stand-alone systems and multi-user networks.</P
83 > Privoxy is Free Software and licensed under the GNU GPLv2.</P
85 > Privoxy is an associated project of Software in the Public Interest (SPI).</P
87 > Helping hands and donations are welcome:
94 HREF="https://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#PARTICIPATE"
96 >https://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#PARTICIPATE</A
103 HREF="https://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#DONATE"
105 >https://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#DONATE</A
112 > Please note that this document is a work in progress. This copy represents
113 the state at the release of version 3.0.27.
114 You can find the latest version of the document at <A
115 HREF="https://www.privoxy.org/faq/"
117 >https://www.privoxy.org/faq/</A
123 contact the developers.
135 >Table of Contents</B
140 >General Information</A
146 HREF="general.html#WHO-USES"
147 >Who should give <SPAN
154 HREF="general.html#BESTCHOICE"
155 >Is Privoxy the best choice for
160 HREF="general.html#PROXYMORON"
169 HREF="general.html#OTHERSTUFF"
170 >Does Privoxy do anything more than ad blocking?</A
174 HREF="general.html#NEWJB"
175 >What is this new version of
183 HREF="general.html#WHYPRIVOXY"
187 >? Why change the name from
188 Junkbuster at all?</A
192 HREF="general.html#DIFFERS"
193 >How does Privoxy differ
194 from the old Junkbuster?</A
198 HREF="general.html#WHATSANAD"
199 >How does Privoxy know what is an ad, and what is not?</A
203 HREF="general.html#MISTAKES"
204 >Can Privoxy make mistakes?
205 This does not sound very scientific.</A
209 HREF="general.html#CONFIGORNOT"
210 >Will I have to configure Privoxy
211 before I can use it?</A
215 HREF="general.html#LAN"
216 >Can Privoxy run as a server on a network?</A
220 HREF="general.html#BROWSERS2"
221 >My browser does the same things as
222 Privoxy. Why should I use Privoxy at all?</A
226 HREF="general.html#WHYTRUST"
227 >Why should I trust Privoxy?</A
231 HREF="general.html#LICENSE"
232 >Is there is a license or fee? What about a
233 warranty? Registration?</A
237 HREF="general.html#SPYWARE"
238 >Can Privoxy remove spyware? Adware? Viruses?</A
242 HREF="general.html#OTHERADS"
243 >Can I use Privoxy with other ad-blocking software?</A
247 HREF="general.html#HELP-THE-DEVELOPERS"
248 >I would like to help you, what can I do?</A
254 HREF="general.html#PARTICIPATE"
255 >Would you like to participate?</A
259 HREF="general.html#DONATE"
260 >Would you like to donate?</A
266 HREF="general.html#SPONSOR"
267 >How can I become a sponsor and get my logo or link on privoxy.org?</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#ACTIONSFILE"
331 >What exactly is an <SPAN
338 HREF="configuration.html#ACTIONSS"
342 > concept confuses me. Please list
350 HREF="configuration.html#ACTCONFIG"
351 >How are actions files configured? What is the easiest
356 HREF="configuration.html#AEN418"
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#FILTERFILE"
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#NOSEEUM"
424 >Instead of ads, now I get a checkerboard pattern. I don't want to see anything.</A
428 HREF="configuration.html#WHYSEEUM"
429 >Why would anybody want to see a checkerboard pattern?</A
433 HREF="configuration.html#BLOCKEDBYTEXT"
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#SLOWSME"
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#ANONFORSURE"
594 >Can Privoxy guarantee I am anonymous?</A
598 HREF="misc.html#PROXYTEST"
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#SITEBREAK"
610 >Might some things break because header information or
611 content is being altered?</A
615 HREF="misc.html#CACHING"
616 >Can Privoxy act as a <SPAN
620 speed up web browsing?</A
624 HREF="misc.html#FIREWALL"
625 >What about as a firewall? Can Privoxy protect me?</A
629 HREF="misc.html#WASTED"
630 >I have large empty spaces / a checkerboard pattern now where
631 ads used to be. Why?</A
636 >How can Privoxy filter Secure (HTTPS) URLs?</A
640 HREF="misc.html#HTTP2"
641 >Does Privoxy support HTTP/2?</A
645 HREF="misc.html#SECURE"
646 >Privoxy runs as a <SPAN
650 secure is it? Do I need to take any special precautions?</A
654 HREF="misc.html#TURNOFF"
655 >Can I temporarily disable Privoxy?</A
659 HREF="misc.html#REALLYOFF"
664 out of the picture?</A
668 HREF="misc.html#TURNOFF2"
669 >How can I tell Privoxy to totally ignore certain sites?</A
673 HREF="misc.html#CRUNCH"
674 >My logs show Privoxy <SPAN
678 ads, but also its own internal CGI pages. What is a <SPAN
685 HREF="misc.html#DOWNLOADS"
686 >Can Privoxy affect files that I download
687 from a webserver? FTP server?</A
691 HREF="misc.html#DOWNLOADS2"
692 >I just downloaded a Perl script, and Privoxy
693 altered it! Yikes, what is wrong!</A
697 HREF="misc.html#HOSTSFILE"
698 >Should I continue to use a <SPAN
701 > file for ad-blocking?</A
705 HREF="misc.html#SEEALSO"
706 >Where can I find more information about Privoxy
707 and related issues?</A
711 HREF="misc.html#MICROSUCK"
712 >I've noticed that Privoxy changes <SPAN
719 >! Why are you manipulating my browsing?</A
723 HREF="misc.html#VALID"
724 >Does Privoxy produce <SPAN
727 > HTML (or XHTML)?</A
731 HREF="misc.html#SURPRISE-PRIVOXY"
732 >How did you manage to get Privoxy on my computer without my consent?</A
745 HREF="trouble.html#REFUSED"
746 >I cannot connect to any websites. Or, I am getting
749 >"connection refused"</SPAN
750 > message with every web page. Why?</A
754 HREF="trouble.html#ERROR503"
755 >Why am I getting a 503 Error (WSAECONNREFUSED) on every page?</A
759 HREF="trouble.html#FLUSHIT"
760 >I just added a new rule, but the steenkin ad is
761 still getting through. How?</A
765 HREF="trouble.html#BADSITE"
766 >One of my favorite sites does not work with Privoxy.
