# Hv3 User Manual

## Overview

## Essential Information

### Using a Statefile

Most popular browsers, including Internet Explorer and Firefox, store some data in the file-system. By default, Hv3 does not do this. When a browser window is closed, all data is discarded. This can be useful when using a public computer, or if you wish, for reasons of your own, to cover your tracks. However, it can also be inconveniant.

The alternative is to specify the "-statefile" option as part of the command line used to start Hv3. The -statefile option is used to specify a file on disk used to persistently store various elements of the browser application state. Windows users may need to create a "batch file" to achieve this. For example, assuming that the Hv3 binary is named "hv3-linux-nightly-07_0723" and you wish to use the file "/home/dan/hv3_state.db" as the statefile, the full command line would be:

      hv3-linux-nightly-07_0723 -statefile /home/dan/hv3_state.db

If enabled, Hv3 stores the following data in the statefile:

- HTTP cookies.
- The list of visited URIs (used for auto-completion in the location bar and for coloring visited hyperlinks).
- The values of the settings configured in the "Options" pull-down menu, except for the "Hide GUI" option.
- User bookmarks.

### Security Considerations

Whatever anyone else says, at time of writing all major browsers have some big security issues, known and unknown. These are ours:

1. Hv3 unconditionally accepts all cookies, regardless of origin. In my opinion this is not a problem, but some people think it is.

2. If javascript is enabled (the Options->Enable ECMAScript option), then Hv3 is vulnerable to cross-site scripting attacks. This means that if you visit a malicious site with javascript enabled, that site will be able to steal the contents of the cookies database and possibly access any web-accounts that use cookies to identify users.

   Other browsers are also vulnerable to similar attacks. But it's much easier for a malicious user to take advantage of Hv3.

   Unless you understand all the issues involved, I strongly recommend that you do not test out your online banking site with Hv3.

## Feature Guide

### Browsing the Web

### Searching the Web

### Bookmarks

### Find in Page

### Configuring Hv3