Pale Moon Ad Blocking Using UBO Not Working On YouTube Anymore

[Night Wing]

Off-topic:
@ andyprough

There is a male longboard surfer named Brian James who also discovered Haley's modified pop-up. His video is below. It is in 1080p HD which is the minimum HD I can watch without my poor vision seeing the video being not too clear as in being "fuzzy". Watch it in full screen mode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLRbDSHPbCo

Now you know why I have to stay with YouTube.

[tellu-white]

I'm also now seeing this announcement banner while using Adblock Latitude on YouTube.

I've made an add-on (YouTube Mobile for Desktop 4.0) that works well for me. Since I've been using it, no ads have ever appeared.
I don't use YouTube very often, so I don't know if this also influences the ads blocking, but without this add-on the ads come back.

In order for this add-on to work, the "general.useragent.override.youtube.com" MUST be "overridden" with one used by MOBILE devices (the value of "general.useragent.override.youtube.com" MUST contain the word "mobile").

When installed, this add-on sets the following value for "general.useragent.override.youtube.com":

Mozilla/5.0 (Android 13; Mobile; LG-M255; rv:108.0) Gecko/108.0 Firefox/108.0

This value can be changed by clicking on the add-on button.
To reset "general.useragent.override.youtube.com" to the DEFAULT value, leave the "User Agent" box empty (in the window opened by clicking the button).

My add-on also uses CSS code taken from the "YouTube Mobile for desktop 1.10.2" add-on for Firefox:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mobile-for-desktop/

By the way, I also use Adblock Latitude. However, I tested the add-on in a clean install of Pale Moon Portable 32.4.1 (in Windows) and it works fine.

If you want to try this add-on (YouTube Mobile for Desktop 4.0), to see if it also works for you, it can be downloaded here:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/f7e9wnfoag4wa0y/Youtube_Mobile_for_Desktop_4_0.zip/file

[Night Wing]

@ tellu-white

Thanks for the extension link. But I've got a few questions.

I know you tested this extension using Windows, but I use two linux distros which are Mint and MX Linux. With linux I'm used to working with tarballs. Not linux zip files since I haven't had too much luck with linux zip files since they seem to need the linux Terminal to be installed. And I'm awful at using the Terminal in linux. Most of the linux tarballs I use are .deb files so to install anything in linux with a .deb file, I use the Gdebi Package installer.

Second. I basically use two desktop tower computers. They are both connected to a 32" external monitor. If I can get this extension installed, since it says "Mobile" in the user agent, will it give me the same size screen which is like a mobile phone?

I've run across mobile applications before and when they are used on a 32" external monitor like mine, there is so much unused wasted white colored space on both sides of the rendered page because it was made for a small mobile smartphone screen.

[tellu-white]

@Night Wing

1. I tested the add-on in Linux Mint Cinnamon 19.3 (32 bit). It worked without problems.
I unzipped the Youtube_Mobile_for_Desktop_4_0.zip file with a Reght-Click menu entry, then installed the add-on (youtube_mobile_for_desktop@tellu_white.xpi) from Pale Moon: File / Open File (see attached pictures).

I don't know if the distros you use have this option in the Right-Click menu, so I'll post the add-on again, archived with the TAR extension.

Download link (TAR archive):

https://www.mediafire.com/file/t32x6byg4qny0co/Youtube_Mobile_for_Desktop_4_0.tar/file

2. Youtube videos opened after installing the add-on (with "mobile useragent") have the same size as those opened before installing the add-on (with "desktop useragent"). For example, in the attached pictures there is one with "play in full screen". However, I have an older monitor (and PC) with a maximum "screen resolution" = 1280 x 1024, so I don't know how the add-on behaves at higher "screen resolution".

***

Screenshots:

01.png

02.png

03.png

04.png

05.png

06.png

Open in Full Screen:

07.png

Play in Full Screen:

08.png

Change "useragent" by clicking on the add-on button:

09.png

10.png

[ron_1]

Indeed, that's the list you'll have to import to "Custom".

Code: Select all

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets/master/filters/quick-fixes.txt

YouTube changes its code about twice a day, so you'll have to update said list often...

Thanks nicolaasjan. Added this filter. Have yet to see ads or that banner across the top of the screen, before and after adding this filter.

[Night Wing]

@ tellu-white

Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this extension along with the pictures in your post showing in detail how easy it is to do even an almost extinct "cave man" like me can do it. And as an added bonus (for me) making a "tar" extension.

