Are you planning on releasing a Firefox port?

[skudo12]

First of all, I saw that you have started another project (based on your first which is so awesome) and would like to congratulate you for yet another successful project. :D

Is there any plan on releasing a Firefox port for µblock? I tried it in Chromium and impressed in how light it is. It would be nice to see it running in Firefox. I have yet to find a blocker similar to µblock in Firefox.

[gorhill]

Yes that would be nice, it seems people like it, more than I expected (given that it doesn't do all what ABP currently does -- like manually blocking elements, or entering URL to lists). I am currently quite loaded, and there are still important issues in need of fixing with HTTPSB.

Learning a whole new API is very time consuming. Even with the chrome API I can spend a while trying to figure why something unexpected is happening (as happened yesterday), so let alone a new one.

What would be nice is an angel developer doing some leg works to port to Firefox, and I could do my part in splitting more the platform specific stuff out of the core code as per feedback, etc. Eventually both projects could be merged.

[entepe85]

I'd generally second this request, even though I can't be of great help for a port since I unfortunately know close to nothing about extension development. Would love to have this great extension in Firefox nevertheless.

[ghost]

I wonder if it'd be helpful to split out various "bite-size" chunks of work and add them as specially tagged issues in here.

[gorhill]

• Skeleton framework
  • Where to hook net request handling?
  • Where to hook initialisation?
  • Where to save/restore data?
  • Are core, content scripts, popup and dashboard page all in separate contexts? If yes:
    • What messaging infrastructure FF provides?
• Initialization of the core
  • Reading user settings (which lists are selected etc.)
  • Loading, parsing the lists, storing the filters
• Intercepting net request and potentially cancel them as per filters
• Local mirroring
• Pop-up blocking
• Content-scripts
  • Element picker
  • Cosmetic filtering
• Infrastructure to update updatable assets
• Popup menu
• Dashboard

[robsalasco]

+1

[maikelswe]

+1 for a FF version sorry I can´t help with it, i´m a Cisco guy not a programmer

[Ahriman]

Please make a version for FF :D thanks!

[WyohKnott]

This would be great indeed, I'm using Bluhell Firefox on Firefox currently but it has limited functions.

If anyone wants to start, here's the list of relevant hooks https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Observer_Notifications#HTTP_requests
to use with https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/SDK/Low-Level_APIs/system_events

[alekksander]

+1

[Kyuzial]

Yes please do a firefox version there isn't one good adblocker on firefox Please :'(

[Deathamns]

uBlock.xpi

Update:
Newer builds can be downloaded from the releases section.

[my-password-is-password]

Cool. Testing it out.

When I restore from a file the options in the "Settings" and "Statistics" tabs doesn't restore. Same happens when you try resetting to default.

[gorhill]

@Deathamns Wow, this is awesome.

[gorhill]

Among first thing I tried, the VIM Color Scheme Test (which originally is why I decided to start uBlock):

From Mozilla dev re. VIM test vs. ABP:

According to about:memory, window-objects->layout->style-sets is the epicenter of the usage (jumping about 1 GB)

So I just looked:

• uBlock + default filter lists [1]: window-objects->layout->style-sets = 49 MB.
• ABP + filter lists in [1]: window-objects->layout->style-sets = 1,565 MB.
• No blocker: window-objects->layout->style-sets = 49 MB.

---

• [1] Default filter lists:
  • EasyList
  • Peter Lowe's Ad server list
  • EasyPrivacy
  • Fanboy's Social Blocking List
  • Malware domain lists

[alekksander]

"Show the number of blocked requests on the icon" is not remembered upon restart.
0.8.2.0 is the version shown in add-ons manager, and 0.7.2.0 is shown in addon menu.
beside that, after several minutes of testing - brilliant! thank You again Deathamns!

[gorhill]

Another thing to look into, is that blocking inline javascript specifically does not seem to work: Test page. Is it a limitation of Firefox re. Content Security Policy? Never mind, I see onHeaderReceived has not been implemented yet.

[Deathamns]

This is just an early preview, still implementing the basics. I'm not even sure if reporting issues at this point is necessary. I just wanted to show what I was working on, and what can be expected for Firefox, but it's definitely not ready.

