Discourse forums no longer allowing me to log in Topic is solved

[Tharthan]

Just an example of one, for reference: https://discourse.psychopy.org/

This only started happening today.

There was a thread about some people having some problems with Discourse last year, but that user had their user agent mode set to "Firefox compatibility". As soon as they set it to "Native," it fixed the issue.

My user agent mode was already set to Native, and the forum that I was using worked just fine yesterday.

For reference, the notice at the top of the page says: "Unfortunately, your browser is unsupported. Please switch to a supported browser to view rich content, log in and reply."

I find it interesting that the notice merely says that it doesn't support my browser, rather than mistakenly saying that my browser is somehow outdated when it isn't. That makes me wonder if this is conscious, browser-specific targetting to lock out users of non-Chrome and non-Chromelike browsers.

[Kris_88]

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/* eslint-disable no-var */ // `let` is not supported in very old browsers

(function () {
  if (!window.WeakMap || !window.Promise || typeof globalThis === "undefined" || !String.prototype.replaceAll || !CSS.supports || !CSS.supports("aspect-ratio: 1")) {
    window.unsupportedBrowser = true;
  } else {
    // Some implementations of `WeakMap.prototype.has` do not accept false
    // values and Ember's `isClassicDecorator` sometimes does that (it only
    // checks for `null` and `undefined`).
    try {
      new WeakMap().has(0);
    } catch (err) {
      window.unsupportedBrowser = true;
    }
    var match = window.navigator.userAgent.match(/Firefox\/([0-9]+)\./);
    var firefoxVersion = match ? parseInt(match[1], 10) : null;
    if (firefoxVersion && firefoxVersion < 89) {
      // prior to v89, Firefox has bugs with document.execCommand("insertText")
      // https://bugzil.la/1220696
      window.unsupportedBrowser = true;
    }
  }
})();
//# sourceMappingURL=browser-detect-74870a7e619fb88ff0a37d205a6c03d6d42e92ed111f3d2a6ea783fa926918d3.map
//!

;

The problem: !CSS.supports("aspect-ratio: 1")

Try to block this script:

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https://global.discourse-cdn.com/business7/assets/browser-detect-18068a2d9ee3b1943a0bea70aa916d391f1dc6c03eeb7917ead5d6e0a637321a.br.js

or

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https://global.discourse-cdn.com/*browser-detect-*.js

[Tharthan]

If I try to block one or the other, or if I attempt to block both of them, then it results in either a. a completely blank page loading instead of the homepage of the forum, or in the case of the link above it results in b. a page that is blank except for one single line which has what would appear to be links, except that they are unclickable, saying "psychopy.org | Reference | Downloads | Github".

[adoxa]

I got it to work (in Basilisk) by using GreaseMonkey to fake CSS.supports and Modify HTTP Response to replace ??= & ||=.

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// ==UserScript==
// @name        CSS aspect-ratio
// @namespace   adoxa
// @include     https://discourse.psychopy.org/
// @version     1
// @grant       none
// @run-at      document-start
// ==/UserScript==
!function() {
  let CSS_supports = CSS.supports;
  CSS.supports = function(a) {
    return a === "aspect-ratio: 1" || CSS_supports(a);
  }
}()

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[["global.discourse-cdn.com",["/business7/assets/vendor-5a19f0a026c78c47c5c658bbf590b6b4cb0e32bb984396a5295192781a65e7fb.gz.js",["t.discourse.hoisted??={}","t.discourse.hoisted??(t.discourse.hoisted={})","n??=[]","n||(n=[])","t[e]??=[]","t[e]??(t[e]=[])","r||={}","r||(r={})"]],["/business7/assets/discourse-f7231bd5d10aa613b323a0cac71d8003baa74ef74f674fe4f91e4857994e661b.gz.js",["e.draft||=t.draft","e.draft||(e.draft=t.draft)","n||={}","n||(n={})","f[e]??=[]","f[e]??(f[e]=[])","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??=[]","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??(t.__registry__._typeInjections.service=[])"]]]]

That's specific to the current version, updates are left as an exercise for the reader...

