4 Copyright 2023 Soren Stoutner <soren@stoutner.com>.
6 This file is part of Privacy Browser PC <https://www.stoutner.com/privacy-browser-pc>.
8 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
9 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3
10 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
11 with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.
13 You should have received a copy of the GNU Free Documentation License
14 along with Privacy Browser PC. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>. -->
16 <!DOCTYPE book PUBLIC "-//KDE//DTD DocBook XML V4.5-Based Variant V1.1//EN" "dtd/kdedbx45.dtd" [
17 <!-- Privacy Browser’s name -->
18 <!ENTITY privacybrowser "<application>Privacy Browser</application>">
21 <!ENTITY Soren.Stoutner "<personname><firstname>Soren</firstname><surname>Stoutner</surname></personname>">
22 <!ENTITY Soren.Stoutner.mail "<email>soren@stoutner.com</email>">
24 <!-- Set the language of this documentation. -->
25 <!ENTITY % English "INCLUDE">
27 <!-- Default entries. May not be needed. -->
28 <!ENTITY i18n-translatable-entity "<application>Translatable Entity</application>">
29 <!ENTITY % addindex "IGNORE">
32 <book id="privacybrowser" lang="&language;">
34 <title>The &privacybrowser; Handbook</title>
37 <author>&Soren.Stoutner; &Soren.Stoutner.mail;</author>
39 <!-- Add translators here. TRANS:ROLES_OF_TRANSLATORS -->
43 <year>2016-2017, 2021-2023</year>
44 <holder>&Soren.Stoutner;</holder>
47 <!-- Documentation license. -->
48 <legalnotice>&FDLNotice;</legalnotice>
51 <date>2023-02-22</date>
53 <!-- The version of Privacy Browser this documentation is written for. -->
54 <releaseinfo>&privacybrowser; version 0.1</releaseinfo>
57 <!-- Abstract about this handbook -->
60 &privacybrowser; is a web browser that respects your privacy.
64 <!-- This is a set of Keywords for indexing by search engines. -->
66 <keyword>KDE</keyword>
67 <keyword>privacy</keyword>
68 <keyword>browser</keyword>
72 <!-- Introduction. -->
73 <chapter id="introduction">
74 <title>Introduction</title>
77 &privacybrowser; is currently in an early alpha state.
78 Most of the features are not yet implemented, but I thought it would be useful to publish it so that users can track the progress and submit feedback.
82 To distinguish between the Android and the PC version, the website, issue tracker,
83 and code base refer to this version as <ulink url="https://www.stoutner.com/privacy-browser-pc/">Privacy Browser PC</ulink>.
87 The best place to discuss the development of Privacy Browser is <ulink url="https://redmine.stoutner.com/projects/privacy-browser-pc/boards">on the forum</ulink>.
88 I also frequently post on my <ulink url="https://fosstodon.org/@privacybrowser">Mastodon account</ulink> regarding the development status.
91 <!-- Qt WebEngine. -->
92 <sect1 id="qt-webengine">
93 <title>Qt WebEngine</title>
96 Privacy Browser uses <ulink url="https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtwebengine-index.html">Qt WebEngine</ulink> to render websites.
97 Qt WebEngine is based on the <ulink url="https://www.chromium.org/blink/">Chromium Blink</ulink> source code.
98 Because Privacy Browser is built on the <ulink url="https://api.kde.org/frameworks/index.html">KDE Framework</ulink>,
99 it currently uses the <ulink url="https://community.kde.org/Schedules/Plasma_6">Qt 5</ulink> packages.
103 The current Qt 5 packages are in long-term support mode.
104 Qt WebEngine 5.15.x is based on <ulink url="https://wiki.qt.io/QtWebEngine/ChromiumVersions">Chromium 87.0.4280.144</ulink> from a feature perspective.
105 Security fixes are backported with <ulink url="https://wiki.qt.io/Qt_5.15_Release#Release_Plan">each release</ulink> every couple of months.
