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- | Not only does blocking ads remove their annoyance and distraction, it | + | Not only does blocking ads remove their annoyance and distraction, it also reduces bandwidth usage and decreases CPU load. This can decrease page loading and rendering time, and reduce memory usage, especially on slower connections. There are a number of methods for blocking ads, each with their own set of pros and cons. |
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+ | == Hosts and CSS == | ||
+ | This is the recommended method, as the performance impact of the other methods is non-trivial. | ||
Pros: | Pros: | ||
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* Less thorough and effective than the other methods. | * Less thorough and effective than the other methods. | ||
* Requires having [[root access]] and using XTerm to configure. | * Requires having [[root access]] and using XTerm to configure. | ||
- | * Time consuming to temporarily disable. | + | * Time consuming to temporarily disable. |
* The 'hosts' file may block network access from some applications as the rules in it are used by all applications accessing the network. | * The 'hosts' file may block network access from some applications as the rules in it are used by all applications accessing the network. | ||
- | == | + | === Hosts === |
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- | + | The hosts file works by blocking access to a large number of know advertising servers, thus preventing the browser from loading content from those servers. Although the hosts file prevents advertising content from being loaded, it does not remove those elements from the page. Which is why it is used in conjunction with the CSS method. | |
- | + | The rules for these blocks are put into /etc/hosts. Simply append the contents of [http://everythingisnt.com/hosts.html this hosts file] to the end of your hosts file. To edit it you need [[root access]]. Be careful to add it to the existing contents instead of overwriting them, as these are necessary for normal operation of the tablet. | |
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- | === | + | === CSS === |
- | + | The CSS method uses a custom stylesheet that the browser will apply to all pages. This stylesheet has rules for removing advertising elements from the page. So the hosts file prevents the content from being loaded, and the CSS stylesheet prevents the elements from being rendered. | |
+ | |||
+ | Simply place [http://floppymoose.com this userContent.css] file into /home/user/.mozilla/microb/chrome/userContent.css and restart MicroB. | ||
== Privoxy == | == Privoxy == | ||
- | {{main| | + | {{main|privoxy}} |
[http://www.privoxy.org Privoxy] is an application that can function, among other things, as an ad filtering proxy server. That means that instead of directly connecting to the internet the connection is filtered through Privoxy, which cleanses it of advertising. | [http://www.privoxy.org Privoxy] is an application that can function, among other things, as an ad filtering proxy server. That means that instead of directly connecting to the internet the connection is filtered through Privoxy, which cleanses it of advertising. | ||
Pros: | Pros: | ||
- | * Lower performance impact | + | * Lower performance impact that Adblock Plus, but higher than hosts/CSS. |
* Fairly easy to install. | * Fairly easy to install. | ||
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Cons: | Cons: | ||
* Small performance impact. | * Small performance impact. | ||
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* Configuration can be difficult. | * Configuration can be difficult. | ||
* May block some applications from network when in use. | * May block some applications from network when in use. | ||
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To install Privoxy: | To install Privoxy: | ||
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# Connect to the network again with the connection you just changed. | # Connect to the network again with the connection you just changed. | ||
- | Now this connection uses Privoxy and ads should be blocked. For each saved connection with which you want to use Privoxy you need to edit the proxy settings as shown above. Although you can change the ad-blocking settings by editing the configuration files in | + | Now this connection uses Privoxy and ads should be blocked. For each saved connection with which you want to use Privoxy you need to edit the proxy settings as shown above. Although you can change the ad-blocking settings by editing the configuration files in /etc/privoxy, the default settings will work for most people. Editing requires root permissions. |
- | It is possible that Privoxy stops some applications from connecting to the network as all applications are now forced to go via Privoxy for http and https access. The Wayfinder Map application for example cannot download maps via a connetion with Privoxy. A simple solution is to make another network connection via Settings that does not use Privoxy and switch between them when necessary. Or, if you know the exact domain(s) the application tries to access, you could add the domain to Privoxy's whitelist. To do so edit | + | It is possible that Privoxy stops some applications from connecting to the network as all applications are now forced to go via Privoxy for http and https access. The Wayfinder Map application for example cannot download maps via a connetion with Privoxy. A simple solution is to make another network connection via Settings that does not use Privoxy and switch between them when necessary. Or, if you know the exact domain(s) the application tries to access, you could add the domain to Privoxy's whitelist. To do so edit /etc/privoxy/user.action and put it under the section ' { -block }'. |
== Adblock Plus == | == Adblock Plus == | ||
- | + | Adblock Plus is a plugin for Mozilla based browsers, such as Firefox and the MicroB. | |
Pros: | Pros: | ||
* Easy to install. | * Easy to install. | ||
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* Has no influence on other applications than the browser. | * Has no influence on other applications than the browser. | ||
* Is more thorough and effective than the hosts/CSS method. | * Is more thorough and effective than the hosts/CSS method. | ||
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It is available from the Browser Extras repository. | It is available from the Browser Extras repository. | ||
- | You can save time building up your block list by copying your existing | + | You can save time building up your block list by copying your existing ''patterns.ini'' to your tablet here: ''/home/user/.mozilla/microb/adblockplus''. For example, on Windows XP it can be found in C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxxxxxx.default\adblockplus. |
Works great in compliment with Flashblock, also available in Browser Extras. | Works great in compliment with Flashblock, also available in Browser Extras. | ||
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+ | [[Category:Users]] | ||
[[Category:Web]] | [[Category:Web]] | ||
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