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7 Privoxy Frequently Asked Questions
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28 <div class="TITLEPAGE">
30 <a name="AEN2">Privoxy Frequently Asked Questions</a>
33 <sub><a href="copyright.html">Copyright</a> © 2001-2011 by <a
34 href="http://www.privoxy.org/" target="_top">Privoxy
35 Developers</a></sub><br>
38 $Id: index.html,v 1.67 2011/08/26 16:14:03 fabiankeil Exp $<br>
43 This FAQ gives quick answers to frequently asked questions about
44 <a href="http://www.privoxy.org/" target="_top">Privoxy</a>. It
45 is not a substitute for the <a href="../user-manual/index.html"
46 target="_top"><i class="CITETITLE">Privoxy User Manual</i></a>.
52 Privoxy is a non-caching web proxy with advanced filtering
53 capabilities for enhancing privacy, modifying web page data and
54 HTTP headers, controlling access, and removing ads and other
55 obnoxious Internet junk. Privoxy has a flexible configuration and
56 can be customized to suit individual needs and tastes. It has
57 application for both stand-alone systems and multi-user networks.
60 Privoxy is Free Software and licensed under the GNU GPLv2.
63 Privoxy is an associated project of Software in the Public
67 Helping hands and donations are welcome:
72 <a href="http://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#PARTICIPATE"
74 "_top">http://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#PARTICIPATE</a>
79 <a href="http://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#DONATE"
81 "_top">http://www.privoxy.org/faq/general.html#DONATE</a>
87 Please note that this document is a work in progress. This copy
88 represents the state at the release of version 3.0.18. You can
89 find the latest version of the document at <a href=
90 "http://www.privoxy.org/faq/" target=
91 "_top">http://www.privoxy.org/faq/</a>. Please see the <a href=
92 "contact.html">Contact section</a> if you want to contact the
104 1. <a href="general.html">General Information</a>
109 1.1. <a href="general.html#WHO-USES">Who should give <span
110 class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> a try?</a>
113 1.2. <a href="general.html#BESTCHOICE">Is Privoxy the best
117 1.3. <a href="general.html#PROXYMORON">What is a <span class=
118 "QUOTE">"proxy"</span>? How does Privoxy work?</a>
121 1.4. <a href="general.html#OTHERSTUFF">Does Privoxy do
122 anything more than ad blocking?</a>
125 1.5. <a href="general.html#NEWJB">What is this new version of
126 <span class="QUOTE">"Junkbuster"</span>?</a>
129 1.6. <a href="general.html#AEN85">Why <span class=
130 "QUOTE">"Privoxy"</span>? Why change the name from Junkbuster
134 1.7. <a href="general.html#DIFFERS">How does Privoxy differ
135 from the old Junkbuster?</a>
138 1.8. <a href="general.html#WHATSANAD">How does Privoxy know
139 what is an ad, and what is not?</a>
142 1.9. <a href="general.html#AEN163">Can Privoxy make mistakes?
