Dear fravia+, 
Since the first time I started to explore the dedalous of what you call 
your fortress, I was baffle on how you manage to crystalise and give 
away such a huge amount of information. Although knowing nothing about 
reverse engineering, searching nor anonymity, nevertheless I became a 
regular (avid) visitor; slowly learning -mostly by osmosis. 
As I saw bright stars rising through various essays, I never thought I 
could be able one day to propose my little brick to your edifice :) 
Perhaps, this day has arrived. Thanks to you. 
Kind regards and be well. leFaF's "Configuring Netscape to use proxy"
 
 
Here follow my "comments" on your seasonal feelings.
When I saw the very nice drawing on fravia+'s autumnal page, I was wondering
where I could be on the picture.
On the shore waving goodbye to the boat and its captain, well, no.

Under the sea swimming round and around big fishes, yet , no.

One of the personage, aboard the lean drakkar sailing away, this time
again, no.
And they were sailing away...
At this point, I started to realise that I had been just a spectator
entertained by what he and other freely gave away.

All of a sudden I felt like a peeping-tom.

A taker, not a giver.
And they were sailing away...
What can I do: I do not want to be left, I hate to be under, I cannot
be aboard... What is left?
Although obvious since the beginning, the answer finally came bright
and clear: give, share, participate.
All of a sudden I felt free, free as a bird...
I was flying away.

 

 
           Configuring Netscape Communicator to surf anonymously

 
But hey, wait, why should I surf anonymously and, by the way, what is
a proxy?

A scary answer can be found here.
To put is strait, when you are in the comfort of your computer room, all
alone with your machine, nobody knows what you are doing, right.

Wrong!

You splatter information about yourself all over the world. It's kind
of walking naked in a crowded boulevard with your ID card hanging on your
neck...

Oh!

On the Wild Web, there are nasty things like cookies, hostile applets
and java scripts, browser security holes, assholes, log files and much
more...

Septic? The Joker can tell you here
what he knows about you. And you, do you know him?

Surprising, isn't it?

Now you might desire to become a bit more invisible, aren't you? If
you do so, here are a few tips.
Cookies

A simple way to refuse cookies is to change the attributes of the cookie
file to read-only. But delete the content first!

- In Netscape look for cookies.txt

- In Opera cookies.dat
Java Script

As most java scripts are not really interesting, just turn this off.

- Netscape: Edit Menu - Preferences - Advanced - Unchecked Enable Java
and JavaScript

- Opera: Preferences Menu - Multimedia - Unchecked Authorize JavaScript
Proxy

A proxy server is a machine dedicated to handle web accesses and store
copies of documents on a local disk. Proxy sits on a gateway and passes
traffic across it. So when you use a proxy with your browser, rather than
connecting to a web site directly, your

browser will make a connection to the proxy first. The proxy then opens
up a connection to the specified web site and forwards it back to your
browser. The web site will "see" the proxy IP address, not yours.

Besides, connecting to a large proxy may speed up your connection times
considerably.

But beware all proxies are not anonymous. Some may give out your IP
or a CGI script might find your IP behind the proxy.
Useful Proxy Related Links

Updated list of anonymous proxies here

Check the reliability of a proxy here 
(Take a look at the line HTTP_FORWARDED to see if your proxy is anonymous)

Download a nifty Proxy Hunter made by Zeng Huawei here
to search for proxies by yourself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally, here is a way to configure Netscape Communicator to surf anonymously
via the proxy of your choice
Procedure

1.  Trust me. Do you? (:)

2.  Cut and paste the text between the 2 lines below. Save it as viaprox.pac in the directory of 

your choice. I use c:\Proxy\viaprox.pac in the example. 

The 3 proxies inserted are functional now (20.11.98) but you'd better find your own.
------------------------------------------

/*
* viaprox.pac 

 *A 1,001's Proxy Configuration 

 * Implemented to soften fravia+'s autumnal spleen :=) 

 * on 13/11/98 by leFaF 

 * All Rights Dispersed 

 */ 
function FindProxyForURL(url, host){

//  If you want to bypass proxy for a specific URL, change the zeros 

 if (isInNet(host, "0.0.0.0", "255.255.255.0")){

return "DIRECT"; }

//  Same as above. You'll have to key in the DNS 

if (dnsResolve(host) == "0.0.0.0") {

return "DIRECT";

}

// What proxies are used for www/gopher/ftp. 

 //Remark, the string can contain any number of proxy as long as
they are separated by a semicolon. If there are multiple 

 //semicolon separated settings, the left-most setting will be used,
but if the Navigator/Communicator fails to establish the 

 //connection to the proxy, in that case the next value will be used,
that is the DIRECT connection. 

if (url.substring(0, 5) == "http:") {

return "PROXY cache.iaccess.com.br:3128; proxy.flex.ee.uec.ac.jp:8080;
proxy.sby.dnet.net.id:8080; DIRECT";

}

if (url.substring(0, 7) == "gopher:") {

return "PROXY proxy.one:3128; proxy.two:8080; proxy.three:8081; DIRECT";

}

if (url.substring(0, 4) == "ftp:") {

return "PROXY proxy.one:3128; proxy.two:8080; proxy.three:8081; DIRECT";

}

/ / If no proxy available -! no stealth anymore !- use the
direct connection 
{

return "DIRECT";

}

-------------------------------------
3.  In Netscape Communicator version 4.0x
   * Choose the Edit menu.

