AB-Solution 2.0 is out! (v2.0.1)

[vrapp]

Problem... The installation of ab-solution destroys already-installed Entware, and Transmission installed by it, as in https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin/wiki/Installing-Transmission-through-Entware . After ab-solution is installed, /opt/etc is not found.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Problem... The installation of ab-solution destroys already-installed Entware, and Transmission installed by it, as in https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin/wiki/Installing-Transmission-through-Entware . After ab-solution is installed, /opt/etc is not found.

... and to be fair, the same can be said about Entware. It destroys an already installed AB-Solution.
Read this post about it: http://www.snbforums.com/threads/ab-solution-1-07-is-out.31474/page-19#post-278568

Copy/paste the content of the backup AB-Solution made during install in /tmp/mnt/<your device>/adblocking/backup/post-mount<date> back into /jffs/scripts/post-mount.
Make sure the existing entries by AB-Solution stay completely intact. You may paste them above or below it. The big warning my entries have made in there are to ensure that with future versions it will not overwrite the file.
After that reboot the router and all should be fine again.

 

[cowboy]

AB-Solution looks really awesome. I want to install it on my RT-AC87U. But how much does it affect the performance of the router ?

 

[elorimer]

You have updated the script version from 2.0 to 2.0.1.
That is what [cu] does for you so conveniently.
The underlying system still needs upgrading to 2.01.

Is that so hard to understand?

Got it now. Tunnel vision, because I thought I had also upgraded right after updating. Clearly not.

 

[elorimer]

AB-Solution looks really awesome. I want to install it on my RT-AC87U. But how much does it affect the performance of the router ?

87U here and .62alpha, using ab-solution, with logging and pixelserv-tls. I haven't noticed any adverse effects. Visiting a busy page will take one core to 5 to 15% for a half second, the other core to 5%.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Got it now. Tunnel vision, because I thought I had also upgraded right after updating. Clearly not.

Not to worry, I was pedantic about that update/upgrade distinction. The word 'upgrade' does no longer exist in my 2.0.2-dev version. In future the updater runs automatically and does to the system what it needs to do without making a big deal about it.

 

[thelonelycoder]

AB-Solution looks really awesome.

Thank you!

87U here and .62alpha, using ab-solution, with logging and pixelserv-tls. I haven't noticed any adverse effects. Visiting a busy page will take one core to 5 to 15% for a half second, the other core to 5%.

Not noticable in my opinion, not even with my 87U that runs pixelserv-tls to pipe it through.

 

[vrapp]

Copy/paste the content of the backup AB-Solution made during install in /tmp/mnt/<your device>/adblocking/backup/post-mount<date> back into /jffs/scripts/post-mount.
Make sure the existing entries by AB-Solution stay completely intact.

I don't see post-mount in backup. There is however services-start backup, but it's the same as /jffs/scripts/services-start.

 

[vrapp]

...disregard, found the backup under /mnt/sda1, and it worked.

When I start ab-solution, I see this:

=================
AB-Solution 2.0.1 by thelonelycoder
--------------------------------------------------
RT-AC68U (armv7l) fw-380.59 @ 192.168.1.1
--------------------------------------------------
67985 blocked hosts 0 hosts blocked
on Sep 09 19:26 next update: Friday @ 02:00
=================

Does "0 hosts blocked" mean that it does not work somehow?

 

[thelonelycoder]

...disregard, found the backup under /mnt/sda1, and it worked.

When I start ab-solution, I see this:

=================
AB-Solution 2.0.1 by thelonelycoder
--------------------------------------------------
RT-AC68U (armv7l) fw-380.59 @ 192.168.1.1
--------------------------------------------------
67985 blocked hosts 0 hosts blocked
on Sep 09 19:26 next update: Friday @ 02:00
=================

Does "0 hosts blocked" mean that it does not work somehow?

It means you have just installed AB-Solution and there have been no counts of blocked hosts yet.
This counter updates next Friday (in your case) or if you manually update the hosts file (u).

 

[stambeccuccio]

...When I start ab-solution, I see this: ....

You have to update hosts file (u) like this:

 

[HardCat]

You have to update hosts file (u) like this:

View attachment 7247

I updated hosts file (u) and received the following error:

cp: can't create '/tmp/mnt/USB1/adblocking/backup/raw_hosts.bak': File exists

I checked the backup folder afterwards and it was empty.

 

[HardCat]

I updated hosts file (u) and received the following error:

cp: can't create '/tmp/mnt/USB1/adblocking/backup/raw_hosts.bak': File exists

I checked the backup folder afterwards and it was empty.

I found the problem, it is the USB device having errors. Looks like I will need to replace it.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I found the problem, it is the USB device having errors. Looks like I will need to replace it.

I was going to suggest that. That or the path to your device changed. This can happen if you use two sticks, both unnamed. It's always preferable to set a name when formatting a device.

 

[punkinduster]

Question:
If AB-Solution uses 0.0.0.0 for the address to avoid getting advertising junk what is the purpose of running a pixel server and redirecting to it? Sorry for being naive, just trying to understand the advantage to running both.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Question:
If AB-Solution uses 0.0.0.0 for the address to avoid getting advertising junk what is the purpose of running a pixel server and redirecting to it? Sorry for being naive, just trying to understand the advantage to running both.

They complement each other.
Some blocked image ads, and others too, leave an ugly area in the webpage blank or filled with "Server not found".
Pixelserv-tls fills that gap with an 1x1 pixel file (hence the name). This results in a more pleasant viewing experience.
If you didn't notice or don't bother about it then pixelserv is not needed.

 

[elorimer]

If I understand it correctly, pixelserv-tls does two other things: it will also intercept and block https served ads, and it will listen on an IP address other than 0.0.0.0 so the router webui can still be accessed with http.

 

[thelonelycoder]

If I understand it correctly, pixelserv-tls does two other things: it will also intercept and block https served ads,

Correct. That is what the -tls thingy means: Transport Layer Security. https is the Internet protocol name of the same.

and it will listen on an IP address other than 0.0.0.0

Correct, that is what the '[cb] custom block IP' option is for in AB-Solution.

so the router webui can still be accessed with http.

No, not automatically. You will have to configure pixelserv-tls yourself to do that.
But since you mention it, I _may_ have reconsidered my opinion about not fully supporting (and installing and configure) pixelserv-tls as part of AB-Solution.
And _maybe_ there's a sizable and interesting part of code in my local ab-solution.sh that might be of interest to some.
Maybe.

 

[slim2015]

youtube website doesn't work when using ab-solutions

 

[thelonelycoder]

youtube website doesn't work when using ab-solutions

Select a smaller hosts file type or use the whitelist.txt file to whitelist whatever blocks your tube experience.