[Tharthan]

If you got it to work, then I imagine that it will work for me, too.

However, I am not familiar with manually creating Greasemonkey scripts (or code scripts in general). With that said, I was able to use the Greasemonkey extension in Basilisk to make something out of the top code block that you gave me, but I don't know what I am supposed to do with the bottom code block. Am I supposed to create a blank line below what I already have, and then on the line after that insert the contents of the second code block?

[adoxa]

The second line is the filter for Modify HTTP Response. There's been an update, so here's a new one, testing the paths as regex (the relevant content itself didn't change).

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[["global.discourse-cdn.com",["/\\/business7\\/assets\\/vendor-.*\\.gz\\.js/",["t.discourse.hoisted??={}","t.discourse.hoisted??(t.discourse.hoisted={})","n??=[]","n||(n=[])","t[e]??=[]","t[e]??(t[e]=[])","r||={}","r||(r={})"]],["/\\/business7\\/assets\\/discourse-.*\\.gz\\.js/",["e.draft||=t.draft","e.draft||(e.draft=t.draft)","n||={}","n||(n={})","f[e]??=[]","f[e]??(f[e]=[])","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??=[]","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??(t.__registry__._typeInjections.service=[])"]]]]

[Tharthan]

Thank you for the explanation. I have downloaded that extension and added the (updated) filter.

Unfortunately, running the script "CSS aspect-ratio 1" (created from the first code block in the post before your last post) and the Modify HTTP Response filter (created from the code block in your last post) yielded no results here on my end other than the page (https://discourse.psychopy.org/) displaying in Basilisk the way that I described it displaying in Pale Moon to Kris_88 when they had me try something earlier in the thread.

Interestingly, if I go to an individual thread on that forum, it doesn't display that way and instead just looks the same as if I had Greasemonkey and Modify HTTP Response disabled. I don't know why that would be, but it seemed worth mentioning since it seems odd that the homepage would be basically a blank white page other than that single line that I mentioned in the response to Kris_88, but attempting to open a link to a particular thread on the forum displays as if I had Greasemonkey and Modify HTTP Response disabled.

(An example thread: https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/please ... verybody/8)

For reference, I am normally a Pale Moon user, not a Basilisk user. However, Basilisk is installed as my back-up browser, and I did use Basilisk for the purpose of testing to see whether the workaround would work for me.

The version of Basilisk that I am using is the current version, 2022.09.28. I am using a Windows 7 computer, if that matters for this workaround (I am intending to migrate to a GNU/Linux environment at some point this year, but that transition hasn't occurred yet).

The only extensions present with my Basilisk installation are:

• Greasemonkey for Pale Moon Version 3.31.4

• Modify HTTP Response 1.3.8

• Palefill Web Technologies Polyfill 1.25

(I have no adblockers installed for Basilisk, since it is not my everyday browser, and I only semi-regularly use it to access one or two sites that strangely seem to work in Basilisk for whatever reason, but not in Pale Moon.)

I have "Tell sites not to share or sell my data" enabled. I don't know if that would have any impact on the workaround not working for me, but I thought that I would mention that just in case it did.

I have also tried—with the Greasemonkey script and the Modify HTTP Response filter enabled—to access the example Discord forum linked in the original post in both normal and private browsing, to see if it made a difference in whether the workaround worked for me or not. It made no difference.

[Nigaikaze]

The version of Basilisk that I am using is the current version, 2022.09.28.

I don't know how much difference it would make for what you're attempting here, but the current Basilisk version is 2023.01.07.

[adoxa]

[A]ttempting to open a link to a particular thread on the forum displays as if I had Greasemonkey and Modify HTTP Response disabled.

Sorry, you need to add a * to the end of the include line.

The version of Basilisk that I am using is the current version, 2022.09.28. I am using a Windows 7 computer[...]

