AB-Solution - The Ad Blocking Solution

[thelonelycoder]

In firefox try the following:

Skip Redirect by Sebastian Blask
Some web pages use intermediary pages before redirecting to a final page.
This add-on tries to extract the final url from the intermediary url and goes there straight away if successful.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/skip-redirect/

For example the following link goes to www.mozilla.org using this addon.
www.google.com/chrome/?i-would-rather-use-firefox=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mozilla.org/

There are other similar addons for Firefox & Chrome YMMV

That's the one I have installed. Works great.

 

[medwatt]

Is it possible to block the facebook app from accessing the internet ? I can block access to the website but the app still connects to the internet.

 

[Twiglets]

Is it possible to block the facebook app from accessing the internet ? I can block access to the website but the app still connects to the internet.

As you are using the term 'app' I will assume you mean a idevice [ iPhone or iPad ]
The url that needs blocking is "https://appsto.re/gb/NuV-q.i"

(Found by a little searching via google )

General process to find for other 'Apps' is the answer at the bottom of this page.
https://www.cnet.com/forums/discuss...11/#post-351c4cd4-b7ea-4b6a-9485-d25ac980f06a

The url for an ipad app is not the normal url you would use accessing over a browser. To find the url which the app uses, go to the Appstore on an iPad, search for the app in question (say, facebook), tap on the Action icon (Square with an arrow coming out of it) in the apps detail page and Tap on Copy Link in the available options. You can then paste somewhere to see what it is, and then enter that into your url blocker in the normal way. For facebook the url will be "https://appsto.re/gb/NuV-q.i" and blocking this will block an ipad on the network from accessing Facebook.

​

 

[Protik]

Gave pi-hole a try and reverted back within 24 hour. I like Ab-Solution better.

Pi-hole is nice and everything, but the way Ab-Solution takes care of everything is very nice. Today I broke lighttpd and used Ab-Solution to self heal everything without a single google search.

And the way pi-hole is managed has a very weird commercial smell in it. It almost seems like they are prepping for something commercial.

 

[XIII]

The url that needs blocking is "https://appsto.re/gb/NuV-q.i"

That’s a download link for the Facebook App.

Blocking that URL will not prevent the App from getting access to the internet.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I'm seeing a strange behavior with the Entware package update for pixelserv-tls which was released yesterday as pixelserv-tls 2.0.1-1.
I have posted an issue over at GitHub, we'll see what comes of it:
https://github.com/Entware-ng/Entware-ng/issues/850

Until this is resolved hold back on updating pixelserv-tls through AB-Solution.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Is it possible to block the facebook app from accessing the internet ? I can block access to the website but the app still connects to the internet.

You'd have to use the f option 1 to see what domain it uses to find out.
I am not going to install any of the FB apps on any of my devices just to find out.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Today I broke lighttpd and used Ab-Solution to self heal everything without a single google search.

What do you use lighttpd for and how is it used? Do you have it on a virtual IP just like AB?
I ask because AB4 will either use lighttpd or nginx, I have not made the decision on which one, both work great with the AB WebUI although lighttpd IS the lighter package.

 

[DonnyJohnny]

I'm seeing a strange behavior with the Entware package update for pixelserv-tls which was released yesterday as pixelserv-tls 2.0.1-1.
I have posted an issue over at GitHub, we'll see what comes of it:
https://github.com/Entware-ng/Entware-ng/issues/850

Until this is resolved hold back on updating pixelserv-tls through AB-Solution.

"opkg remove pixelserv-tls", then "opkg install pixelserv-tls". This then installs the first listed package, which is pixelserv-tls - 2.0.1-1

That’s what I did... lol..

After remove, and installed, the version still didn’t change till I reset setting in ab-solution

 

[thelonelycoder]

Gave pi-hole a try and reverted back within 24 hour. I like Ab-Solution better.

Pi-hole is nice and everything, but the way Ab-Solution takes care of everything is very nice.

And the way pi-hole is managed has a very weird commercial smell in it. It almost seems like they are prepping for something commercial.

Good to hear, thank you.

I like Pi-Hole and peek at its code to help me decide how and what to do in AB4 but it mostly is just inspiration. I code my own thing.

What I don't like about Pi-Hole is how it takes over the network in an intrusive way and is in-transparent at that. I always run my Raspberry Pi in a separate network, otherwise I have a total meltdown within my LAN.
AB-Solution tries to be as transparent as possible without throwing the technical details at you. Pi-Hole does not do that.

 

[Protik]

What do you use lighttpd for and how is it used? Do you have it on a virtual IP just like AB?
I ask because AB4 will either use lighttpd or nginx, I have not made the decision on which one, both work great with the AB WebUI although lighttpd IS the lighter package.

I installed it to check out rtorrent which I rarely use. Other than that, I thought pixelserv-tls uses lighttpd, no?

Other than that, I have been tinkering with nginx in my new raspberry pi. For AB4, I think lighttpd will be better because I assume AB4 will not be served for more than 2 clients at a time. In terms of resources lighttpd is very efficient. nginx is better for serving more requests simultaneously. Unless under heavy demand, all the web servers perform the same. For routers, I would guess the efficiency would most important consideration.

 

[thelonelycoder]

After remove, and installed, the version still didn’t change till I reset setting in ab-solution

I'm sure the package version updated that way. It's just AB not showing the version in use unless you entered the ps menu. Only then does it recheck the version.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I installed it to check out rtorrent which I rarely use. Other than that, I thought pixelserv-tls uses lighttpd, no?

No, pixelserv-tls is its own web-server.

 

[Protik]

No, pixelserv-tls is its own web-server.

I see, then this is why lighttpd did not break pixelserv-tls.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Other than that, I have been tinkering with nginx in my new raspberry pi. For AB4, I think lighttpd will be better because I assume AB4 will not be served for more than 2 clients at a time. In terms of resources lighttpd is very efficient. nginx is better for serving more requests simultaneously. Unless under heavy demand, all the web servers perform the same. For routers, I would guess the efficiency would most important consideration.

I am leaning heavily towards lighttpd for the same reasons. But until I am finished with the rewrite in AB4 I have both lighttpd and nginx installed through the new AB installer. When I'm sure everything works fine and just as well in lighttpd I'll kick the nginx code out.

 

[Protik]

Do you have any timeline about when a beta might be available for AB4?

 

[thelonelycoder]

Do you have any timeline about when a beta might be available for AB4?

Last year I was hoping for someday in January. Now I see it more like someday after January.

 

[iManuB]

Hi! @thelonelycoder
Could we have a screenshot of the new AB4 interface (am I asking too much)?

 

[thelonelycoder]

Hi! @thelonelycoder
Could we have a screenshot of the new AB4 interface (am I asking too much)?

Which one, there are three now!

- the traditional interactive terminal, command driven by arguments, no UI. Example would be:
ab-solution disable to completely disable all AB services, or ab-solution -f or follow to follow the logfile.

- the standard UI, a revamped 3.11 terminal UI, similar as in the image below, started with no arguments:
ab-solution

- the all new Web UI, pictures unavailable because the screenshot feature on my Windows PC refuses to capture it...
It's available in the browser with:
admin.absolution

The new AB installer still looks something like this, posted a while ago but I was able to overcome the encountered errors since then:

 

[iManuB]

The terminal is very nice.
I wanted to see the Web UI ... pity that there is not a screenshot.
When will the new AB4 be available?