@my-password-is-password @alekksander You're probably talking about the same problem, which I was aware of.

@gorhill For me, ABP freezes the whole browser with 1GB+ RAM usage on the VIM page, I have to kill the process. However, there's no problem with µBlock, so my testing stopped here.
(By the way, your links to both the VIM Color Scheme Test (wrong link) and why (extra slash) are broken.)

As I said, some things are still missing, for example blocking inline scripts or pop-ups, experimental features, context menu, and there are bugs too, like the pop-up doesn't hide when a link is opened from it, or settings don't save in some cases (above mentioned)...

[gorhill]

@Deathamns

This is just an early preview, still implementing the basics.

Understood. Issues should be filed once you decide it's ready for this. It works pretty well overall already. One thing is for sure: this is a huge milestone. Such a nice thing to see first thing this morning. Thank you very much for your work on portability and now the Firefox port a whole lot of people are waiting for.

[Deathamns]

I'm curious about one thing though. There is a constant crash in e10s enabled Nightly.
After the extension is installed, restart the browser and all tabs will crash because of the extension. However, if I disable the extension, and enable it (via the Add-ons Manger, without restarting the browser), then It will work normally. Can someone confirm this?

[harshanvn]

Maybe file a bug at bugzilla?
e10s are not working for me with yesterday's build. Getting a black page. Will update tonight and see if I can test this in e10s.
Congratulations for huge milestone. Soon I will be start using Firefox again.:)

[Deathamns]

A crash report about this issue was created earlier, and if anyone wants to confirm it, here is the thread.

[JBey4you]

Thanks for this @Deathamns, really appreciate your effort!

I was wondering: is the difference between Adblock Plus - uBlock is as important on Firefox, compared to Chrome? (I know it's still an early version, so improvements can be made.)

[gorhill]

@JBey4you never mind my previous post, actually I am not sure what you are asking.

[JBey4you]

@gorhill Your previous post was actually what I was looking for. ;-) I'm just wondering if the difference between Adblock Plus and uBlock is as good as the one on Chrome. Something like this (found on your wiki)

gorhill edit: replaced pic with link to wiki

[gorhill]

Your previous post was actually what I was looking for

Oh ok, so I will post something concrete soon. All done manually (though very carefully), as I don't have my benchmark tool on Firefox.

[gorhill]

Pop-up blocking is not thoroughly tested. I basically made a few random examples for myself, and only tested those

I checked with the case in issue #58, and the whole tab from where the popup originate ends up being closed, aside the popup itself. Wondering if it's a trivial fix.

[Deathamns]

@gorhill Well, that was unexpected. The following was true when the tab closed:
window === window.opener.
I don't really understand how could that be true (it's like it opened itself), or how can even a non-popup window have that opener property.
Edit: maybe the site wrote it over, tricky.

[gorhill]

You think we should hold a beta release over this? There is a lot of quick assessments out there ("ha! can't block popup!!1! garbage!!!"), and it's not something I look forward too.

[fhoshino]

I'm not a dev but I suggest not publishing on AMO yet.
Just give a nightly build here and polish it till ready.

[darklajid]

From the sidelines, throwing 2 cc in here: Yes. Hold.
As soon as you're putting out a release, people will install it in a rush and .. complain.

This thread is already quite noisy with regular unofficial builds, requests for weird FF related other browsers etc.. I'd assume this would explode as soon as you put up an xpi file in a public/accessible place.

Interested third parties can build it for now and follow along, wait for this bug to be resolved with a release. Knowing that everything is work in progress and far from done.

[gorhill]

@Deathamns just adding:

if ( tabId === sourceTabId ) {
    return false;
}

in handlePopup() fixed the problem. If the tab ids are the same, it can't be a popup isn't?

Edit: I could test for this in the platform independent code instead I suppose.

[Deathamns]

@gorhill It is ready for a beta. Of course, the question is how many people will understand that it is.
But this is the point of these kind of releases, to find bugs.
Also, I already said that it should be your decision.

With my last post, I just wanted to say that it has been fixed, and already pushed.
But for the record, it wasn't enough just checking the tab ids, because many tabs could have the same URL (from where the sourceTabId comes).

[gorhill]

Yes, looks like it's fixed. I tried this other case documented in uBlock's filters, http://putlocker.is/, and it worked fine there too.

