[Release] AB-Solution 3 - The Ad Blocking Solution

[abescalamis]

Yay, very excited waiting for 3.1,

I have a quick, maybe dumb question, I have DM installed and I won't be able to have pixelserv-tls which is not a big deal or care about as long as AB-solutions work, but how do I add a website to the whitelist?

 

[thelonelycoder]

Will it be a troublefree upgrade from the current version, just using the [cu] check for updates -command?

That's what the (cu) option is for!

 

[thelonelycoder]

Yay, very excited waiting for 3.1,

I have a quick, maybe dumb question, I have DM installed and I won't be able to have pixelserv-tls which is not a big deal or care about as long as AB-solutions work, but how do I add a website to the whitelist?

The (el) option allows you to add to both lists.

 

[Diamond67]

That's what the (cu) option is for!

Hurry up, cannot wait!

 

[Makaveli]

Hurry up, cannot wait!

lol

 

[thelonelycoder]

lol

Pressure to release AB3 at the time was immense, but I did not relent, the beta testers did an exceptional job of finding weaknesses and errors. It paid off, AB3 really only has a few problem cases where it might fail.

AB3.1 fixes these and some minor bugs and errors.
And maybe adds a couple of useful features.

Some AB3.1 beta testers even say words like fantastic.
All I know is, its called AB-Solution 3.1

 

[abescalamis]

Brother, you are amazing!!! I installed it today and it was super ease, the question I did 5 posts above was because I thought that the menu was added by installing pixelserv-tls but its not, that is for something else.

I tested the medium host file, but I still got some ads, then I change it to the large host file, and that one did the job, I will white list if needed.

I can see the amount of work that you have put on this, and I take my hat off for you. and again Thank you.

My last question is if I can turn off the SSH option in the router after AB-Solution is up and running and then turn it back on if I need to do changes to it, or it needs to be on all the time?

 

[kvic]

I'm gathering in not answering that part of my question, there's no benefit but possibly a whole bunch of troubles.
ok, thanks people.

I'm running Privoxy but only with a few filters that collapse ad placeholders for three sites I visit frequently on mobile devices. In general, very little benefit.

Quoting @kvic from this thread:

I wonder if increasing the cache size is worth exploring.
Standard size is: cache-size=1500
That's 1500 names, not MB.

Oh..I reverted back to cache-size=1000 in my current setup. I did not find noticeable gain with a huge cache for a small LAN.

EDIT: correct typo

 

[steelskinz]

How could we change the cache-size as if i put that line it conflicts with the original hardcoded in the config file from the router ? Thanks.

 

[thelonelycoder]

How could we change the cache-size as if i put that line it conflicts with the original hardcoded in the config file from the router ? Thanks.

This works only in the /jffs/scripts/dnsmasq.postconf
AB-Solution reads those entries from /adblocking/scripts/ab_dnsmasq_postconf.sh

You would need to add this directly to the /jffs/scripts/dnsmasq.postconf, outside of the AB 'DO NOT EDIT' part:

pc_replace "cache-size=1500" "cache-size=2500" $CONFIG

This would change it from the standard 1500 to 2500.
Then restart dnsmasq:

service restart_dnsmasq

 

[thelonelycoder]

How could we change the cache-size as if i put that line it conflicts with the original hardcoded in the config file from the router ? Thanks.

I'm going to add this as 'dnsmasq experimental setting' in the AB3.1 release.
Along with the log-async setting.
This is not confirmed to really improve dnsmasq performance, hence the 'experimental' in the menu.
It needs to be watched over a longer period of time to tell the difference.

 

[Netbug]

can i ask in blacklist.txt it says

# No IP address mapping (0.0.0.0 123.123.12.3) and
# no wildcards (*pricegrabber.com). This WILL NOT work.
# Run [el] to read changes into Dnsmasq.
# Add blacklisted Domains as follows, without the leading #.
# 0.0.0.0 pricegrabber.com
# 0.0.0.0 www.pricegrabber.com

when adding a domain to blacklist for example lets say netflix.com, do i have to add an ip address before it? if i leave ip address out it auto adds 192.168.1.2 (which is the ip address for pixelserv).

Also when it creates a certificate for the ad domains where are they stored exactly?

Sorry for the dumb questions.

cheers

 

[thelonelycoder]

when adding a domain to blacklist for example lets say netflix.com, do i have to add an ip address before it? if i leave ip address out it auto adds 192.168.1.2 (which is the ip address for pixelserv).

What does it say when you try to add one with (el)?
Hint: Read red text...

Also when it creates a certificate for the ad domains where are they stored exactly?

/opt/var/cache/pixelserv

 

[thelonelycoder]

can i ask in blacklist.txt it says

when adding a domain to blacklist for example lets say netflix.com, do i have to add an ip address before it? if i leave ip address out it auto adds 192.168.1.2 (which is the ip address for pixelserv).
cheers

Do you mean by manually adding an entry into the whitelist.txt file?
If you add it through (el) the IP is auto-added, be it the PS IP or the standard 0.0.0.0.
If you manually add it to the whitelist.txt you have to add it with the correct IP.
If you don't know the IP, just add 0.0.0.0 and then switch (ps) off and back on, it will be auto-converted.

 

[steelskinz]

This works only in the /jffs/scripts/dnsmasq.postconf
AB-Solution reads those entries from /adblocking/scripts/ab_dnsmasq_postconf.sh

You would need to add this directly to the /jffs/scripts/dnsmasq.postconf, outside of the AB 'DO NOT EDIT' part:

pc_replace "cache-size=1500" "cache-size=2500" $CONFIG

This would change it from the standard 1500 to 2500.
Then restart dnsmasq:

service restart_dnsmasq

Thanks. I'll try tonight.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Thanks. I'll try tonight.

Don't forget to remove it when you update to AB3.1, when it comes out, it will have the option to set it.
I have no built in check if this has already been set elsewhere.

 

[Netbug]

Do you mean by manually adding an entry into the whitelist.txt file?
If you add it through (el) the IP is auto-added, be it the PS IP or the standard 0.0.0.0.
If you manually add it to the whitelist.txt you have to add it with the correct IP.
If you don't know the IP, just add 0.0.0.0 and then switch (ps) off and back on, it will be auto-converted.

Thanks for replying.

I only make edits via putty not directly in the files via (el) option as you stated and it auto adds the ip of the pixelserv ip. I just wasn't sure if i needed to add an ip as well as the domain, from what you say it's correct if doing it via (el) it will add the pixelserv ip automatically, i wasn't sure if it was rite or not. I assume now it is.

Cheers. Great extension btw, it's just awesome

 

[steelskinz]

Don't forget to remove it when you update to AB3.1, when it comes out, it will have the option to set it.
I have no built in check if this has already been set elsewhere.

Yes. Thanks a lot. Where can i sign to the beta test user list ?

 

[thelonelycoder]

Yes. Thanks a lot. Where can i sign to the beta test user list ?

We're almost done, sorry. Maybe next time around?

 

[gjf]

Just a question (and possibly very dumb one) - why AB-Solution is better than built-in DNS-based Filtering?
Yes, possibly the database is bigger - but I cannot change the behaviour for different clients in my network and to assign different blocking lists for different clients (for instance - for children and for parents).
Moreover DNS-based Filtering won't work any more after installation of AB-Solution.