suggestions for a good ad-blocker

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Lucio Chiappetti
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suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by Lucio Chiappetti » 2025-02-02, 16:07

Given the retirement of ABL viewtopic.php?f=46&t=32037, I did a very quick investigation on addons.palemoon.org and I am now asking for advice:
  1. for a solution for me, I am not afraid to spend a few time at the beginning to customize/optimize (I have just made an upgrade of a laptop Xubuntu 22->24 and related fvwm window manager 2.6>3.0 nd it was quite fun) but I do not want to spend time every day chasing after new annoying site (like I did for antispam with procmail in early times, before we moved to Spamassassin with bayesian learning filters, I still regret we are no longer using it)
  2. for a solution for a friend (not computer savvy, no English, uses Windows) which in due time I introduced to Pale Moon with ABL
It looks like there are three solutions
  1. Keep ABL. It won't be updated, but the filters, and will continue running as now
  2. ηMatrix seems the most complete tool, mantained by a Pale Moon user, but looks intimidating "After installation, ηMatrix will break the majority of the websites you visit" and a requiring a large work at beginning. Is there a documentation to be previewed ?
  3. uBlock origin. I am puzzled, also reading other posts, by the fact it is hosted externally, and the maintenance status and installation procedure is not clear. Given my scarce/null familiarity with gitHub, I could not easily find the way and what to install. I found a page (with a sad marking by JustOff "the war has come to my city") from where I could retrieve a file viewtopic.php?f=46&t=32037 apparently dated 2021.
    Is this the version to use ?
    What am I supposed to do with this file ? move it to the extensions directory of my profile, and then restart Pale Moon ?
So for my friend I guess it will be b.1 or b.3. For me I'm uncertain (would place a.1 last) between a.3 and a.2.
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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by vannilla » 2025-02-02, 16:31

In order to avoid misunderstandings: ηMatrix is a "request control panel" which means it lets you decide which resources the browser will requests when visiting a website. Resources are categorized and you can enable or disable each category independently.
Ads are blocked only by virtue of them coming from third party domains, that is, websites which are not the one you are visiting. Since requests to third parties are blocked out of the box, ads are blocked too.
If I were to create a website where ads are served directly from the same domain, you would not be able to block them with ηMatrix only. You can see this in action on YouTube, for example.
There is documentation linked from within the extension's settings page. Most settings have a tooltip explaining their purpose, too.

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back2themoon
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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by back2themoon » 2025-02-02, 17:05

Lucio Chiappetti wrote:
2025-02-02, 16:07
I found a page (with a sad marking by JustOff "the war has come to my city") from where I could retrieve a file viewtopic.php?f=46&t=32037 apparently dated 2021.
Is this the version to use ?
No, it is not. You have two different, similar uBO versions to choose from:

1. https://addons.palemoon.org/extensions/ ... -security/

You will find uBlock Origin listed there. That will lead you to a GitHub page. It is not JustOff's version. Scroll down to assets, and download the .xpi file. Then, go to Pale Moon's Add-on Manager and use "Install Add-ons from file"

2. https://msfn.org/board/topic/183923-ext ... nt-1258602

Installation is similar. Find the link to the latest version, download the .xpi file and install it from the Add-on Manager.

Use only one of the two.

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back2themoon
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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by back2themoon » 2025-02-02, 17:59

And there's always the paid solution of Adguard for Windows (and Mac). It works at the OS level, so all browsers are covered. Reliable lifetime license discounts can be usually found online.

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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by Lucio Chiappetti » 2025-02-02, 18:47

back2themoon wrote:
2025-02-02, 17:05
  1. https://addons.palemoon.org/extensions/ ... -security/
    You will find uBlock Origin listed there. That will lead you to a GitHub page. It is not JustOff's version.
  2. Scroll down to assets, and download the .xpi file.
  3. Then, go to Pale Moon's Add-on Manager and use "Install Add-ons from file"
  4. Use only one of the two.
  1. I went throught that route yesterday, and afier a bit of navigation looking for an xpi found uBlock0_1.16.4.30.firefox-legacy.xpi by JustOff
  2. I'd never thought to open the rather obscure Asset link :oops: , I see uBlock0_1.16.6b1.firefox-legacy.xpi dated 2024 ! Fine !
  3. what do you mean by Add-on manager ? about:addons? I see no "Install Add-ons from file" there
  4. Of course I won't use two versions of the same tool. I suppose also it is advised to disable ABL when running uBO and vv., at least while testing.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. (G.B. Shaw)

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back2themoon
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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by back2themoon » 2025-02-02, 19:09

Lucio Chiappetti wrote:
2025-02-02, 18:47
[*]what do you mean by Add-on manager ? about:addons? I see no "Install Add-ons from file" there
Yes. Add-ons Manager is its name, visible on several places. Click the top-right wheel button and you'll see the option to install from file.
Lucio Chiappetti wrote:
2025-02-02, 18:47
I suppose also it is advised to disable ABL when running uBO and vv., at least while testing.
It's advised to uninstall it completely.

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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by Lucio Chiappetti » 2025-02-02, 22:38

On my 33.5.1 GTK2 Linux it is Tools->Addons.
There is a tools icons, and there is indeed Install From File. Thanks :oops: Tomorrow I'll try.