I've already marked this post as a bookmark/favorite. I will install the extension in all four of my 64 bit linux browsers (Pale Moon, Waterfox, SeaLion, Firefox). I'm also going to write down the instructions in a "log book" just in case my memory...............runs into a stroke at my age.

My 32" external monitor has a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. My two, 64 bit 14" laptops have a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution.

Again, thank you very much. YouTube is the site I spend more of my time on than any other site I visit on a daily basis.

[back2themoon]

If only the video stream is required (no comments, annotations etc.), you can always open it on a proper video player at your preferred resolution, or best available. No ads. Instructions in this post.

For further automation and to avoid step 5 in the link above, you can install the Open With extension (by Geoff Lankow, v.6.8.1 will do fine), add the MPC-HC player in its options, and launch the player directly from Pale Moon.

[tellu-white]

thank you for making this extension

You're welcome!

I will install the extension in all four of my 64 bit linux browsers (Pale Moon, Waterfox, SeaLion, Firefox).

This add-on was made for Pale Moon so it will not work in Waterfox or Firefox.
Please let me know about your experience with this add-on when installed in Pale Moon.

[ron_1]

If all you are doing is watching youtube videos and not logging in, you should be aware of yewtu.be:
https://yewtu.be/

This runs so much better (at least on my rig) than using Y.T. itself. I just wonder if this type of site is something that Google could legally force to stop.

[Night Wing]

@ tellu-white

I have not installed your extension (yet). I wanted to do a little experimentation on my own to see if I could get around YT's ad blocking banner and I may have found the answer. I made a few decisions first and they are below.

1) I am using 64 bit linux Pale Moon and NOT 64 bit windows Pale Moon.
2) I do not have a YouTube account so I am NEVER logged in.
3) I am using uBlock Origin 1.16.4.30 enabled.

I decided to to think outside of the box on Friday night. I started with "Preferences" for Pale Moon and went to the "Privacy" tab. Under the Privacy tab, I clicked on "remove individual cookies" and found the cookie folder for YouTube. I opened it up and I found 173 different cookies.

So I closed the YT cookie folder and then I DELETED the YT cookie folder. Then I went on down to the "Data Privacy" and checked the box where it says; "Tell sites not to share or sell my data".

Then I went to about 20 of my favorite sleep sounds which help me to sleep when I cannot get to sleep because I am over tired. I never saw the YT ad banner pop-up for any of those 20 bookmark/favorites of mine.

When I was done and left YT, I went back to the Privacy tab and again deleted the YT folder. On Saturday and Sunday, I never saw the YT ad blocking banner pop-up for those two days either when I visited YT. After every YT session, I always delete the YT cookie folder.

If anyone wants to try the method above, the link below is a channel where I have found a few sleep sounds videos. This channel contains about 127 videos on it. So try the method above. Pick one of the videos in the link below. Listen for a few minutes. Then using your back button, pick another video. Listen for a few minutes.

Rinse and repeat and see if the YT ad blocking pop-up banner appears for you when UBO is enabled.

https://www.youtube.com/@Choolutter/videos

[wicknix]

This add-on was made for Pale Moon so it will not work in Waterfox or Firefox.

With a little elbow grease i was able to make it compatible with SeaLion as well. Works well. Thanks.

yt-mobile-sealion.png

[Raava]

uBO 1.50 and later has a built-in filter list "Quick fixes" which uBO 1.16.4.30 lacks.
AFAIK this filter list contains the filter for YouTube.

Indeed, that's the list you'll have to import to "Custom".

Code: Select all

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets/master/filters/quick-fixes.txt

YouTube changes its code about twice a day, so you'll have to update said list often...
See also the sticky Reddit thread https://www.reddit.com/r/uBlockOrigin/about/sticky?num=2.

Since I use Palemoon, the newest available uBO for me is 1.16.4.30.
Still, in chrome://ublock0/content/dashboard.html#3p-filters.html there exists an "Import" (at the very bottom) and I just imported

Code: Select all

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets/master/filters/quick-fixes.txt

into it, and now my custom filters list 4 instead of the previous 3 including this new one:

Code: Select all

[✓] uBlock₀ filters – Quick fixes 153 used out of 196

Therefore I presume importing that very list into uBO 1.16.4.30 works?

