privoxy vs proxomitron

  • Thread starter Thread starter perro
  • Start date Start date
P

perro

I had been using proxomitron for the last four years and it has been
extremely good at blocking ads from websites. However, recently I
installed privoxy and I like it. The one feature I dislike is the long
log files it creates, privoxy.log and jar.log. I have to delete these
manually, which I dislike. Any way I can auto delete these files? Plus
what are these files for?

What do you all think of privoxy?

I can't make up my mind, go back to proxomitron or continue using
privoxy. I like privoxy.
 
perro said:
I had been using proxomitron for the last four years and it has been
extremely good at blocking ads from websites. However, recently I
installed privoxy and I like it. The one feature I dislike is the long
log files it creates, privoxy.log and jar.log. I have to delete these
manually, which I dislike. Any way I can auto delete these files? Plus
what are these files for?
Click to expand...

They are just what they say they are - log files of privoxy starting and a
record of cookies that have been intercepted.
I agree that the size of these files can become large and I get over this by
using a smallish ramdisk (the qsoft one) as drive B: and write the log files
there. When the computer is shut down the files evaporate.
Location of the log files is set in the file config.txt. Unfortunatly
privoxy.log is manatory, but jar.log can be turned off, just comment (#) it
out

clip from config.txt
# Effect if unset:
#
# Intercepted cookies are not stored at all.
#
# Notes:
#
# The jarfile may grow to ridiculous sizes over time.
#
jarfile b:jar.log

What do you all think of privoxy?
Click to expand...

I have used it for a few years now and used junkbuster before that so it
always amazes me what rubbish people will put up with when viewing web
pages. I once tried proxomitron and while it is a fine application, in
general I prefer privoxy. AFAIK there is more user support for proxomitron
than privoxy which might tip the balance for some people.
 
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
I had been using proxomitron for the last four years and it has been
extremely good at blocking ads from websites. However, recently I
installed privoxy and I like it. The one feature I dislike is the long
log files it creates, privoxy.log and jar.log. I have to delete these
manually, which I dislike. Any way I can auto delete these files? Plus
what are these files for?

What do you all think of privoxy?

I can't make up my mind, go back to proxomitron or continue using
privoxy. I like privoxy.
Click to expand...

I've been using Privoxy for years and years, I think it's a fab piece of
software!

Privoxy.log is a file containing all of the URLs that have passed through
as well as startup and similar messages. In the Main Configuration file if
you prepend a # to the log file name this will be switched off. jar.log is
used for storing crunched cookies; I don't use Privoxy for cookie filtering
so in my user.actions I've set:

{-crunch-all-cookies -session-cookies-only}
*.

....and # 'ed out jar.log as well which switches off any cookie filtering. I
use the Firefox extension CookieCuller for this.

In fact I think it's such a great tool I supply installation/support and a
wealth of spyware/virus/security exploit/phishing protection rules as a
commercial service to my customers! http://www.proactiveservices.co.uk/wfs.htm

HTH

Adam Piggott, Proprietor, Proactive Services (Computing).
http://www.proactiveservices.co.uk/

Please replace dot invalid with dot uk to email me.
Apply personally for PGP public key.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.2.2 (MingW32)

iD8DBQFELrcV7uRVdtPsXDkRAgZjAJ9YQuJwCjB5HPkS/BmXw4xFcUe22wCeJriE
HnHGwesNJ9kwjgrJQipDKwY=
=6otX
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys on how to delete the log files.

Rich, I tested your suggestion by placing a # in front of the jar.log
in my config.txt and it worked.

Adam, I agree with you 100% buddy, this program is extremely good.
Followed your suggestion and placed the {-crunch-all-cookies
-session-cookies-only}
*. in my user.action file, that did the trick. I also added the # to
the privoxy.log

Al - I forgot about how useful batch files can be. Good idea.

Goodbye Proxomitron. You have blocked many annoying ads from companies
eager to make me buy crap I don't need by bombarding me with ads on the
internet. I will keep you in my freeware archive directory in my pc
just in case. Hi provoxy!

I recommend privoxy to you all. It works well with the default
settings. Just remember to do something about the logs as these balloon
over time.

Hasta pronto mis amigos,
Perro
 
perro said:
I recommend privoxy to you all.
Click to expand...

One thing that still puzzles me is when it blocks sites. It tells you
why it has blocked it, although I've never been able to decipher its
meaning. So, for example, where it says Final Results below, what rule
has triggered the block?



-add-header
+block
-crunch-incoming-cookies
-crunch-outgoing-cookies
+deanimate-gifs {last}
-downgrade-http-version
-fast-redirects
+filter {js-annoyances}
+filter {html-annoyances}
+filter {refresh-tags}
+filter {unsolicited-popups}
+filter {img-reorder}
+filter {banners-by-size}
+filter {webbugs}
+filter {jumping-windows}
+filter {ie-exploits}
-handle-as-image
+hide-forwarded-for-headers
+hide-from-header {block}
+hide-referrer {forge}
-hide-user-agent
-kill-popups
-limit-connect
+prevent-compression
-send-vanilla-wafer
-send-wafer
+session-cookies-only
+set-image-blocker {pattern}
 
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Mark said:
One thing that still puzzles me is when it blocks sites. It tells you
why it has blocked it, although I've never been able to decipher its
meaning. So, for example, where it says Final Results below, what rule
has triggered the block?
Click to expand...

