µBlock, a lean and fast blocker

Bluhell Firewall is something like it which I use in Firefox (but I never use Firefox). Although it's high-performance, it has no other features or options besides tracking/ad blocking, but it works very well in that regard: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/bluhell-firewall/

Summarized from its description: lightweight (30KB compared to ~700KB of other popular adblockers), made with performance in mind. Uses just seven hard-coded blocking rules covering about 8400 .com and .net domains auto-generated from Easylist.

 

@luxi

Check this thread https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/im-just-blown-away-by-bluhell-firewall.364244/

 

Yes, particularly gorhill's posts in that thread. Furthermore, those 7 rules in Bluhell only cover Easylist - other important filterlists (like EasyPrivacy) are not supported (not to mention hosts files). Thus, comparing Bluhell with µBlock is totally misleading.

 

That's good to know, I hadn't bothered to look into the technical details. I'll happily stick with my HTTPSB/µBlock combo anyway.

 

For those interested, Gorhill has released version 0.7.0.2 of uBlock. It comes with Dynamic Filtering (Mini Http Switchboard), and new experimental features

https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Dynamic-filtering
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Experimental-features

Thankyou Gorhill for another fantastic release.

Regards.

 

Thank you for sharing

 

The experimental features are a nice addition. You can do that with NoScript in Firefox, but on some pages worked and on others it didn't and I didn't bother to try to find out why it doesn't always work.

 

I am using ublock with Chrome under Ubuntu. I have been having trouble with starting my browser and sometimes noticing that ads are not being blocked .. When I look at the ublock settings for 3rd party filters, I find that the multipurpose sections ("hosts" files) are all unchecked. The remaining 3rd party filters are correct. Also my personal filters ("Your filters") is blank and all my additions to this section are lost. The other settings seem to remain intact.

After several occurrences, I've noticed that this seems to be related to when ublock has been auto-updated. For example, when I started my browser today and noticed ads not being blocked, I found the hosts files in the multipurpose section all "unchecked" and "Your Filters" blank. It also appears that the extension was auto-updated today.

I also run ublock/chrome under windows and have not seen the problem there. And for what its worth .. I also use HTTP Switchboard and have not seen any problems with losing settings.

 

Looks to me like the extension was re-installed from scratch, hence you ended up with default settings. When you say "trouble with starting my browser", what do you mean specifically?

Do you have some kind of anti-malware or something? I know some users reported false positives triggered by the content of some built-in lists.

 

So I'm noticing a problem with the experimental features, which I would imagine can be remedied, but I'm stuck. On the site comicvine I'm trying to select the tabs "teams/friends/enemies" (can't seem to upload the pic for whatever reason), but with the ublock experimental features enabled they do not function.

When heading to the statistics page it tells me that these particular sites are blocked requests (as scene below)

By simply unticking the experimental feature this is no longer a problem, even though there are far more requests blocked under the stats tab (too many to put here, but they still include the two in the screen shot)

I tired to white list and filter those, but still nothing while experimental tabs are ticked. any clues?

 

I too have problems with experimental "local mirroring". One example: lesnumeriques.com: "jquery.com" scripts are not loaded, hence no "arrow" to browse the images (in top of the main page).

For the dynamic filter, the "important" prevents whitelisting by filterset, I don't think it should be "deemed important".

--

But I'd like to express my POV on the new "dynamic filtering". It looks like it's a good idea, but I think it's a bad idea.
I think you targeted µBlock for normal users. The advanced feature you added (dynamic filtering) is not usable for common people. Then we could say "bah, as long as it is usable for advanced people, it's ok". But no, this is not enough. Advanced people will need to see quickly what is blocked, and what to "unblock". And for that, a popup like HTTPSB with a list of elements blocked is the way to go (other examples: Noscript, Request Policy, NotScripts, ContentBlockHelper).

So I think you should let µBlock easy to use, with the choice for users to use a filterset (even if I think you should not activate more than 2 lists by default). It would be quick and low memory like in your tests (whatever options are used by users).
Then I think you should have another extension based on µBlock but with more features (HTTPSB or µMatrix), especially the popup UI (sorry to repeat myself with this popup). You could test experimental features in µMatrix, then when judged "ready", incorporate them in µBlock.

I hope my post won't annoy you, it's just a POV.

 

What version of uBlock?

You will have to help me help you here: I know nothing of this site, so I have no idea where to find "teams/friends/enemies" or "statistics page". Where are these things? Also, I need to know the filter lists you are using.

 

WIll have to agree to disagree. I am developing according to what I think is best. Project can be forked etc. so you may want to fork and create your own flavor of what you think is best, though I would appreciate you do not reuse the same name.

 

I absolutely love the local mirroring feature. I was going to write my own extension to do this but was still thinking of how to go about it the right way. Yes, it has some quirks at the moment (basically it can break some sites) but that's why it's an experimental feature (I hope to see it in µMatrix with behind-the-scene capability).

As for @Pilou42's thoughts, I tend to agree. It's definitely too simple for advanced users (that's why we have HTTPSB); however, as @gorhill stated on the wiki, the feature is "tucked away by default, and all dynamic filters are turned off by default", so in that case I don't see a problem.

 

I am no dev, so nothing to fear about fork from me. I just use tools some dev generously share. As I said, it was just a POV.