   * Choose Preferences.

   * Click on the + sign in the box linked to the
Advanced menu.

   * Choose Proxies.

   * Select the Automatic Proxy Configuration Radio
Button.

   * Type file:///C|/Proxy/viaprox.pac (or wherever you wish)
in the text input box.

   * Click OK.
(For those interested to read further have a look at this link)
 
   Et voilá!
leFaF
PS. Comments are welcome on [fravia+ message board]
~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are using another browser have a look below.
Opera version 3.xx

    * Choose Preference

    * Set the proxy field as follow:

      HTTP  web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####

      HTTPS web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####

      FTP   web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####

      GOPHER web-cache.any-proxy.domain:#### 

      WAIS  web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####

Netscape Navigator version 2.
   * Choose the Options menu.

   * Choose Network Preferences

   * Choose Proxies

   * Select Automatic Proxy Configuration

   * Set Location (URL) to file:///C|/Proxy/viaprox.pac (or
wherever you wish)
Netscape Navigator version 1
   * Choose the Options menu on your web browser.

   * Select Preferences.

   * Select Proxies.

     Set the proxy fields as follow:

      FTP Proxy:       
web-cache.any-proxy.domain port: ####

      Gopher Proxy:    web-cache.any-proxy.domain
port: ####

      HTTP Proxy      
web-cache.any-proxy.domain port: ####

      Security Proxy:  web-cache.any-proxy.domain
port: ####

      WAIS Proxy:    
web-cache.any-proxy.domain port: ####

      No Proxy for:

      SOCKS Host:   web-cache.any-proxy.domain
port: ####

 
Mosaic 2.1 or later
   * Choose the Options menu.

   * Choose Preferences

   * Choose Proxy Set the proxy fields as follow:

      HTTP  web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####

      FTP   web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####

      WAIS  web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####

      GOPHER web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####

   * Set Location to web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####

   * Then select the ADD Button on the Domains Box
Web Explorer Vn 1.2 in OS/2 Vn 4.
   * Open WebExplorer and go to the Configure menu

   * Go to the Servers on the menu

   * Under Proxy Gateway enter http://web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####/

   * The enable proxy box will tick itself.

   * Close the config box and it then it all seems to work
as expected for OS/2
Lynx v .7 for OS/2
   * Locate the file lynx.cfg in your ETC directory, and search
for the

     word "proxy". Change the next few lines to
read:

   * http_proxy:http://web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####/

   * ftp_proxy:http://web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####/

   * gopher_proxy:http://web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####/

   * no_proxy:

   * #news_proxy:

   * #wais_proxy:http://web-cache.any-proxy.domain:####/


 



Afterthought

      As you have already noticed, the viaprox.pac at fravia/confnets has to be 
      somewhat adjusted to work properly.

      This little essay was done fast, and I have overseen some details. 
   


      Sorry for the fast _found it, take away, people_ who have missed 
      the ever evoluting process.

      For the other, take it as a challenge to do better.

      Anyway, the general idea was to use the file that ANY proxy 
      server use, right into your comfty PC.




      For the sake to go a bit further, here are two working (!?) pac 
      files for you to probe.


      ezeprox.pac will use the same cache for http, ftp and gopher.

      You just have to replace "proxy_u_like1&2.com" by the proxy of 
      your choice. If there are no proxy available,
      Netscape will ask if you want a direct connection.

      In dayprox.pac, the proxy -for http only- will change everyday. 
      Woody!



      Your comment, improvement and suggestion are most welcome.



      Be well

      LeFaF

      ------------------------------------
      /*
      * ezeprox.pac
      * This one will use the same cache for http, ftp and gopher
      * by ieFaF 10 Dec 98
      */
      function FindProxyForURL(url, host)
      {
      if (url.substring(0, 5) == "http:" ||
      url.substring(0, 7) == "gopher:" ||
      url.substring(0, 4) == "ftp:")
      return "PROXY proxy_u_like1.com:3128; PROXY proxy_u_like2.com:8080";
      }
      ------------------------------------------
      /*
      * dayprox.pac
      * This one will change the proxy everyday for http only
      * by ieFaF 11 Dec 98
      */
      function FindProxyForURL(url, host)
      {
      if (url.substring(0, 5) == "http:")
      if (weekdayRange("MON"))
      return "PROXY proxy.monday.com:8080";
      else
      if (weekdayRange("TUE"))
      return "PROXY proxy.tuesday.com:8080";
      else
      if (weekdayRange("WED"))
      return "PROXY proxy.wednesday.com:8080";
      else
      if (weekdayRange("THU"))
      return "PROXY proxy.thursday.com:8080";
      else
      if (weekdayRange("FRI"))
      return "PROXY proxy.friday.com:8080";
      else
      if (weekdayRange("SAT"))
      return "PROXY proxy.saterday.com:8080";
      else
      if (weekdayRange("SUN"))
      return "PROXY proxy.sunday.com:8080";
      }
      ----------------------------------------------


      LeFaF 





 




(c) III Millennium: [fravia+], all rights
reserved