143 This does not sound very scientific.</a>
146 1.10. <a href="general.html#AEN169">Will I have to configure
147 Privoxy before I can use it?</a>
150 1.11. <a href="general.html#LAN">Can Privoxy run as a server
154 1.12. <a href="general.html#BROWSERS2">My browser does the
155 same things as Privoxy. Why should I use Privoxy at all?</a>
158 1.13. <a href="general.html#WHYTRUST">Why should I trust
162 1.14. <a href="general.html#LICENSE">Is there is a license or
163 fee? What about a warranty? Registration?</a>
166 1.15. <a href="general.html#SPYWARE">Can Privoxy remove
167 spyware? Adware? Viruses?</a>
170 1.16. <a href="general.html#OTHERADS">Can I use Privoxy with
171 other ad-blocking software?</a>
174 1.17. <a href="general.html#HELP-THE-DEVELOPERS">I would like
175 to help you, what can I do?</a>
180 1.17.1. <a href="general.html#PARTICIPATE">Would you like
184 1.17.2. <a href="general.html#DONATE">Would you like to
192 2. <a href="installation.html">Installation</a>
197 2.1. <a href="installation.html#WHICHBROWSERS">Which browsers
198 are supported by Privoxy?</a>
201 2.2. <a href="installation.html#WHICHOS">Which operating
202 systems are supported?</a>
205 2.3. <a href="installation.html#EMAIL-CLIENT">Can I use
206 Privoxy with my email client?</a>
209 2.4. <a href="installation.html#FIRSTSTEP">I just installed
210 Privoxy. Is there anything special I have to do now?</a>
213 2.5. <a href="installation.html#LOCALHOST">What is the proxy
214 address of Privoxy?</a>
217 2.6. <a href="installation.html#NOTHING">I just installed
218 Privoxy, and nothing is happening. All the ads are there.
222 2.7. <a href="installation.html#NOTUSED">I get a <span class=
223 "QUOTE">"Privoxy is not being used"</span> dummy page
224 although Privoxy is running and being used.</a>
229 3. <a href="configuration.html">Configuration</a>
234 3.1. <a href="configuration.html#AEN360">What exactly is an
235 <span class="QUOTE">"actions"</span> file?</a>
238 3.2. <a href="configuration.html#ACTIONSS">The <span class=
239 "QUOTE">"actions"</span> concept confuses me. Please list
240 some of these <span class="QUOTE">"actions"</span>.</a>
243 3.3. <a href="configuration.html#AEN383">How are actions
244 files configured? What is the easiest way to do this?</a>
247 3.4. <a href="configuration.html#AEN392">There are several
248 different <span class="QUOTE">"actions"</span> files. What
249 are the differences?</a>
252 3.5. <a href="configuration.html#GETUPDATES">Where can I get
253 updated Actions Files?</a>
256 3.6. <a href="configuration.html#NEWCONFIG">Can I use my old
260 3.7. <a href="configuration.html#DIFFICULT">Why is the
261 configuration so complicated?</a>
264 3.8. <a href="configuration.html#YAHOO">How can I make my
265 Yahoo/Hotmail/Gmail account work?</a>
268 3.9. <a href="configuration.html#CONFIGFILES">What's the
269 difference between the <span class="QUOTE">"Cautious"</span>,
270 <span class="QUOTE">"Medium"</span> and <span class=
271 "QUOTE">"Advanced"</span> defaults?</a>
274 3.10. <a href="configuration.html#BROWSECONFIG">Why can I
275 change the configuration with a browser? Does that not raise
279 3.11. <a href="configuration.html#AEN480">What is the <tt
280 class="FILENAME">default.filter</tt> file? What is a <span
281 class="QUOTE">"filter"</span>?</a>
284 3.12. <a href="configuration.html#LANCONFIG">How can I set up
285 Privoxy to act as a proxy for my LAN?</a>
288 3.13. <a href="configuration.html#AEN531">Instead of ads, now
289 I get a checkerboard pattern. I don't want to see
293 3.14. <a href="configuration.html#AEN548">Why would anybody
294 want to see a checkerboard pattern?</a>
297 3.15. <a href="configuration.html#AEN554">I see some images
298 being replaced with text instead of the checkerboard image.
299 Why and how do I get rid of this?</a>
302 3.16. <a href="configuration.html#SRVANY">Can Privoxy run as
303 a service on Win2K/NT/XP?</a>
306 3.17. <a href="configuration.html#OTHERPROXY">How can I make
307 Privoxy work with other proxies?</a>
310 3.18. <a href="configuration.html#PORT-80">Can I just set
311 Privoxy to use port 80 and thus avoid individual browser
315 3.19. <a href="configuration.html#TRANSPARENT">Can Privoxy
316 run as a <span class="QUOTE">"transparent"</span> proxy?</a>
