AB-Solution - The Ad Blocking Solution

[Xentrk]

When using the f option "1. unfiltered log" you essentially run an unfiltered tail -f on the dnsmasq.log file:

    tail -F $abSolutionPath/$logsDir/dnsmasq.log | \
    while read line;do
        if echo "$line" | grep -q "is $custom_ipV4";then
            echo -e "$igreen$line$nc"
        else
            echo "$line"
        fi
    done

The extra code it to highlight blocked domains. Nothing gets omitted with option 1.

I like your code! So that is how you add color to the output.

What I did was pipe the output of the tail -f to a text file so I could open it up in the MobaXterm editor and search for key words rather than relying on my eyes searching through the output on the screen.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I like your code! So that is how you add color to the output.

What I did was pipe the output of the tail -f to a text file so I could open it up in the MobaXterm editor and search for key words rather than relying on my eyes searching through the output on the screen.

There's significantly more code "surrounding" that part to catch the CTRL-C you enter to stop/resume/change or exit it.

 

[holden gray]

Can anyone explain the proper command to be able to add custom host files to ab-solution? I have everything set up, and it works great, just would like to add a few additional hosts files to it. It says /adblocking/custom_files/custom_hosts_list.txt will be created to customize. However, I see no option to actually access this list from the client.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Can anyone explain the proper command to be able to add custom host files to ab-solution? I have everything set up, and it works great, just would like to add a few additional hosts files to it. It says /adblocking/custom_files/custom_hosts_list.txt will be created to customize. However, I see no option to actually access this list from the client.

AB-Solution has no built in function to edit this file.

You open and edit the file with your preferred method.
I use WinSCP and edit files in Notepad++

 

[wyldstallyn]

I'm pleasantly surprised this seems to block YouTube ads for me, can anyone confirm if it blocks Spotify ads as well? (have a premium account at the moment).

 

[MarCoMLXXV]

can anyone confirm if it blocks Spotify ads as well? (have a premium account at the moment)

Can't say anything about ads in Spotify (premium user as well), but I can say that AB-Maximum (the largest set) blocks Spotify itself. It does stream, but search won't work, the main screen won't load, recommendation won't be loaded etcera. Should you ever go AB-Maximum

spclient.wg.spotify.com

is the one you need to whitelist to restore it's complete functionality. I've seen some other hosts being blocked earlier, but these were apparently only used for telemetric purposes. Whether the host above streams ads too, I can't say.

 

[iMe]

I can't seem to get the stats sent via email (body text & attachment)... as soon as the stats are compiled, a few seconds before the screen goes back to the main menu, I notice that there is a problem with curl :

curl: (6) Couldn't resolve host ''
mail successfully sent

But the funny thing is that I do get emails when I try to send a test email, backup and updates notification.

 

[MarCoMLXXV]

@iMe: Have you configured mail, prior to setting up stats? From Main Screen > 'sm' followed by 'ec'? Have you been able to successfully sent yourself a test mail after setting up mail settings?

Ignore the first part, should have read the whole post. Lighting up the (red) @thelonelycoder sign to color the skies. Help is on it's way.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I'm pleasantly surprised this seems to block YouTube ads for me

Seems is the right word. Technically it's not possible to do but for some reason using my blocker it works sometimes.

 

[MarCoMLXXV]

Seems is the right word. Technically it's not possible to do but for some reason using my blocker it works sometimes.

I do see YT ads occasionally when watching on PC, but when watching YT on AppleTV, the ads are gone. Somehow I never realized it, but now you mention it... I never have to use the right arrow on the Apple Remote anymore to skip the ads. Awesome! I love it when something works out even better as expected or supposed Job well done @thelonelycoder!

 

[thelonelycoder]

I can't seem to get the stats sent via email (body text & attachment)... as soon as the stats are compiled, a few seconds before the screen goes back to the main menu, I notice that there is a problem with curl :

curl: (6) Couldn't resolve host ''
mail successfully sent

But the funny thing is that I do get emails when I try to send a test email, backup and updates notification.

That's a confirmed bug, thanks for reporting.
I'll look into it and report back with a solution.

 

[Xentrk]

I am concerned with this entry from stats email for the router at the school:

 192.168.1.156, Black-Mirror*:
 --------------------------------------------------------
 4098   router.asus.com

Does this mean this device tried to access router.asus.com domain 4098 times? Many of the staff do not make much money so they side load apps and download freeware on their devices from questionable sources. baidu.com is one such site and I block it. But I see many have apps that phone home to baidu.com. I had both http and https authentication method enabled. I turned of http access just to be safe.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I am concerned with this entry from stats email for the router at the school:

 192.168.1.156, Black-Mirror*:
 --------------------------------------------------------
 4098   router.asus.com

Does this mean this device tried to access router.asus.com domain 4098 times? Many of the staff do not make much money so they side load apps and download freeware on their devices from questionable sources. baidu.com is one such site and I block it. But I see many have apps that phone home to baidu.com. I had both http and https authentication method enabled. I turned of http access just to be safe.

That's the number of requests.
Could it be that the device somehow resolved your router to be that domain and now uses it for DNS resolving?

 

[Xentrk]

That's the number of requests.
Could it be that the device somehow resolved your router to be that domain and now uses it for DNS resolving?

Thanks for the reply. I can only speculate at this point. I suspect they were connected to the router via a wifi session when I rebooted it. They then got directed the router logon page when it came back up. They probably still have the page open/cached in their phone browser which explains the high count. That is my hypothesis at the moment as I have had this happen to a family member when I rebooted the router after a firmware update.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I can't seem to get the stats sent via email (body text & attachment)... as soon as the stats are compiled, a few seconds before the screen goes back to the main menu

@ All:
The bug is fixed locally and it's so simple I wonder if there are any other things I can fix in the stats compiling addon-file log-stats.add?
I'm not going to add functionality, but maybe there's a typo in the stats or something?

Update is now available with cu.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Thanks for the reply. I can only speculate at this point. I suspect they were connected to the router via a wifi session when I rebooted it. They then got directed the router logon page when it came back up. They probably still have the page open/cached in their phone browser which explains the high count. That is my hypothesis at the moment as I have had this happen to a family member when I rebooted the router after a firmware update.

That would make sense.
Find the users device (for some obscure reason) and delete the cache on it.

Or some other-world thing happens. I just finished watching the season 3 finale of Twin Peaks The return.
I might not fully realise where I am at this moment...
Which year am I in now?

 

[thelonelycoder]

The addon log-stats.add v3.9.1 is now available.

This fixes a bug where the current stats does not include the email config file when router stats to email is not enabled.
Thanks @iMe for reporting it.

Use cu to update to this latest version.

 

[Makaveli]

When I check with CU I don't see 3.9.1 addon log-stats

I ran the command to redownload all scripts aswell.

 

[thelonelycoder]

When I check with CU I don't see 3.9.1 addon log-stats

I ran the command to redownload all scripts aswell.

You never used and have not enabled the stats. Hence, this addon file is not on your router.
Some addons are not downloaded when the service is not enabled.

 

[Makaveli]

You never used and have not enabled the stats. Hence, this addon file is not on your router.
Some addons are not downloaded when the service is not enabled.

Ah ok so its tied into the router stats settings. I guess I should enable it and see.

Are we allowed to use hotmail accounts now or is it still gmail only?