Opera Users- Site Preferences in Opera versus FireFox

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by aigle, Jun 9, 2007.

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  1. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    Here is a problem that you encounter while turning off java script globally in Opera and allowing javascript specifically for some sites via "site preferences".
    Suppose I turn off JS globally and then turn on on JS for two sites yahoo.com and google.com. Later I change my mind and via Site references I again turn of JS for Yahoo and Google.com.

    Ok, after few days I am surfing on Yahoo.com and I need JS on yahoo.com temporarily, so I turn on JS globally via F12. Insite of the fact that I have turned on JS globally, JS will remain disabled on Yahoo.com. It is because iof the fact that when I tuned off JS via site preferences Yaho.com is automatically added in a blacklist for JS and JS will not be enabled on Yahoo.com unless I enable it on Yahoo.com via site preferences. Now another problem, if I enable JS on Yaho.com via Site Preferences, it will not be disabled even when I disable JS globally. That,s a lot confusing and it,s a pain to use Site Preferences( as compared to NoScript In FireFox. In firefox when I enable JS globally, JS is enabled on all sites.)

    In Opera, once u go to site preferences and change settings for a site , these settings override global settings no matter what are the global settings for JS.
    If u enable JS for a site it is included in a white lis while if u disable JS for a site it is included as a blacklist and these lists are not affected by global settings.
    In FireFox NoScript it is different, if u enable JS for a site it is included in a white list and this white is not affected by global settings but if u disable JS for a site it is not included in a blacklist( unless u mark it untrusted) and so it is still under control by global settings. That makes life much easier with minimum loss of functionality.

    Same thing is true of all the settings u make via Site Preferences in Opera( cookies, Java, content, etc). Why it can,t be changed the way in FireFox. I mean enabling JS/ cookies globally should override the site specific setings while disabling JS/ cokies should not. That is much easier that curent settings. Is there a way to get this functionality? Imagine if I disable JS/ cookies for a site via site preferences and then forget. The site requires JS/ or Cookies for login, now even if I enable JS and cookies globally, I can,t sign in on this site.


    What are ur opinion about this? Have u ever noted this? I noted it just few days back while I am using Opera almost exclusively since about a year.
     
  2. Rmus

    Rmus Exploit Analyst

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    I just use F12 to enable|disable JavaScript, Popups, etc.

    For cookies: they are configured to use the Server Manager's stored cookies (Wilders, etc), and disable 3rd party cookies.

    If I have to enable cookies for a specific site (I downloaded a White Paper this morning from a site, requiring a cookie), all new cookies will delete on Exit.

    Site Preferences are nice, but I opt not to use them -- too much to keep track of. So easy just to manipulate global settings. I avoid fiddling and piddling as much as possible :)

    regards,

    -rich
     
  3. lodore

    lodore Registered Member

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    the only thing i miss in when using opera is no script.
    with opera i have to right click and select properties and enable javascript for that site.
    it takes quite alot of time for opera to make the change after clicking on ok.
    i wish opera would make a system more like noscript.
    lodore
     
  4. tayres

    tayres Guest

    Noscript is an elegant solution to handling Javascript.
     
  5. dylanfan

    dylanfan Registered Member

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    Hi...
    That's not a problem to my mind. Quite the contrary.
    That's the beauty and elegance of it, and that's exactly what it was designed for.

    I love this granularity. My way of doing things is to disable everything for every site by default. If I encounter a site for which I decide to turn on Javascript or something else, I just do it for that site through the "site preferences" option you mention, once and for all... That's it!

    After that, I never have to think about it again, my security is still 100% for any other site, and I still have access to whatever function I decide to allow for specific trusted sites. I can't think of any better way to surf the web, and frankly, I can't see any problem about that !?

    Using F12 (quick preferences) may be fine but it doesn't have the same granularity since the changes, although very fast to be tweaked, are global, which is less good from a security standpoint.

    Finally, don't forget that some sites incorporate components related to third party sites, so enabling some functionality (for instance Javascript) globally, be it for a few minutes (by F12 in Opera), gives permissions to the site you're visiting at the time AND to any other site this one may be dynamically related to. By using the method I recommend above, that kind of cross-permissions is avoided since the permissions I give to site1 do not apply to site2, even if site2 is in some way interwoven with site1.

    I disagree. Changes are implemented as soon as one confirms the tweak.

    Cheers
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2007
  6. lodore

    lodore Registered Member

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    yes it may be be impremented as soon as the tweak is confirmed.
    but when i press ok it takes quite a few seconds to go back to the webpage.
    during that time i cant look at anyother website.
    its even worse with portable opera at college.
    lodore
     
  7. dylanfan

    dylanfan Registered Member

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    No delay for me here on a w2k workstation. Same thing on a xpSP2 station.

    As far as Opera usb is concerned, I'm not completely satisfied with it (speed + stability)... But I would use it anyway had I not come upon an alternative solution which I've found to be incredibly reliable: creating one's own usb version of Opera, whatever the build may be.

    The way to do it is to install Opera (the real one) on a computer, tweak it as you like if you want, and then use a freeware called MarcOpera to transfer all the Opera files into a folder that's launcheable on a usb stick or even on a usb disk, or on another computer for the matter. It works like magic.

    The freeware is bilingual (Italian or English) and asks you to specify 1/ the source path of your installed Opera and 2/ the target folder for the usb'ed MarcOpera version you're about to create. The rest is plain sailing.

    The freeware may be found here (just click on 'MarcOpera4usb' to start the download):
    http://my.opera.com/babox/blog/opera-su-usb

    Same speed and stability and reliabilty as Opera on your own computer, except for the speed of the stick itself. Of course, as I already mentioned, a better way is to launch it on a usb hard disk, or even to copy/paste the new folder on whatever computer you want to use it on. No install required!

    Cheers
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2007
  8. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    Well I think it,s a matter of personal preference and liking. We all have many different likings, preferences etc.
    I don,t think myself so perfect in my decisions. Many times I want to cahnge settings for a site o default and the only way to do this to delete site preferences for that specific site and it will nt only delete JS settings but all other settings like cookies etc as well.
    I know but I do it for a very small surfing session so I don,t think it,s a big hazard.
    Although ur point seems valid but personally I have not yet reached this level of paranoia and I hope and wish not to be so.
    When u click on OK button, it does take a second or so and Ladore is just pointing about this delayed response of the window. Changes of course are implemented immediately.
     
  9. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    Same here.
     
  10. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    Thanks for this tip. BTW is it OK( I mean not against EULA etc) as I know Opera is not open source. Can it coexist independently along with the installed Opera without mesing with its settings, registry etc?

    Thanks
     
  11. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    I will now go for same routine. I deleted almost all of site secific settings and will rebuild these settings for selected sitecarefuly while using mostly F12( or custom buttons for that) when needed.

    No as user friendly as NoScript in FireFox.
     
  12. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    I posted it on Opera forums as well and some user who reponded in that thread agree with me that in addition to current F12 option, there should be somehow a separate option that when u enable/ disable JS, cokies etc globally it will automatically over-ride site specific setings. Let,s see if sme of the developers respond there as well.

    BTW now the Q arises -- is it curently possible to over-ride site specific settings when I enable/ disable JS, cookies etc globally, by some ini. file modification etc? Any ideas?
     
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