Use different source for ad-blocking filters

Switch to a different source than bromite.org for ad-blocking filters, as soon as possible. See emails.

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assigned to @cde

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mentioned in commit calyxos.org@877cc895

mentioned in commit calyxos.org@1b62a76f

mentioned in commit platform_external_calyx_chromium@927162f7

I forgot to thank Tad in the commit message but will definitely do so in the user facing changelog.

fwiw /e/ added a migration path for user-set value: https://gitlab.e.foundation/e/os/browser/-/commit/a212729c0d1ca8f990345a4dc7652d5690c1e93d

I'm not sure if you expose that choice or not.

Thanks!

We expose that choice. I did test our changes and they work fine with the defaults without a migration (i.e. if somebody hasn't changed that setting at all)

I guess if somebody manually sets it to that old URL, or perhaps if they had a different URL and then reset it? Something to check @t-m-w

if somebody manually sets it to that old URL

Yes, if someone alters the URL at all, even if they change it back, then our modification will not migrate it.

The Reset button only resets it to its value prior to changing the textbox during that specific edit process, not to the original value. So if someone has the bromite.org URL somehow (or any other URL), Reset will not replace it with our new one. Seems like it should, though - meaning that behavior would make more sense and might have been the intention (don't know).

How should we handle this?

Other than that, it is working as expected, both for upgrades and fresh installs.

How should we handle this?

We could copy the above linked migration. I wanted to switch to a different URL before that though if possible - and keep updating that. So we don't have two migrations.

This URL can stay as a mirror / copy, and the other file can keep getting updated.

This: https://calyxos.org/bromite/filters/filters.dat

New: https://calyxos.org/filters/filters.dat -> Not live yet.

Seems like it should, though - meaning that behavior would make more sense and might have been the intention

I agree, we should change / fix the "reset" button to actually reset it to the default URL.

assigned to @t-m-w

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Okay, bromite.org indeed lapsed.

Cromite has adapted by replacing any filter URL starting with https://bromite.org with about:blank instead, which I imagine renders it ineffective. I think they're not really using this legacy ad blocker so much anymore.

For us, then, here's where I think we're at:

1. DONE: We have already updated Chromium to point to our new URL. That part of this is done - it was step 1, I guess (just like this step!). Looks like it's been shipping since CalyxOS 5.11.2. It affects new users and existing users who never changed the URL.
2. TODO: We should make the Reset button actually work as expected, for users who do ever change the URL and want to go (back) to our filter link.
3. TODO?: Should we also migrate people who are using bromite.org, as may have happened for reasons we discussed (i.e. use /e/'s style of migration?). It sounds like yes, but I'm still not clear on it.

2. Yes, we should
3. Yes, that migration looks ok, and if it works for us, why not just use it? We can partially import their patch

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