109 <!-- Bugs and missing features. -->
110 <sect1 id="bugs-and-missing-features">
111 <title>Bugs and Missing Features</title>
114 There is a list of feature requests and known bugs at <ulink url="https://redmine.stoutner.com/projects/privacy-browser-pc/issues">redmine.stoutner.com</ulink>.
115 Users should anticipate that all the current features of <ulink url="https://www.stoutner.com/privacy-browser-android/">Privacy Browser Android</ulink>
116 will also be implemented in Privacy Browser PC.
117 There is no need at this point to create features requests for these as they will be added as I start working on each feature and have a better idea of how they will be implemented.
118 However, each feature that has already been implemented should be bug free.
119 If you discover a bug that is not already documented at <ulink url="https://redmine.stoutner.com/projects/privacy-browser-pc/issues">redmine.stoutner.com</ulink> please add it.
123 Below is a list of known prominent bugs or missing features in this alpha release.
127 <listitem><para>The page zoom is <ulink url="https://redmine.stoutner.com/issues/799">momentarily reset</ulink> every time a new URL is loaded.</para></listitem>
128 <listitem><para>If domain settings change the user agent, loading of the new URL is interrupted and the
129 <ulink url="https://redmine.stoutner.com/issues/821">previous site is reloaded</ulink>.</para></listitem>
130 <listitem><para>Browser <ulink url="https://redmine.stoutner.com/issues/831">error messages are not displayed</ulink> unless JavaScript is enabled.</para></listitem>
131 <listitem><para>Bookmarks are <ulink url="https://redmine.stoutner.com/issues/968">not yet implemented</ulink>.</para></listitem>
132 <listitem><para>Blocklists are <ulink url="https://redmine.stoutner.com/issues/969">not yet implemented</ulink>.</para></listitem>
137 <!-- Using Privacy Browser. -->
138 <chapter id="using-privacy-browser">
139 <title>Using &privacybrowser;</title>
144 <imagedata fileref="privacybrowser.png" format="PNG"/>
147 <phrase>Screenshot</phrase>
153 <sect1 id="javascript">
154 <title>JavaScript</title>
157 JavaScript allows web pages to run scripts (programs) on your device. It allows web pages to function more like apps, but it also allows web pages to spy on you.
158 Most of the tracking on the internet does not work when JavaScript is disabled.
159 JavaScript can be toggled by clicking on the privacy shield, which is blue if JavaScript is disabled and red when it is enabled.
162 <imagedata fileref="javascript.png" format="PNG"/>
165 <phrase>JavaScript</phrase>
171 <!-- Local Storage. -->
172 <sect1 id="local-storage">
173 <title>Local Storage</title>
176 <ulink url="https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qwebenginecookiestore.html#setCookieFilter">Local storage</ulink>
177 in Privacy Browser encompasses cookies, DOM storage, IndexedDB, service workers, and the filesystem API.
178 Local storage can be toggled through an action on the toolbar.
183 <title>Cookies</title>
188 <imagedata fileref="cookies.png" format="PNG"/>
191 <phrase>Cookies</phrase>
197 <ulink url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie">Cookies</ulink>
198 allow websites to store small pieces of information for a specific host that are sent in the HTTP header every time the browser connects to that host.
199 Privacy Browser allows a maximum of <ulink url="http://browsercookielimits.iain.guru/">180 cookies with a maximum size of 4096 bytes per cookie</ulink> to be set per domain.
200 Cookies are often used to track users across the web, particularly third-party cookies (which are completely blocked in Privacy Browser).
201 They are also used as a security mechanism on websites where you log in to identify it is you as you browse from page to page on a site.
205 Durable cookies are shared with all tabs that are opened after they are made durable and are preserved even when Privacy Browser is restarted.
206 This allows users to stay logged in to sites of their choosing. No cookies are durable by default. Making a cookie durable requires specific user interaction.
210 All other cookies are specific to the tab where they are created and are destroyed when the tab is closed.
214 <!-- DOM storage. -->
215 <sect2 id="dom-storage">
216 <title>DOM storage</title>
219 <ulink url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_storage">DOM (Document Object Model) storage</ulink>, also knows as web storage, allows web pages to store information on a client device.
