ublock question

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ianas

ublock question

Unread post by ianas » 2017-11-25, 06:30

I've been using PaleMoon with the old xpcom ublock-origin and uBlock Origin Updater from
https://addons.palemoon.org/addon/ublock0-updater/
unfortunately ublock0-updater is not compatible (installable) with Basilisk
I did try the webext version of ublock but as I had quite a few issues with some other webext addons I removed it and reverted to the old version from https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/tag/1.14.18
my question being what is the preferred version of ublock for Basilisk the xpcom or webext and does anybody know if uBlock Origin Updater for PaleMoon will be updated for Basilisk

JustOff

Re: ublock question

Unread post by JustOff » 2017-11-25, 10:27

ianas wrote:unfortunately ublock0-updater is not compatible (installable) with Basilisk
That's not true, you just have to install it from GitHub (the link in the description).

Smokey20

Re: ublock question

Unread post by Smokey20 » 2017-11-25, 13:47

I've only been using ublock origin on gecko browsers (on Chrome for longer) for less than a year. Why do you need a special updater for it? Can't you update from AMO? (It's just one of several blockers I use including strict block with Fx Tracking Protection in normal mode).

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Re: ublock question

Unread post by doofy » 2017-11-25, 18:27

When uBO sends an update request, it sends it to AMO. It might not get an appropriate response.

uBO updater intercepts the update req and sends it to github

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Re: ublock question

Unread post by Moonraker » 2017-11-25, 20:11

go into UBO settings >changelog and download the firefox api from there......
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Re: ublock question

Unread post by gracious1 » 2017-11-25, 22:57

Well, no one has answered your original question, as to whether the XUL/XPCOM or the WebExt edition of uBlock Origin is better. I don't know of any objective measurements, so I can only offer a subjective obversation, that the XUL/XPCOM edition works better for me.

IMHO, I don't really see any advantage to switching from a mature technology XUL/XPCOM to a fledgeling technology like WebExtensions.
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ianas

Re: ublock question

Unread post by ianas » 2017-11-26, 00:44

yes the webext/xpcom issue was my question the current webext ublock did install and seamed to work under Basilisk but the webext tanpermonkey although did install did not work
I was asking for a way to prevent Basilisk from updating the xpcom to webext I'll just have to turn off auto-update and keep an aye when I do updates as to not update to the webext version (this was the reason uBlock Origin Updater is used in PaleMoon)

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Re: ublock question

Unread post by gracious1 » 2017-11-26, 04:26

ianas wrote:I was asking for a way to prevent Basilisk from updating the xpcom to webext I'll just have to turn off auto-update and keep an aye when I do updates as to not update to the webext version (this was the reason uBlock Origin Updater is used in PaleMoon)
Install the XUL/XPCOM edition of from Github, following the instructions posted in this tutorial: How to install uBlock Origin in Pale Moon 27. (It was meant for Pale Moon but will work with Basilisk). When you follow those intructions, then uBO will not automatically update or notify you of updates. AMO will not push its WebExtension edition onto your system (because AMO had nothing to do with the installation).

So how to get updates?
  1. You can repeat those instructions to check every now and then for updates and install them.
  2. If you want automatic notifications and/or updates, then install JustOff's uBlock Origin Updater (note the link is to Github not Pale Moon Addons Site). This will not change your edition of uBO from XUL/XPCOM to WebExtension, but it will update the version (e.g. from 1.14.16 to 1.14.18).
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ianas

Re: ublock question

Unread post by ianas » 2017-11-26, 10:48

I wasn't aware that gorhill developed 3 different ublock-origin packages
the one on AMO is webext only an xpcom can be found on gorhill github page
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/
but if I understood correctly the one from github does not update automatically

Smokey20

Re: ublock question

Unread post by Smokey20 » 2017-11-26, 13:32

Why would anyone have automatic updates turned on? You must have Windows 10 and thus be habituated to having little control over your own computer. :roll: (I am about to enter that hell with a new computer running UGH Windows 10 Pro). I've always had automatic everything turned off with Windows Update disabled in Services and updating for extensions on Gecko browsers set to never check for updates and I check manually. There is a problem though with updates for extensions on Basilick, even when turned off, still downloading the update which is the antithesis of what you want which is to check for updates manually and only when you decide to check.

