searx-qt/docs/index.rst

********
searx-qt
********

Lightweight desktop application for searx
#########################################

This document is work in progress; as is the searx-qt project.

.. _index:

******
Index
******

- `Index <index_>`_

- `About <about_>`_
- - `Summary <about/summary_>`_
- - `Source <about/source_>`_
- - `License <about/license_>`_
- - `Dependencies <about/dependencies_>`_

- `Getting started <getting_started_>`_
- - `Install dependencies <getting_started/install_dependencies_>`_
- - `Installation <getting_started/installation_>`_

- `Usage <usage_>`_
- - `Settings <usage/settings_>`_
- - `Instances <usage/instances_>`_
- - `Search <usage/search_>`_

.. _about:

******
About
******

.. _about/summary:

Summary
#######

searx-qt is a lightweight desktop application that lets you search on
public searx instances listed on `https://searx.space`.

Technically searx-qt is a client application that does magic with the searx
API and searx-stats2 it's instances.json


searx
-----
Actual search requests will be made to a server running searx software, there
are many public available. We call such servers 'instances'.

If you are not familiar with the searx project; you can checkout their page
here: https://asciimoo.github.io/searx/ or https://searx.me/

- API Docs: https://asciimoo.github.io/searx/dev/search_api.html
- Source: https://github.com/asciimoo/searx
- License: GPLv3


searx-stats2
------------
The searx-stats2 project lists public searx instances with statistics. The
original instance is running at https://searx.space/. This is where searx-qt
will request a list with instances when the update button is pressed.

- Source: https://github.com/dalf/searx-stats2
- License: GPLv3


.. _about/source:

Source
######
- git: https://notabug.org/CYBERDEViL/searx-qt
- ssh: git@notabug.org:CYBERDEViL/searx-qt.git

.. _about/license:

License
#######
- GPLv3
- https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html

.. _about/dependencies:

Dependencies
############

========  =========  =========  =====
 name      version    license    URL
========  =========  =========  =====
python    3          PSFL       https://docs.python.org/3/license.html
requests             Apache 2   http://docs.python-requests.org/en/master/
PyQt5                GPLv3      https://www.riverbankcomputing.com/software/pyqt/intro
========  =========  =========  =====

Optional for socks proxy support:

========  =========  =========  =====
 name      version    license    URL
========  =========  =========  =====
pysocks              BSD        https://github.com/Anorov/PySocks
========  =========  =========  =====


.. _getting_started:

****************
Getting started
****************

.. _getting_started/install_dependencies:

Install dependencies
####################

Debian / Ubuntu based
---------------------
Install required dependencies::

    # apt update
    # apt upgrade
    # apt install python3 python3-requests python3-pyqt5

**Optional** for socks proxy support::

    # apt install python3-socks


Arch based
----------
Install required dependencies::

    # pacman -Syu python python-requests python-pyqt5

**Optional** for socks proxy support::

    # pacman -S python-pysocks


.. _getting_started/installation:

Installation
############
TODO

.. _usage:

******
Usage
******

.. _usage/settings:

Settings
########

.. image:: images/settings.png
    :align: right

Verify (SSL)
------------
Request will fail on a invalid SSL/TLS certificate.

Leave checked if unsure.

See https://requests.readthedocs.io/en/master/user/advanced/#ssl-cert-verification
for a more technical description.

Timeout
-------
Timeout in seconds for a single request.

Leave it at the default value of 10 seconds if unsure.

See https://requests.readthedocs.io/en/master/user/advanced/#timeouts for a
more technical description.

Proxy
-----
Here you can set a proxy that will be used for every connection searx-qt
makes. Leave the input field blank to use no proxy.

The 'Http' section can be used to proxy plain http:// requests to for
example instances without a certificate. The 'Https' section can be used
to proxy all https:// requests to instances (including fetching the
instances list data from https://searx.space) with a certificate. So you
can use a separate proxy for both protocols.

If you use a socks4 or socks5 proxy you probably want to make sure the
'Proxy DNS' checkbox is checked so DNS requests will also go through the
proxy. DNS proxy is not available for a http proxy type.

.. _usage/instances:

Instances
#########
.. image:: images/instances.png
    :align: right

A instance is a server running the searx project. Since we want to
preform searches to searx instance(s) we need addresses of those
instance(s); those will be fetched from
``https://searx.space/data/instances.json``. The ``instances.json``
from ``search.space`` also contains a lot of other data about the
instances it lists which we can use to filter instances based on our
preferences.