Go to http://p.p/show-url-info and key in/paste the URL. You'll see a list
of the actions files and rules that apply to it. There will be at least one
rule in there that shows you what caused a block.

For example, the URL http://127.0.0.1/adv/vxgame1.exe matches the following
rules in my actions:

default.action matches:
{+block}
/(.*/)?ad(/|s|v|images|cycle|rotate|mentor|click|frame)
(Has "adv" as a directory name)


user.action matches:
These are rules (or part thereof) I've created to protect against phishing,
viruses and spyware.

{+block
+crunch-incoming-cookies
+crunch-outgoing-cookies }
..*[0-9]/(.*/)?\.?([a-z]{1,3}|[0-9]*|[a-z][0-9]|[0-9][a-z]|<snip>)
(Has a numerical IP address URL trying to access a directory name with
between one and three letters)

{+block
+crunch-incoming-cookies
+crunch-outgoing-cookies }
..*[0-9]/(.*/)?.*\.(exe|dll|hta|ocx|<snip>)$
(Has a numerical IP address URL trying to access one of many file types
that can contain executable code)

{+block
+crunch-incoming-cookies
+crunch-outgoing-cookies }
/(.*/)?(z|vx)(tool|game)[0-9]?\.exe
(Trying to access a filename with vxgame1.exe)

Cheers,

Adam Piggott, Proprietor, Proactive Services (Computing).
http://www.proactiveservices.co.uk/

Please replace dot invalid with dot uk to email me.
Apply personally for PGP public key.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.2.2 (MingW32)

iD8DBQFEL9MS7uRVdtPsXDkRAuAsAJ4/mFhPhn8KZl1u2aWhXZVLUIGGpACdHgm2
IIcVhp9+VXOr6dF+9dKADEs=
=xcFC
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
 
Adam said:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1




Go to http://p.p/show-url-info and key in/paste the URL. You'll see a list
of the actions files and rules that apply to it. There will be at least one
rule in there that shows you what caused a block.
Click to expand...
Ah, I kinda get it now. Thanks.
 
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Mark said:
Ah, I kinda get it now. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Is that a "he's crazy let's leave him be" or "that's starting to make
sense" sort? ;-)
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.2.2 (MingW32)

iD8DBQFEMAe97uRVdtPsXDkRApYbAJ9WJtL4YHe1OxLMi1/FnlsaUG/XuACffAbq
4p2m9V//GzBRWOAUEy/ttpE=
=uZMP
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
 
Adam said:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Mark Carter wrote:




Is that a "he's crazy let's leave him be" or "that's starting to make
sense" sort? ;-)
Click to expand...

You'll be pleased to know it's the latter.

What I still don't quite get is as follows. When I get back the URL
http://config.privoxy.org/show-url-...hBiMDMwZmQxNGIwOTljODUzEPquvqEEGgga7mof1DGcmg
I get Matches For
....
+set-image-blocker {pattern} }
/
{-handle-as-image }
/.*\.(js|php|css|.?html)
{-block }
..*[epu]ad*.
{+block }
/(.*/)?ad(/|s|v|images|cycle|rotate|mentor|click|frame)

So, are we saying that we get a match on
{-block }
..*[epu]ad*.
but it's not causing a block because the word block is preceded by a
minus sign, whereas in
{+block }
/(.*/)?ad(/|s|v|images|cycle|rotate|mentor|click|frame)
we are getting a match, and because the block is preceded by a plus,
it's causing a block?
 
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Mark said:
What I still don't quite get is as follows. When I get back the URL
http://config.privoxy.org/show-url-...hBiMDMwZmQxNGIwOTljODUzEPquvqEEGgga7mof1DGcmg

I get Matches For
...
+set-image-blocker {pattern} }
/
{-handle-as-image }
/.*\.(js|php|css|.?html)
{-block }
.*[epu]ad*.
{+block }
/(.*/)?ad(/|s|v|images|cycle|rotate|mentor|click|frame)

So, are we saying that we get a match on
{-block }
.*[epu]ad*.
but it's not causing a block because the word block is preceded by a
minus sign, whereas in
{+block }
/(.*/)?ad(/|s|v|images|cycle|rotate|mentor|click|frame)
we are getting a match, and because the block is preceded by a plus,
it's causing a block?
Click to expand...

What happens is that the -block/+block logic is all done serially, so if
you get 2 -block hits, then further down you get a single +block, it's the
+block that will take precedence as it is the latest action.

{-block }
..*[epu]ad*.

Means that anything with "ead", "pad" or "uad" in the domain name will be
*not* be blocked; assumedly to help stop false positives due to proper
words with "ad" in them.

After the [epu]ad is a block on various "ad" parts of the URL, which the
"adclick" word matches. As the last block is a +, the URL is blocked. This
is why, when trying to balance your own rules, you need to be careful what
you unblock and in what order :-)
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.2.2 (MingW32)

iD8DBQFEMBMu7uRVdtPsXDkRAiXEAKCTdP/Qr9NxBxsXGDfRf0XhDJCquQCfbDhu
2iwlEwBcB8zufbqNvc46aNE=
=upmf
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
 
Adam said:
What happens is that the -block/+block logic is all done serially,
Click to expand...

I think I get it now. You go down the rules in the list, starting off as
unblocked. If you get a match on a rule, you apply the +/-, with +
blocking, and - and unblocking. So matches of '+' then '+' then '-'
implies unblocked, due to the last '-' . Do I understand that rightly?

Now that I've got that sorted, I'm off to understand IPTABLEs.
 
Back
Top