As has been mentioned, I'm using 2023.01.08 and Windows 10, but that shouldn't make a difference.

• Greasemonkey for Pale Moon Version 3.31.4

I'm still using 3.11 (never updated when I switched from Firefox).

• Modify HTTP Response 1.3.8

• Palefill Web Technologies Polyfill 1.25

Same.

(I have no adblockers installed for Basilisk, since it is not my everyday browser, and I only semi-regularly use it to access one or two sites that strangely seem to work in Basilisk for whatever reason, but not in Pale Moon.)

I use Proxydomo for adblocking, which could potentially have inadvertently fixed something else.

After adding the * myself, I've attached a small image showing how I see the example thread (the login button seems to work, but I didn't try anything within it).

[Tharthan]

I don't know how much difference it would make for what you're attempting here, but the current Basilisk version is 2023.01.07.

Ah, I was unaware. For some reason, version 2022.09.28 didn't perceive any new updates, and so it appeared to be the current version in "About Basilisk." Thank you for informing me of that.

I have now manually upgraded my Basilisk installation to version 2023.01.07.

Sorry, you need to add a * to the end of the include line.

Ah, alright.

I have now done that.

I'm still using [Greasemonkey version} 3.11 (never updated when I switched from Firefox).

Do you suspect that the version difference here would impact whether the workaround would work for a user or not, or do you think that the relevant functionality would probably be the same, and so it therefore ought not to make a difference?

I've attached a small image showing how I see the example thread (the login button seems to work, but I didn't try anything within it).

Yeah, so for me, as mentioned earlier only that top line (psychopy.org | Reference | Downloads | Github) is displaying at all. The rest is just a blank page. No login buttons, nor even the "Your browser is not supported" banner that sits at the top of the page if I were to disable Greasemonkey and Modify HTTP Response.

I use Proxydomo for adblocking, which could potentially have inadvertently fixed something else.

I looked at the releases for that, and downloaded the zipped folder for the latest version. Looking inside of the extracted folder, I am confused and am not exactly sure what it is.

Is this a program that operates independently of a browser, impacting any and all Internet activity irrespective of the browser, rather than something that works with an individual browser?

[adoxa]

Do you suspect that the [GreaseMonkey] version difference here would impact whether the workaround would work for a user or not, or do you think that the relevant functionality would probably be the same, and so it therefore ought not to make a difference?

If you don't see the unsupported message then GreaseMonkey is working.

Is [Proxydomo] a program that operates independently of a browser, impacting any and all Internet activity irrespective of the browser, rather than something that works with an individual browser?

Yes, it's a proxy that acts as a filter, and what I normally use for doing things such as this. After disabling it I discovered the problem - the scripts switch from .gz to .br, which explains why it's not working for you. Edit the filter and remove \.gz from the two paths and you should (finally!) be good to go.

[Kris_88]

Then, probably, it's possible to make it without Greasemonkey.

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[["global.discourse-cdn.com",["/browser-detect-/",["/.*/g",""]],["/vendor-5a19/",["t.discourse.hoisted??={}","t.discourse.hoisted??(t.discourse.hoisted={})","n??=[]","n||(n=[])","t[e]??=[]","t[e]??(t[e]=[])","r||={}","r||(r={})"]],["/discourse-c344/",["e.draft||=t.draft","e.draft||(e.draft=t.draft)","n||={}","n||(n={})","f[e]??=[]","f[e]??(f[e]=[])","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??=[]","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??(t.__registry__._typeInjections.service=[])"]]]]

adoxa, thank you. "Modify HTTP Response" is a really good tool.

[Tharthan]

Thank you very much, adoxa!

It did finally work after I removed \.gz from the filter.

And, by merely changing the address under "Included Pages" in the Greasemonkey script (including an asterisk in order that it apply to any possible page on the website), I am able to get it to work for whatever the Discourse forum might be.