The interface to manage instances is on the right. This is used to update
the instances data with a press on the 'Update' button; filter the
instances and browse/use the leftover instances in the instances table.


Update instances table
----------------------
If searx-qt is used for the first time you will need to update the
instances table. There is a 'Update' button between the Filter and the
Table that can be used for this. searx-qt will not update this automatically!

It maybe useful to update the instances data so now and then since public
instances appear, disappear and their stats change over time.

Instances table
---------------
The instances table can be used to browse instances with their data that
remain after all filters. The table is also used to set the current
instance by left-clicking on one.

Right-clicking in the table opens a context-menu from where you can do the following:

- Blacklist selected instance(s).
- Copy selected instance(s) it's/their URL(s).
- Select All instances (CTRL+A should do the same).
- Hide or show columns.

The currently used instance should also be visible bottom right in the
application it's status-bar.

Filter instances
----------------
When a filter is enabled and the instance it's value that is being
matched is unknown then it is excluded by default!

Network
=======
Filter instances on network type. Only instances that match one of the
checked network types remain.

Require ASN privacy
===================
Excludes instances that run their server at a known malicious network. Like for example CloudFlare, Google, Akamai etc..

This does not give any guarantee, it only filters **known** privacy violators!

For a full list of known malicious networks (technical): https://github.com/dalf/searx-stats2/blob/master/searxstats/data/asn.py

Require IPv6
============
Exclude instances that don't have at least one IPv6 address.

Version
=======
Include only instances that have a searx version that has been added to
this widget. Leave empty to allow all searx version.

Blacklist
=========
Here are the URLs of the instances that have been manually blacklisted
listed. There is a button right to each blacklist item to remove it from
the blacklist.

You can manually blacklist a instance by right clicking on a instance in
the instances table and click 'Add to blacklist'; multiple instances can
be blacklisted at once.

.. _usage/search:

Search
######

Search bar
------------------------
.. image:: images/search_bar.png

Fallback
========
If checked it will pick a random instance from the instances table if a
search request fails one way or another and re-try the same request with
the freshly picked instance. There is a maximum amount of 10 tries (10
different instances to try the same request on).

What is fail?

- Connection errors including timeout.
- Wrong status code (not 200).
- No or malformed results returned.

Random every
============
If checked it will automatically pick a random instance on a search request,
it will also hide the 'Random search button' because it makes it obsolete.

If not checked it will do search requests on the same instance unless the
request fails somehow and 'Fallback' is checked. Exception is when the
'Random search button' is used for the search request.

Random search button
====================
When pressed it will pick a random instance from the list and preform the
search request.

Reload button
=============
When pressed it basically preforms a search request without 'Fallback'
whenever it is enabled or not, it also doesn't reset the page number. So
it can act as a reload button thus it's name, but it does more.

Note: When a search argument like the search query, instance URL,
categories/engines etc. has changed by user interaction it will do the
request with those changes, that isn't a real reload of the previous
request.

Dev-note: Probably this behavior should change or the name/icon should
change to something more fitting.

Search button
=============
Preform a search request on the currently selected instance.

Page number is reset, 'Fallback' and 'Random Every' options are honored.

Search query input
==================
The query you like to search for.

See https://asciimoo.github.io/searx/user/search_syntax.html for what is
possible.

It will do a search request on ``enter`` key pressed, same behavior as when the 'Search button' has been pressed.



Search options
--------------
.. image:: images/search_options.png

Right clicking in (on the picture above) the dark area opens a
context-menu where you can manage what options you want to be visible or
not.

.. _usage/search/options/categories:

Categories
==========
These are predefined by searx but can vary by instance. Example if
'Images' is checked it will only use engines with images enabled. If
'Files' is checked it will only use engines with files enabled.

searx-qt only passes this info to a searx instance with a search request,
it will not automatically filter the instances table (yet).

Engines
=======
Here you can toggle what search engines should be enabled. It will
automatically filter out all instances from the instances table that doesn't
have at least one of the checked engines enabled. The checked engines will
be send with a search request to a searx instance with the `enabled_engines`
param. You should only get results from engines that are checked.

If no engine is checked it means that it may return results of any engine
in the list, unless one or more of the `categories <usage/search/options/categories_>`_ are checked.

The list with engines is created with data from the instances table, so
only engines are listed that are available from the instances table.

Period
======
Search period you like results from. Options are ``Last day``,
``Last week``, ``Last month`` or ``Last year``.

Language
========
If you want results in a specific language than you can select one here.