319 3.20. <a href="configuration.html#INTERCEPTING">Can Privoxy
320 run as a <span class="QUOTE">"intercepting"</span> proxy?</a>
323 3.21. <a href="configuration.html#OUTLOOK">How can I
324 configure Privoxy for use with Outlook?</a>
327 3.22. <a href="configuration.html#OUTLOOK-MORE">How can I
328 have separate rules just for HTML mail?</a>
331 3.23. <a href="configuration.html#SNEAKY-COOKIES">I sometimes
332 notice cookies sneaking through. How?</a>
335 3.24. <a href="configuration.html#EVIL-COOKIES">Are all
336 cookies bad? Why?</a>
339 3.25. <a href="configuration.html#ALLOW-COOKIES">How can I
340 allow permanent cookies for my trusted sites?</a>
343 3.26. <a href="configuration.html#MULTIPLES">Can I have
344 separate configurations for different users?</a>
347 3.27. <a href="configuration.html#WHITELISTS">Can I set-up
348 Privoxy as a whitelist of <span class="QUOTE">"good"</span>
352 3.28. <a href="configuration.html#NO-ADBLOCK">How can I turn
356 3.29. <a href="configuration.html#TEMPLATES">How can I have
357 custom template pages, like the <span class="emphasis"><i
358 class="EMPHASIS">BLOCKED</i></span> page?</a>
361 3.30. <a href="configuration.html#BLOCKALL">How can I remove
362 the <span class="QUOTE">"Go There Anyway"</span> link from
363 the <span class="emphasis"><i class=
364 "EMPHASIS">BLOCKED</i></span> page?</a>
369 4. <a href="misc.html">Miscellaneous</a>
374 4.1. <a href="misc.html#AEN729">How much does Privoxy slow my
375 browsing down? This has to add extra time to browsing.</a>
378 4.2. <a href="misc.html#LOADINGTIMES">I notice considerable
379 delays in page requests. What's wrong?</a>
382 4.3. <a href="misc.html#CONFIGURL">What are
383 "http://config.privoxy.org/" and "http://p.p/"?</a>
386 4.4. <a href="misc.html#NEWADS">How can I submit new ads, or
390 4.5. <a href="misc.html#NEWADS2">If I do submit missed ads,
391 will they be included in future updates?</a>
394 4.6. <a href="misc.html#NOONECARES">Why doesn't anyone answer
395 my support request?</a>
398 4.7. <a href="misc.html#IP">How can I hide my IP address?</a>
401 4.8. <a href="misc.html#AEN794">Can Privoxy guarantee I am
405 4.9. <a href="misc.html#AEN812">A test site says I am not
409 4.10. <a href="misc.html#TOR">How do I use Privoxy together
413 4.11. <a href="misc.html#AEN868">Might some things break
414 because header information or content is being altered?</a>
417 4.12. <a href="misc.html#AEN882">Can Privoxy act as a <span
418 class="QUOTE">"caching"</span> proxy to speed up web
422 4.13. <a href="misc.html#AEN892">What about as a firewall?
423 Can Privoxy protect me?</a>
426 4.14. <a href="misc.html#AEN897">I have large empty spaces /
427 a checkerboard pattern now where ads used to be. Why?</a>
430 4.15. <a href="misc.html#AEN905">How can Privoxy filter
431 Secure (HTTPS) URLs?</a>
434 4.16. <a href="misc.html#AEN919">Privoxy runs as a <span
435 class="QUOTE">"server"</span>. How secure is it? Do I need to
436 take any special precautions?</a>
439 4.17. <a href="misc.html#TURNOFF">Can I temporarily disable
443 4.18. <a href="misc.html#REALLYOFF">When <span class=
444 "QUOTE">"disabled"</span> is Privoxy totally out of the
448 4.19. <a href="misc.html#TURNOFF2">How can I tell Privoxy to
449 totally ignore certain sites?</a>
452 4.20. <a href="misc.html#CRUNCH">My logs show Privoxy <span
453 class="QUOTE">"crunches"</span> ads, but also its own
454 internal CGI pages. What is a <span class=
455 "QUOTE">"crunch"</span>?</a>
458 4.21. <a href="misc.html#DOWNLOADS">Can Privoxy effect files
459 that I download from a webserver? FTP server?</a>
462 4.22. <a href="misc.html#DOWNLOADS2">I just downloaded a Perl
463 script, and Privoxy altered it! Yikes, what is wrong!</a>
466 4.23. <a href="misc.html#HOSTSFILE">Should I continue to use
467 a <span class="QUOTE">"HOSTS"</span> file for
471 4.24. <a href="misc.html#SEEALSO">Where can I find more
472 information about Privoxy and related issues?</a>
475 4.25. <a href="misc.html#MICROSUCK">I've noticed that Privoxy
476 changes <span class="QUOTE">"Microsoft"</span> to <span
477 class="QUOTE">"MicroSuck"</span>! Why are you manipulating my
481 4.26. <a href="misc.html#VALID">Does Privoxy produce <span
482 class="QUOTE">"valid"</span> HTML (or XHTML)?</a>
485 4.27. <a href="misc.html#SURPRISE-PRIVOXY">How did you manage