So, for reference for readers who might wish to use this workaround as well—


The Greasemonkey script is:

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// ==UserScript==
// @name        CSS aspect-ratio
// @namespace   adoxa
// @include     https://insertwebsitehere.com/*
// @version     1
// @grant       none
// @run-at      document-start
// ==/UserScript==
!function() {
  let CSS_supports = CSS.supports;
  CSS.supports = function(a) {
    return a === "aspect-ratio: 1" || CSS_supports(a);
  }
}()

And the filter for the Modify HTTP Response extension is:

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[["global.discourse-cdn.com",["/\\/business7\\/assets\\/vendor-.*\\.js/",["t.discourse.hoisted??={}","t.discourse.hoisted??(t.discourse.hoisted={})","n??=[]","n||(n=[])","t[e]??=[]","t[e]??(t[e]=[])","r||={}","r||(r={})"]],["/\\/business7\\/assets\\/discourse-.*\\.js/",["e.draft||=t.draft","e.draft||(e.draft=t.draft)","n||={}","n||(n={})","f[e]??=[]","f[e]??(f[e]=[])","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??=[]","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??(t.__registry__._typeInjections.service=[])"]]]]

[freedom4all]

Here is their official statement: https://www.discourse.org/about#browser

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Discourse is designed for the next 10 years of the Internet, so the minimum browser requirements are high.

Discourse supports the latest, stable releases of all major browsers and platforms:

    Microsoft Edge
    Google Chrome
    Mozilla Firefox
    Apple Safari

[vannilla]

for the next 10 years of the Internet

Wouldn't that then mean not following a living standard changing every month but rather use tried and tested features?
What shiny new feature do you even need to display some text, an image as avatar and a submission form, that is not already available now?

[sidology]

Off-topic:

"Modify HTTP Response" is a really good tool.

Is it possible to use Modify HTTP Response (or GreaseMonkey) to fix this issue?

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Cannot play media. No decoders for requested formats: video/webm; codecs="vp8 vorbis"

Pale Moon doesn't recognize codecs="vp8 vorbis", but it would recognize codecs="vp8,vorbis"

Thank you.

EDIT: Forgot to give example site: store.epicgames.com.

[dinosaur]

I today have the same kind of problem with https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/ and Pale Moon v32.0.0...

I could not manage to get the above scripts to work (but maybe I did something wrong with Modify HTTP response).

[Kris_88]

I today have the same kind of problem with https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/ and Pale Moon v32.0.0...

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[["global.discourse-cdn.com",["/browser-detect-/",["/.*/g",""]],["/vendor-5a19/",["t.discourse.hoisted??={}","t.discourse.hoisted??(t.discourse.hoisted={})","n??=[]","n||(n=[])","t[e]??=[]","t[e]??(t[e]=[])","r||={}","r||(r={})"]],["/discourse-8dc4f/",["e.draft||=t.draft","e.draft||(e.draft=t.draft)","n||={}","n||(n={})","f[e]??=[]","f[e]??(f[e]=[])","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??=[]","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??(t.__registry__._typeInjections.service=[])"]]]]

The Greasemonkey script is not needed.

[Kris_88]

Off-topic:

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Cannot play media. No decoders for requested formats: video/webm; codecs="vp8 vorbis"

Yes, this can be fixed. But in the coming days I have no free time.

[dinosaur]

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[["global.discourse-cdn.com",["/browser-detect-/",["/.*/g",""]],["/vendor-5a19/",["t.discourse.hoisted??={}","t.discourse.hoisted??(t.discourse.hoisted={})","n??=[]","n||(n=[])","t[e]??=[]","t[e]??(t[e]=[])","r||={}","r||(r={})"]],["/discourse-8dc4f/",["e.draft||=t.draft","e.draft||(e.draft=t.draft)","n||={}","n||(n={})","f[e]??=[]","f[e]??(f[e]=[])","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??=[]","t.__registry__._typeInjections.service??(t.__registry__._typeInjections.service=[])"]]]]

The Greasemonkey script is not needed.

Working beautifully, many thanks !