220 The storage capacity is larger than for cookies and the data is not automatically sent in the headers with every HTTP request.
221 In Privacy Browser, each website is allowed to store a <ulink url="https://arty.name/localstorage.html">5 MB of data</ulink> in DOM storage.
222 DOM storage requires JavaScript to function, and, in addition, requires an extra toggle to be enabled.
223 In Privacy Browser, DOM storage is limited to the tab where it is created and is destroyed when the tab is closed.
228 <sect2 id="indexeddb">
229 <title>IndexedDB</title>
232 <ulink url="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/IndexedDB_API">IndexedDB</ulink>
233 provides web pages with a local database where they can store “significant amounts of structured data”.
234 There is disagreement on the internet about the maximum size of an IndexedDB database, probably because the various rendering engines keep changing their mind.
235 But it is usually listed at somewhere between 20% and 80% of <emphasis>your entire hard drive</emphasis> with each individual domain limited to some segment of that.
236 IndexedDB requires JavaScript to function.
237 In Privacy Browser, this database is limited to the tab where it is created and is destroyed when the tab is closed.
241 <!-- Service Workers. -->
242 <sect2 id="service-workers">
243 <title>Service Workers</title>
246 <ulink url="https://developer.chrome.com/docs/workbox/service-worker-overview/">Service workers</ulink> are offline JavaScript proxies of a website. They have their own cache that is usually hidden and hard to clear.
247 They were designed by people who want the web browser to become the operating system and run full “apps”.
248 In Privacy Browser, service workers are limited to the tab where they are created and are destroyed when the tab is closed.
252 <!-- Filesystem API. -->
253 <sect2 id="filesystem-api">
254 <title>Filesystem API</title>
257 The <ulink url="https://developer.chrome.com/articles/file-system-access/">filesystem API</ulink> grants the browser direct access to the files on your system.
258 Like service workers, the filesystem API is a summarily bad idea thought up by those who want the browser to become an operating system.
259 Even when JavaScript and local storage are enabled, the filesystem API does not work in Privacy Browser.
265 <sect1 id="user-agent">
266 <title>User Agent</title>
269 The user agent is a text string that is sent as part of every HTTP header that identifies the browser to the web server.
270 Privacy Browser's default user agent is <code>PrivacyBrowser/1.0</code>.
271 Qt WebEngine 5.15.12’s default user agent is <code>Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) QtWebEngine/5.15.12 Chrome/87.0.4280.144 Safari/537.36</code>.
275 Over the years user agents have become quite lengthy,
276 partially because they tend to include a <ulink url="https://webaim.org/blog/user-agent-string-history/">brief history of the internet</ulink>.
277 In the modern world they serve almost no good purpose, but some web developers still think they need them so they can send different version of their website to different browsers.
278 Some servers <ulink url="https://www.stoutner.com/user-agent-problems/">refuse to function correctly</ulink> if they don't like the user agent that is sent.
282 At some point in the future Privacy Browser will send no user agent by default.
283 Not only is that currently impossible because the Qt WebEngine doesn't allow you to not send a user agent (I will probably have to fork it to enable that functionality),
284 but even web servers that don't care what the user agent is often refuse to send an answer if there is no user agent at all.
285 Getting rid of this relic of the internet is going to take some time and a retraining of common expectations.
289 <!-- Domain Settings. -->
290 <sect1 id="domain-settings">
291 <title>Domain Settings</title>
294 Domain setting make it easy to automatically change JavaScript, local storage, user agent, and other settings when the domain changes.
295 Domain settings for the current domain can be accessed through the domain settings button at the far right of the URL line edit.
296 Domain settings for all domains can be accessed through the settings menu. When domain settings are active, the URL line edit will have a green background.