486 to get Privoxy on my computer without my consent?</a>
491 5. <a href="trouble.html">Troubleshooting</a>
496 5.1. <a href="trouble.html#AEN1091">I cannot connect to any
497 websites. Or, I am getting <span class="QUOTE">"connection
498 refused"</span> message with every web page. Why?</a>
501 5.2. <a href="trouble.html#ERROR503">Why am I getting a 503
502 Error (WSAECONNREFUSED) on every page?</a>
505 5.3. <a href="trouble.html#AEN1114">I just added a new rule,
506 but the steenkin ad is still getting through. How?</a>
509 5.4. <a href="trouble.html#BADSITE">One of my favorite sites
510 does not work with Privoxy. What can I do?</a>
513 5.5. <a href="trouble.html#DUN">After installing Privoxy, I
514 have to log in every time I start IE. What gives?</a>
517 5.6. <a href="trouble.html#FTP">I cannot connect to any FTP
518 sites. Privoxy is blocking me.</a>
521 5.7. <a href="trouble.html#MACOSXIE">In Mac OS X, I can't
522 configure Microsoft Internet Explorer to use Privoxy as the
526 5.8. <a href="trouble.html#MACOSXUNINSTALL">In Mac OS X, I
527 dragged the Privoxy folder to the trash in order to uninstall
528 it. Now the finder tells me I don't have sufficient
529 privileges to empty the trash.</a>
532 5.9. <a href="trouble.html#MACOSXIMAGES">In Mac OS X Panther
533 (10.3), images often fail to load and/or I experience random
534 delays in page loading. I'm using <tt class=
535 "LITERAL">localhost</tt> as my browser's proxy setting.</a>
538 5.10. <a href="trouble.html#BLANKPAGE">I get a completely
539 blank page at one site. <span class="QUOTE">"View
540 Source"</span> shows only: <span class=
541 "MARKUP"><html><body></body></html></span>.
542 Without Privoxy the page loads fine.</a>
545 5.11. <a href="trouble.html#NOHOSTNAME">My logs show many
546 <span class="QUOTE">"Unable to get my own hostname"</span>
550 5.12. <a href="trouble.html#INUSE">When I try to launch
551 Privoxy, I get an error message <span class="QUOTE">"port
552 8118 is already in use"</span> (or similar wording). Why?</a>
555 5.13. <a href="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER">Pages with UTF-8
556 fonts are garbled.</a>
559 5.14. <a href="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER2">Why are binary
560 files (such as images) corrupted when Privoxy is used?</a>
563 5.15. <a href="trouble.html#DEMORONIZER3">What is the <span
564 class="QUOTE">"demoronizer"</span> and why is it there?</a>
567 5.16. <a href="trouble.html#WINDOWOPEN">Why do I keep seeing
568 <span class="QUOTE">"PrivoxyWindowOpen()"</span> in raw
572 5.17. <a href="trouble.html#DNSERRORS">I am getting too many
573 DNS errors like <span class="QUOTE">"404 No Such
574 Domain"</span>. Why can't Privoxy do this better?</a>
577 5.18. <a href="trouble.html#ALLCPU">At one site Privoxy just
578 hangs, and starts taking all CPU. Why is this?</a>
581 5.19. <a href="trouble.html#SLOWCRAWL">I just installed
582 Privoxy, and all my browsing has slowed to a crawl. What
586 5.20. <a href="trouble.html#PREVENTCOMP">Why do my filters
587 work on some sites but not on others?</a>
590 5.21. <a href="trouble.html#SSL-WARNINGS">On some HTTPS sites
591 my browser warns me about unauthenticated content, the URL
592 bar doesn't get highlighted and the lock symbol appears to be
593 broken. What's going on?</a>
596 5.22. <a href="trouble.html#SE-LINUX">I get selinux error
597 messages. How can I fix this?</a>
600 5.23. <a href="trouble.html#GENTOO-RICERS">I compiled <span
601 class="APPLICATION">Privoxy</span> with Gentoo's portage and
602 it appears to be very slow. Why?</a>
607 6. <a href="contact.html">Contacting the developers, Bug
608 Reporting and Feature Requests</a>
613 6.1. <a href="contact.html#CONTACT-SUPPORT">Get Support</a>
616 6.2. <a href="contact.html#REPORTING">Reporting Problems</a>
621 6.2.1. <a href="contact.html#CONTACT-ADS">Reporting Ads
622 or Other Configuration Problems</a>
625 6.2.2. <a href="contact.html#CONTACT-BUGS">Reporting
631 6.3. <a href="contact.html#CONTACT-FEATURE">Request New
635 6.4. <a href="contact.html#MAILING-LISTS">Mailing Lists</a>
640 7. <a href="copyright.html">Privoxy Copyright, License and
646 7.1. <a href="copyright.html#AEN1464">License</a>
649 7.2. <a href="copyright.html#AEN1480">History</a>
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