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Re: ublock question

Unread post by gracious1 » 2017-11-26, 20:38

ianas wrote:I wasn't aware that gorhill developed 3 different ublock-origin packages
the one on AMO is webext only an xpcom can be found on gorhill github page
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/
but if I understood correctly the one from github does not update automatically
Yes, that is outlined in the tutorial I referenced above. If you read and follow the instructions you will get exactly what you want.
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Re: ublock question

Unread post by coffeebreak » 2017-11-26, 20:47

ianas wrote:I wasn't aware that gorhill developed 3 different ublock-origin packages
the one on AMO is webext only . . . .

On AMO the different uBO "packages" do exist, but serially in different releases.
The last xul release on AMO was uBO v1.13.8.

Version 1.13.10 was released as a web-extension hybrid; v1.14.0 was the first pure web extension.
As I understand it, the hybrid is meant to facilitate migrating your uBO profile from the xul to webex version. (There's information on this in the release notes on AMO and Github.)
ianas wrote:but if I understood correctly the one from github does not update automatically

Yes.
Installing from Github does not cause future updates to be served from Github.
It needs the uBO-Updater for that to happen.
gracious1 wrote:When you follow those intructions, then uBO will not automatically update or notify you of updates. AMO will not push its WebExtension edition onto your system (because AMO had nothing to do with the installation).

If I've got this wrong hopefully someone knowledgeable will correct me...

Installing from Github doesn't immunize the browser from getting served updates from AMO.
I think the reason PM doesn't get pushed the WebExtension is because PM advertises itself to AMO as FF 27.*.

Starting with uBO 1.13.10, Gorhill bumped the FF min/max compat versions (to minVersion 54.0, maxVersion 56.* ) and also removed the Pale Moon application block. (This was not done to the XUL/"Legacy" versions that exist only on github.)

Basilisk is in a different boat though, because it advertises itself to AMO as FF 55.*.
So if xul-uBO is installed from github, AMO may still offer webext updates unless updates are simply turned off or are shifted to the Updater tool. Because AMO will see Basilisk as meeting the compatibility criteria.

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Re: ublock question

Unread post by gracious1 » 2017-11-26, 21:20

coffeebreak wrote:
ianas wrote: the one on AMO is webext only . . . .

On AMO the different uBO "packages" do exist, but serially in different releases.
The last xul release on AMO was uBO v1.13.8.
After 1.13.8, there is only WebExtension available on AMO. The "latest version" as advertised at AMO (which as of this writing is 1.14.18) is WebExtension; you cannot access the XUL/XPCOM edition from there. So I think that's what ianas meant by "the one on AMO is WebExt-only".
Last edited by gracious1 on 2017-11-26, 21:41, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: ublock question

Unread post by gracious1 » 2017-11-26, 21:35

coffeebreak wrote:Installing from Github doesn't immunize the browser from getting served updates from AMO. [โ€ฆ] I think the reason PM doesn't get pushed the WebExtension is because PM advertises itself to AMO as FF 27.*.[โ€ฆ] Basilisk is in a different boat though, because it advertises itself to AMO as FF 55.*. So if xul-uBO is installed from github, AMO may still offer webext updates unless updates are simply turned off or are shifted to the Updater tool. Because AMO will see Basilisk as meeting the compatibility criteria.
I just tested this on 2017.11.13 (64-bit) running in Ubuntu 14.04, and you are absolutely correct! :silent: Here's what I did:
  1. Turn off automatic updates in Basilisk's Add-ons Manager
  2. Install version 1.14.16 of uBlock Origin for XPCOM (uBlock0.firefox.xpi) from Github.
  3. In Add-ons Manager, check for updates.
  4. Install fetched update of uBlock Origin.
  5. Open dashboard (preferences). URL in Location Bar starts with moz-extension. It's a WebExtension :o
Also happens with Stylish, etc.

