[Privoxy-users] How to start Privoxy service with custom made configuration file

[Ian Silvester]

Hi there,

To test a config file loaded from the command line you should include the parameter --config-test. Per the manpage, this attempts loading the config file and then exits with an exit code. 1 means there is an error in the config file, 0 means that the config files are at least syntactically correct.

Ian


On Sun, 26 Apr 2026, at 13:42, Lee via Privoxy-users wrote:
> On Sun, Apr 26, 2026 at 7:22 AM Jeremy via Privoxy-users wrote:
>
>> I copied the default "config.new" file to a new file named "myconf". I
>> made custom changes to the settings inside this "myconf" file. File
>> ownership was changed to privoxy:privoxy which is aligned to all other
>> files inside "/etc/privoxy/" directory. Then I try starting Privoxy by
>> running:
>>
>> /usr/sbin/privoxy --user privoxy /etc/privoxy/myconf
>>
>> No error message is shown after running the above command but the Privoxy
>> didn't start.
>>
>
> I get an error message:
>
> $ /usr/sbin/privoxy --user privoxy /etc/privoxy/my-config
> 2026-04-26 13:18:19.158 7f90b3a6a300 Fatal error: Cannot setgid():
> Insufficient permissions.
>
>
>> Is Privoxy designed to be able to use the default "/etc/privoxy/config"
>> file only?
>>
> works for me if I start privoxy using sudo:
>
>  $ sudo /usr/sbin/privoxy --user privoxy /etc/privoxy/my-config
>
> $ ps -elf | grep privoxy
> 5 S privoxy    16199       1  1  80   0 - 26460 -      13:18 ?
> 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/privoxy --user privoxy /etc/privoxy/my-config
> 0 S lee        16204   16113  0  80   0 -  1633 pipe_r 13:19 pts/0
> 00:00:00 grep --color=auto privoxy
>
> Something you might need to check is apparmor settings - I use a
> non-default log file so I had to adjust /etc/apparmor.d/usr.sbin.privoxy
> I also have several custom .action files -- I don't remember if the
> apparmor profile comes with
>     /etc/privoxy/** r,
> or if I had to add it..
>
> Regards,
> Lee
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