 

I believe mainstream users should be given the tools to protect themselves, whether they use it or not is up to them in the end. Mainstream users definitely will never install such tools as HTTPSB or NoScript or RequestPolicy. But surely it's worth trying to figure a way to simplify as much as possible the security/privacy features with the biggest bang for the buck and make these accessible to mainstream users. Maybe it could implemented in an easier way than it is now, and maybe I will figure something better than it is now, but removing these altogether is the opposite of what I want to achieve.

 

I probably did not word the problem correctly. The browser starts just fine. But sometimes, after I start browsing, I notice that it is no longer blocking some objects that had been previously filtered. When I investigate, I notice my filters are no longer present. I also notice that the host files in the multipurpose section are all unchecked.

I believe the problem is happening after ublock auto-updates. I'm using Ubuntu and not using any anti-malware.

Another observation that may be related: After this failure, I am unable to import my saved personal filters (I had previously exported the file). When I click "import and append" nothing really happens ... And "Apply Changes" remains greyed out. To import I must first manually edit the filter with a few characters. Then I can click "Apply Changes" ... And then I can import my previously saved filters without problem.

 

Ok I see. I will enter an issue in github (other users might have suffered the same problem) and investigate. Auto-update it's something I didn't test since a while now. By the sound of it, the js code failed somewhere in the auto-update code and leaving the extension in a bad state.

 

When you say "auto-updates", are you referring to the store auto-update, or uBlock's auto-update of its filter lists? I just tried uBlock's auto-update of filter lists many times, including forcing errors like remote server not reachable, and all was fine.

 

Yes, my apologies.

Ublock v. 0.7.0.2

FILTERS:

1. Parse and enforce cosmetic filters
2. Ublock filters
3. Ublock filters-privacy
4. East List
5. Easy Privacy
6. Fan Boy's Enhanced Tracking List
7. Anti thirdparty social
8. Fanboy's Annoyance list
9. Fnaboy's Socal Blocking List

In the shot below is the page in question (http://www.comicvine.com/swamp-thing/4005-15809/) and the "teams/friends/enemies" tabs shown simply will display new information without leaving the page when you click on them.

As for the statistics page, I was referring to Ublock's stats page (net requests)

To try and clarify, I have ublock dynamic filtering off and Http switchboard deactivated as well for this experiment. When I visit the page without experimental features everything seems to work just fine (when you type suggested results will appear, changing of the information tabs and all images appear) and the requests that are blocked in the Ublock stats page are:

1. bkrtx.com (script)
2. cbsi.com (image)
3. cbsimg.net (script)
4. google-analytics.com (script)
5. googleadservices.com (script)
6. googlesyndication.com (frame)
7. qualtrics.com (script)
8. typekit.net (Image)
9. yimg.com (Script)

Now, when I activate experimental features and reload the page, the functions of the page such as the search bar, the tabs I described above are broken and even certain images are no longer appearing. The requests blocked in the Ublock stat page are now:

1. bkrtx.com (script)
2. googlesyndication.com (frame)
3. typekit.net (Image)
4. yimg.com (script)

I hope this clarifies thing a bit, I will be glad to try and further explain with any information you, but visiting the page will clarify the search features and those tabs and then I'm sure you'll know exactly what I'm talking about

 

Ok I can see there something wrong happening. I will have to investigate further later or tomorrow, but turning off the feature for now is best. The data URI used to replace the net requests (for jquery library) are all well formed etc., but somehow the browser do not seem to accept these redirects, and no error messages at the console, as if all went well.

 

In my POV i like where @gorhill headed with uBlock. I have for many years used Noscript, requestpolicy and the like with firefox, and now HTTP SB and ublock for chrome. Once the configurations are setup, then its just maintenance. That is for us experienced users. But what about the others, the non technically inclined?

A new user that miraculously learned there are ways to block ads, that has then established an interest in pc security and privacy and feels it should be uphold, but does not want/understand the extreme learning curve and maintenance of HTTPSB, Noscript or Request policy. He finds himself happily content and safe that the little effort required to learn uBlock and its Dynamic filtering is far better than not having this Filtering at all. For the average user, (this is the goal here) gorhill has provided a way to achieve better than basic privacy and security while encouraging them to at least be aware of the more technical approaches. For us (me) little more experienced users, Dynamic filtering filtering is an excellent idea, in that it adds control, without the full blown capabilities of HTTP SB. Not that we dont understand, but we dont care for it much any more.

As Gorhill mentioned, there may be a way to make it clearer to describe how Dynamic Filtering works. I would like to see the following improvements; - When hovering over the red/grey squares it should read;

"click to allow full blocking by default to all websites"
"Click to allow full blocking to all subsequent websites under the domain name but allow main website"
"click to allow all 1st party scripts to the main site"
"Click to allow etc..."

I appreciate your work gorhill. Thank you.

PS no issues on my end with experimental features. Working great.

 

just tried this and I am one of those users that are would like to improve on security and get rid of redundant ads but not getting bogged down in a too much technical learning curve. So for me this works well. I also noticed that there is thread about hostsman and updates on this forum. So I am wondering, since I am already using Hostsman with the mvps list - what are the consequences. I think running hostsman with mvps covers me irrespective of any browser I am using however only for the list that I am importing or updating (mvps). Running ublock would provide additional cover but only for chrome. Is there any downside in running both?

 

I don't see any downside. Just un-select whatever lists in uBlock which is already covered by hostsman and they will complement each other.

 

Thank you for this quick clarification One more question - if I see the number of blocked items for a page, is it possible to find out what actually was blocked?