This is bad newsโ€ฆ The user has to be very careful not to accidentally update uBlock Origin, etc. whilst updating their extensions. :problem:
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ianas

Re: ublock question

Unread post by ianas » 2017-11-28, 10:26

that didn't to me
I installed the xpcom version of ublock-origin 1.14.18 from github
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/relea ... irefox.xpi
I installed ublock-updater from github
https://github.com/JustOff/ublock0-upda ... -1.3.0.xpi
did an update in basilisk addons, ublock didn't update it's still the xpcom version it opens the xpcom settings page to chrome://ublock0/content/dashboard.html
amo still has 1.14.18 so I can't comment if it will happen or not
maybe you guys installed the beta version?
a temporary workaround would be to use the stable build
I did notice a lot of webext addons that worked in Firefox 54-56 don't work in basilisk
but come on basilisk just came out give it time to iron out the bugs

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Re: ublock question

Unread post by gracious1 » 2017-11-28, 11:10

ianas wrote:that didn't to me
I installed the xpcom version of ublock-origin 1.14.18 from github
You didn't follow my steps to reproduce. You installed the latest release.
So naturally it didn't update.
I deliberately installed an older version to see what would happen when Add-ons Manager checked for updates. Re-read my post; I installed 1.14.16 for the test, and I did not have uBlock Origin Updater installed.

Try installing version 1.14.16. (Disable uBlock Origin Updater first). I think you will find that you will reproduce the "upgrade" to WebExtensions.
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Smokey20

Re: ublock question

Unread post by Smokey20 » 2017-11-28, 11:10

gracious1 wrote:
coffeebreak wrote:
ianas wrote: the one on AMO is webext only . . . .

On AMO the different uBO "packages" do exist, but serially in different releases.
The last xul release on AMO was uBO v1.13.8.
After 1.13.8, there is only WebExtension available on AMO. The "latest version" as advertised at AMO (which as of this writing is 1.14.18) is WebExtension; you cannot access the XUL/XPCOM edition from there. So I think that's what ianas meant by "the one on AMO is WebExt-only".
No, all versions are still available on AMO and should be (if the dev doesn't remove his/her extension entirely) until next July when the new version of Fx ESR is pushed internally to its users. After that, Mozilla will probably remove all XUL extensions from AMO. Plus, the Classic Addons Archive has most of the older versions.

You need to click on Classic Desktop site down at the bottom of the new extremely childish, ugly AMO site and you will then do a search for uBlock Origin and to see all versions go to the bottom of the uBlock page and click on Expand Version Information, and then below that expansion, click on See Complete Version History.

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Re: ublock question

Unread post by coffeebreak » 2017-11-28, 13:28

ianas wrote:that didn't to me
I installed the xpcom version of ublock-origin 1.14.18 from github...
...maybe you guys installed the beta version?

No, it was the xul/xpcom stable release version.
But as mentioned above, you do have to trigger an update from an actual lower version to see this happen (I used 1.14.16).

AMO isn't seeing "xul/xpcom" 1.14.18 as a lower version than "webex" 1.14.18.

You maybe thought of it that way, which is why you tested using same version number :).
But that's not what AMO saw when it checked whether to serve the update.

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Re: ublock question

Unread post by gracious1 » 2017-11-29, 22:31

Smokey20 wrote:No, all versions are still available on AMO [etc.]
You are confusing "version" meaning release number and "version" referring to the extension technology used. This is why I use "version" to refer to release number and "edition" to refer to the latter.

At AMO:
  • Versions 1.13.8 and earlier are XUL/XPCOM editions.
  • Version 1.13.10 is WebExt-Hybrid
  • Versions 1.14.0 and later are WebExtensions.
So if you want to get the XUL/XPCOM edition of uBlock Origin beyond version (release) 1.13.8, you cannot get it from AMO. You have to get it from elsewhere (that is, from github.com).
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ianas

Re: ublock question

Unread post by ianas » 2017-11-30, 04:45

I installed 1.4.18 from github got an update today to 1.4.20 the update is the xpcom version
but I do have ublock-updater installed it might be blocking amo updates for ublock I'm not sure

that being said basilisk is suppoesd to have webext support we shuldn't be treating webext as something evil to be avoided
I did try the webext version of ublock and it seamed to work fine
on the other hand I tried a few other webext based addons like tampermonkey and it did not work with basilisk I think we should wait for the december 5th update and see the state of webext if there are issues we should report them over at github so they get fixed

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