302 <chapter id="commands">
303 <title>Command Reference</title>
305 <!-- Main Window. -->
306 <sect1 id="main-window">
307 <title>The main &privacybrowser; window</title>
311 <title>The File Menu</title>
315 <!-- File > New Tab. -->
316 <varlistentry id="file-new-tab">
320 <keycombo action="simul">&Ctrl;<keycap>T</keycap></keycombo>
322 <guimenu>File</guimenu>
323 <guimenuitem>New Tab</guimenuitem>
329 <action>Create a new tab.</action>
334 <!-- File > New Window. -->
335 <varlistentry id="file-new-window">
339 <keycombo action="simul">&Ctrl;<keycap>N</keycap></keycombo>
341 <guimenu>File</guimenu>
342 <guimenuitem>New Window</guimenuitem>
348 <action>Create a new window.</action>
353 <varlistentry id="file-save">
357 <keycombo action="simul">&Ctrl;<keycap>S</keycap></keycombo>
359 <guimenu>File</guimenu>
360 <guimenuitem>Save</guimenuitem>
366 <action>Saves the document</action>
371 <varlistentry id="file-quit">
375 <keycombo action="simul">&Ctrl;<keycap>Q</keycap></keycombo>
377 <guimenu>File</guimenu>
378 <guimenuitem>Quit</guimenuitem>
384 <action>Quits</action> &privacybrowser;
392 <!-- Examples how to use the common menus Settings and Help -->
393 <sect2 id="settings-help-menu">
394 <title>The Settings and Help Menu</title>
397 &privacybrowser; has the common &kde; <guimenu>Settings</guimenu> and <guimenu>Help</guimenu>
398 menu items, for more information read the sections about the <ulink url="help:/fundamentals/ui.html#menus-settings"
399 >Settings Menu</ulink> and <ulink url="help:/fundamentals/ui.html#menus-help">Help Menu</ulink>
400 of the &kde; Fundamentals.
404 <sect2 id="help-menu1">
405 <title>The Help Menu</title>
408 &privacybrowser; has the common &kde; <guimenu>Help</guimenu> menu item, for more information read the section
409 about the <ulink url="help:/fundamentals/ui.html#menus-help">Help Menu</ulink> of the &kde; Fundamentals.
413 <sect2 id="menu-commands">
414 <title>Menu Items</title>
417 Apart from the common &kde; menus described in the <ulink url="help:/fundamentals/ui.html#menus">Menu</ulink>
418 chapter of the &kde; Fundamentals documentation &privacybrowser; has these application specific menu entries:
422 <sect2 id="help-menu2">
423 <title>The Help Menu</title>
426 &privacybrowser; has a default &kde; <guimenu>Help</guimenu> menu as described in the
427 <ulink url="help:/fundamentals/ui.html#menus-help">&kde; Fundamentals</ulink>
428 with two additional entries:
436 <title>Questions and Answers</title>
438 <!-- (OPTIONAL but recommended) This chapter should include all of the silly
439 (and not-so-silly) newbie questions that fill up your mailbox. This chapter
440 should be reserved for BRIEF questions and answers! If one question uses more
441 than a page or so then it should probably be part of the
442 "Using this Application" chapter instead. You should use links to
443 cross-reference questions to the parts of your documentation that answer them.
444 This is also a great place to provide pointers to other FAQ's if your users
445 must do some complicated configuration on other programs in order for your
446 application work. -->
448 <qandaset id="faqlist">
451 <para>My Mouse doesn't work. How do I quit &privacybrowser;?</para>
455 <para>You silly goose! Check out the <link linkend="commands">Commands Section</link> for the answer.</para>
461 <para>Why can I not twiddle my documents?</para>
466 You can only twiddle your documents if you have the foobar.lib installed.
474 <chapter id="credits">
475 <title>Credits and License</title>
478 Program copyright 2016-2017,2021-2023 Soren Stoutner <ulink url="mailto:soren@stoutner.com">soren@stoutner.com</ulink>.
484 <listitem><para>Translations will be added in a future release.</para></listitem>
488 <!-- The program license. -->
492 Documentation copyright 2023 Soren Stoutner <ulink url="mailto:soren@stoutner.com">soren@stoutner.com</ulink>.
495 <!-- The documentation license. -->