771 HREF="trouble.html#DUN"
772 >After installing Privoxy, I have to log in
773 every time I start IE. What gives?</A
777 HREF="trouble.html#FTP"
778 >I cannot connect to any FTP sites. Privoxy
783 HREF="trouble.html#MACOSXIE"
784 >In Mac OS X, I can't configure Microsoft Internet Explorer to use
785 Privoxy as the HTTP proxy.</A
789 HREF="trouble.html#MACOSXUNINSTALL"
790 >In Mac OS X, I dragged the Privoxy folder to the trash in order to
791 uninstall it. Now the finder tells me I don't have sufficient privileges to
796 HREF="trouble.html#MACOSXIMAGES"
797 >In Mac OS X Panther (10.3), images often fail to load and/or I
798 experience random delays in page loading. I'm using
802 > as my browser's proxy setting.</A
806 HREF="trouble.html#MACOSXACCOUNTDELETION"
807 >I just upgraded to Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) and now <SPAN
815 HREF="trouble.html#NOHOSTNAME"
816 >My logs show many <SPAN
818 >"Unable to get my own hostname"</SPAN
824 HREF="trouble.html#INUSE"
825 >When I try to launch Privoxy, I get an
828 >"port 8118 is already in use"</SPAN
829 > (or similar wording).
834 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER"
835 >Pages with UTF-8 fonts are garbled.</A
839 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER2"
840 >Why are binary files (such as images) corrupted when Privoxy
845 HREF="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER3"
849 > and why is it there?</A
853 HREF="trouble.html#WINDOWOPEN"
854 >Why do I keep seeing <SPAN
856 >"PrivoxyWindowOpen()"</SPAN
857 > in raw source code?</A
861 HREF="trouble.html#DNSERRORS"
862 >I am getting too many DNS errors like <SPAN
864 >"404 No Such Domain"</SPAN
866 can't Privoxy do this better?</A
870 HREF="trouble.html#ALLCPU"
871 >At one site Privoxy just hangs, and starts taking
872 all CPU. Why is this?</A
876 HREF="trouble.html#SLOWCRAWL"
877 >I just installed Privoxy, and all my
878 browsing has slowed to a crawl. What gives?</A
882 HREF="trouble.html#PREVENTCOMP"
883 >Why do my filters work on some sites but not on others?</A
887 HREF="trouble.html#SSL-WARNINGS"
888 >On some HTTPS sites my browser warns me about unauthenticated content,
889 the URL bar doesn't get highlighted and the lock symbol appears to be broken.
894 HREF="trouble.html#SE-LINUX"
895 >I get selinux error messages. How can I fix this?</A
899 HREF="trouble.html#GENTOO-RICERS"
903 > with Gentoo's portage and it appears to be very slow. Why?</A
907 HREF="trouble.html#TAINTED-SOCKETS"
908 >What are tainted sockets and how do I prevent them?</A
912 HREF="trouble.html#PCRE-STACK-LIMIT"
913 >After adding my custom filters, <SPAN
916 > crashes when visitting certain websites</A
920 HREF="trouble.html#FILE-PERMISSIONS"
921 >What to do if editing the config file of privoxy is access denied?</A
928 >Contacting the developers, Bug Reporting and Feature Requests</A
934 HREF="contact.html#SUFFICIENT-INFORMATION"
935 >Please provide sufficient information</A
939 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-SUPPORT"
944 HREF="contact.html#REPORTING"
945 >Reporting Problems</A
951 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-ADS"
952 >Reporting Ads or Other Configuration Problems</A
956 HREF="contact.html#CONTACT-BUGS"
963 HREF="contact.html#SECURITY-CONTACT"
964 >Reporting security problems</A
968 HREF="contact.html#MAILING-LISTS"
973 HREF="contact.html#SF-TRACKERS"
974 >SourceForge support trackers</A
980 HREF="copyright.html"
981 >Privoxy Copyright, License and History</A
987 HREF="copyright.html#AEN1500"
992 HREF="copyright.html#AEN1509"
1005 SUMMARY="Footer navigation table"
1046 >General Information</TD