[tellu-white]

With a little elbow grease i was able to make it compatible with SeaLion as well. Works well. Thanks.

You're welcome!
I'm glad you managed to make the add-on compatible with SeaLion and that it works well.

[nicolaasjan]

Since I use Palemoon, the newest available uBO for me is 1.16.4.30.
Still, in chrome://ublock0/content/dashboard.html#3p-filters.html there exists an "Import" (at the very bottom) and I just imported

Code: Select all

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets/master/filters/quick-fixes.txt

into it, and now my custom filters list 4 instead of the previous 3 including this new one:

Code: Select all

[✓] uBlock₀ filters – Quick fixes 153 used out of 196

Therefore I presume importing that very list into uBO 1.16.4.30 works?

The fixes will work, unless a rule uses a newer syntax, that is not supported by 1.16.4.30.
E.g. at this moment I see that uBO in Pale Moon recognizes 149 filters in "Quick fixes", while in Firefox with uBO 1.52.3rc7 (Beta) 155 rules are recognized.

[back2themoon]

I see that uBO in Pale Moon recognizes 149 filters in "Quick fixes", while in Firefox with uBO 1.52.3rc7 (Beta) 155 rules are recognized.

Couldn't this also be a case of other present filters taking care of those remaining 6 rules?

You say "recognized". Do you mean the "x used out of x" numbers mentioned in the Filter lists section, or is it something else?

[nicolaasjan]

I see that uBO in Pale Moon recognizes 149 filters in "Quick fixes", while in Firefox with uBO 1.52.3rc7 (Beta) 155 rules are recognized.

Couldn't this also be a case of other present filters taking care of those remaining 6 rules?

You say "recognized". Do you mean the "x used out of x" numbers mentioned in the Filter lists section, or is it something else?

No, I compared the total number seen in both lists.

Pale Moon:


Firefox:

[andyprough]

Pale Moon:


Firefox:

I added the uBlock Quick Fix hosts file to eMatrix on Pale Moon 32.4.1 and got "41 used out of 109". For what it's worth.

[Raava]

The fixes will work, unless a rule uses a newer syntax, that is not supported by 1.16.4.30.
E.g. at this moment I see that uBO in Pale Moon recognizes 149 filters in "Quick fixes", while in Firefox with uBO 1.52.3rc7 (Beta) 155 rules are recognized.

Does that mean, when one was able to learn which 6 filters are unrecognised, these could be re-written in the old 1.16.4.30 syntax?

---

But I think it might be something different. Opening the dashboard now I got this:

Code: Select all

[✓] uBlock₀ filters – Quick fixes  33 used out of 196

I had to quit Palemoon in order to have an online video conference using Chromium (because my PC has not enough RAM to keep PM in the background, I even had to exit Telegram and Interlink as well) and only the non-private tabs have been restored.

I use this in my settings via prefs.js

Code: Select all

user_pref("browser.sessionstore.cache_behavior", 2);
user_pref("browser.startup.page", 3);

(See here for details on that: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28948 [and here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=30288 ] )
meaning the restored tabs are only loaded when I click on them and stay "dormant" for the time being when not clicked on.
I presume the difference between days ago

Code: Select all

[✓] uBlock₀ filters – Quick fixes 153 used out of 196

and today's

Code: Select all

[✓] uBlock₀ filters – Quick fixes  33 used out of 196

is because of the changes in "activated" vs "dormant" tabs. (I am sure that these are not the correct terms for this, I hope you understand what I mean)

And probably because some sites are lost because they have only been opened in a private window.

[Raava]

Pale Moon:


Firefox:

I added the uBlock Quick Fix hosts file to eMatrix on Pale Moon 32.4.1 and got "41 used out of 109". For what it's worth.

Interesting how different the total number of filters are. I wonder why that is:

nicolaasjan
Pale Moon Version?: total number of 149
Firefox Version?: total number of 155

andyprough
Pale Moon 32.4.1: total number of 109

Raava
Pale Moon 32.4.1: always total number of 196

It could be due to the individual update status of the filter list (="different 'version' of the filter list"), but the difference between the smallest total number of 109 and the largest total number of 196 is quite large.

[back2themoon]

Activating/deactivating other filter lists, can indeed decrease/increase the usage of filter rules in this list. I just confirmed it.

This is of course irrelevant to rule incompatibility due to uBO version differences.