BTW, some checks on how various tools fulfill my preferences:
  • the most annoying kind of ads for me are intrusive ones, like uncalled videos, uncalled sounds and popups
  • I'd appreciate that a blocker disables also in an effective way anti-adblocker-popups and messages
  • I'd appreciate it also ignores the GDPR cookie messages (I do not mind in accepting cookies as I have Cookie Exterminator, and anyhow they go with the session. I know that there is IDCAC extension, but in the past this interfered with some sites. Using IDCAC filter in the ad-blocker allows to disable per-site.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. (G.B. Shaw)

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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by moonbat » 2025-02-02, 22:50

Bear in mind that any adblocker is only as good as its filter subscriptions; you can find filter lists for GDPR and newsletter subscriptions, as well as country/region specific ones among other things for the adblocker of your choice from here.
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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by back2themoon » 2025-02-02, 22:51

All of that is handled by filterlists. Start with the defaults, and carefully add whatever is needed. Do not disable any default lists.

For more information, look at:

What's included in uBO but not enabled by default. There are links to home pages and information articles in the uBO UI.
FilterLists
AdGuard filters
EasyList

...and other resources.

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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by back2themoon » 2025-02-02, 23:13

As for "I don't care about cookies/IDCAC", I think the filterlist is abandoned by its author. He only provides browser extensions - and not for Pale Moon any more. The list below is dated November 2023:

https://www.i-dont-care-about-cookies.eu/abp/

You don't need an additional extension for that, anyway. The available cookie-related filterlists are enough (EasyList/AdGuard). Also enable the uBlock Annoyances list.

As mentioned by moonbat, also enable your local filterlist - EasyList Italy in your case which you can enable directly within uBO.

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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by Lucio Chiappetti » 2025-02-03, 22:02

First experiences with uBO (rather positive).
The user interface is perspicuous (only thing I did not like was the button in the navigation toolbar, which I moved to an auxiliary toolbar).
I added EasyList Italy and the two uBlock annoyances as suggested.
Then I scanned the very few sites where I had ad blocking disabled (including Pale Moon's own and disabled).
Then I scanned some sites I sometimes frequent ... uBO seems to hide effectively the anti-adblocker popups, while on the other hand I often see the GDPR cookie messages. On a few sites I frequent I find I can hide them using the uBO picker to add them to "my filters".

It would be slightly a pain to do that regularly (but after all acceptable) ... I'd like to find a good set of anti-GDPR filters.

Conversely I noted this concerning YT (which I frequent rarely, for seminaries or ceremonies, which are ad-free). I had to disable uBO on consent.youtube.com, otherwise it did not appear, and I could not select "reject all" to proceed

Finally, on a couple of discourse sites I had to add manually the domainname/assets/browser-detect-* (suggested elsewhere on thIs forum) since the uBO picker seemed not to take it (probably it is wrapped in some div)
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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by moonbat » 2025-02-03, 22:55

I've been using Easylist Cookie list and the built in cookie filters (make it a point to enable and refresh all the built in filters, for one) and haven't seen any cookie notices anywhere. The youtube issue is unusual. Do you use Youtube without signing in? Maybe they do that for videos marked 18 and over.
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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by Lucio Chiappetti » 2025-02-05, 14:53

moonbat wrote:
2025-02-03, 22:55
I've been using Easylist Cookie list and the built in cookie filters


To close all this ... I originally had enabled in the "annoyances" category the two uBlock lists at the end, and I got several cookie notices, specially from national (Italian) sites. I have now tried with Easylist Cookie, and that got rid of almost all of them. For the the residual ones (so far only one of those <I regulargly frequent) it it fully acceptable to use the picker and insert it into an exception list.
The youtube issue is unusual. Do you use Youtube without signing in? Maybe they do that for videos marked 18 and over.
I doubt the kind of stuff I view (seminaries or institutional ceremonies) fits with that :D. I get the content screen entering any YT pages (rigorously without login). Sometimes it appears after the video has started and then I have to "rewind it".
Could be ta iming problem.
I noticed on another site (for a major national newspaper) where a somewhat strange and large cookie popup appears, that uBO seems able to "autorespond" it with some delay (I see it flashing then I get apparently ad-free access) ... in this it behaves much better than ABL on that particular site, where I was forced to disable it per-site.

So I can say that so far I am quite satisfied with uBO, and I consider the issue closed. Thanks to all.
I haven't tried yet any online purchase (the old IDCAC filter simetime interfered).
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. (G.B. Shaw)

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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by back2themoon » 2025-02-05, 15:03

You can also add the AdGuard Cookie Notices filter. Copy/paste the code below into uBO/Filter lists/Custom/Import (at the bottom) and press Apply on top.

Code: Select all

https://filters.adtidy.org/extension/ublock/filters/18.txt#
This filter, along with Easylist Cookie and "uBlock filters – Annoyances" should cover most of it.

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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by Kand_in_Sky » 2025-02-05, 17:21

also use dnsforge.de for strictly rules
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Re: suggestions for a good ad-blocker

Unread post by Lucio Chiappetti » 2025-02-06, 19:21

Just to complement my tests ... uBO deals with cookie/GDPR messages as "cosmetic filtering", so at any time one can visualize them using the third button on the bottom of the site panel (without changing the rest of the filtering).
I'll keep in mind if having ignored the cookie warning creates problem (some commercial sites, rail tickets or theatres, combine cookie and privacy policy acceptance in one panel, and do not allow to check out if one has not accepted the privacy policy).
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. (G.B. Shaw)

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