[Deathamns]

Actually I'll will open an issue with the test cases I used, since Chrome didn't seem to block them all, then you can see what I've tried.

[rodalpho]

I suggest calling it a "technical alpha" when you put it up on AMO. Many people expect betas to be finished products; the word's meaning has changed over the years when Gmail was in beta for a decade, etc. They don't approach alphas the same way and would be much more accepting of issues.

I would love to use uBlock on Firefox, but I'm not going to build the XPI myself or download off some dodgy file sharing site. If it was on AMO I'd install it right away.

[gorhill]

It's up there: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/tag/0.8.5.4-beta.0

I am starting to use that travis tool, so now I need to fill in the details.

[gorhill]

@rodalpho "betas to be finished products"

Well I have no doubt uBlock fits in that category, it's just that the Firefox's portion is in need of real-life use now. Otherwise the whole platform independent portion as been in use for months now.

[littleboy62]

Hi everyone.

Does the extension will be developed for Palemoon ?

I've tried to install this extension ( here ) : not compatible palemoon 25.0

But look this message.

So, i've edited the file indicated in this topic.
The extension is installed but not functionnal.

http://i.imgur.com/IJE8HLq.png
http://i.imgur.com/DSQQlVd.png
http://i.imgur.com/1NX6AHi.png
http://i.imgur.com/qJQehXJ.png
http://i.imgur.com/fRupC9u.png
http://i.imgur.com/nLn72wV.png

And the extension doesn't appear in palemoon.

Too bad PaleMoon doesn't react in the same way as Firefox.
Normal, not same "development"

Best regards,
thomas

[LL25255252]

@littleboy62 ,
You can try to install these 2 addons to block ads which I use in Firefox (if you do, please tell me if they work in your Palemoon browser).

μ Adblock (not to confuse with μ block ):
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/micro-adblock/?src=api

and Flash Control:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/flash-control/?src=api

Both don't use much memory. and cpu :
http://i.imgur.com/PLGWdMW.png

[wasd--]

I noticed that some pages display the "ads" or blocked elements for a sec and then they disappear. It should do that?
Using latest beta and Firefox 35

[gorhill]

@wasd-- Impossible to answer properly if you do not provide a URL where this occurs.

[spacedingo]

@littleboy62 uBlock for firefox works only from FF 29 and above. I think Palemoon is based on a version before FF 29. gorhill/uBlock#27 (comment)

[wasd--]

@gorhill For example here http://www.formulatv.com at the top the bar have social buttons, I can see them for a sec and then disappear. I have the two fanboys Antisocial filters that should block them.

I noticed it too on xda forums with social buttons too that are next to "Themer" and "Swappa"

[gorhill]

@wasd-- Yes it is normal, given how uBlock works. More info:

• This happens only the first time for a given site, i.e you won't see this after the first visit for other pages on the same site
• You can get around this behavior by creating a filter specific to the site, i.e. www.formulatv.com###social in the current case

[littleboy62]

Hi Spacedingo and everyone

First thank for your answer. ( [here](I think you misread my initial question.) )
(and thank too others)

I think you misread my initial question.
I misspoke, certainly. (I'm french ^^)

My initial question : Is that the extension will come on PaleMoon?
The rest of the message was only tests.

Anyway, thank you for all answers.

Best regards,
Thomas

[wasd--]

@gorhill Ok, thanks ;)

Awesome work btw!

[gorhill]

Is that the extension will come on PaleMoon

If someone work for a PaleMoon version.

I will be locking this thread shortly, it's creating a constant stream of notifications for an issue that was closed yesterday.

[stefanocaselli]

Hi,
do you plan to support android phones? (adblock plus works on firefox for android)
Thanks!

[greduan]

@stefanocaselli This should probably be on a new issue. This one is going to be locked.

[roberto68]

so I try to drag the folder and the zip file also to addon manager and firefox - that it's corrupt (I'm on linux)

[brwolfgang]

Hi there @roberto68, if I get it right you are trying to install the addon on you linux PC, right? You can go to File->Open file and open the XPI file (and not the zip) you've downloaded from here, Firefox will then ask if you want to install the addon like any other.

[roberto68]

thanks it works