AB-Solution 1.07 is out!

[thelonelycoder]

AB-Solution is now Diversion
Please check the Diversion website for latest version and discussion link.

Welcome to AB-Solution Ad-blocking and Dnsmasq logging!

Please check the AB-Solution website for latest version and discussion link.

Screenshot of v1.07 (your background color may differ):

 

[cybrnook]

Here we go.....

 

[thelonelycoder]

Here we go.....

A tad too late for you, I know.

 

[cybrnook]

Upgraded fine from 1.06, so far so good. Upgrade logs came back clean.

I am using the "standard" option

Thanks again for this, it is a very nice solution you have put together.

 

[cybrnook]

EDIT: Just upgraded from Standard option to Medium and that as well went smooth.

There are 4 x options now, I believe 1.06 had three? Medium seems a good choice to also add malware domains, thanks again!

I did notice one thing, more OCD than anything. After upgrading to 1.07, and having standard option, I:

Started AB-Solution (1.07)
Selected option to change list (h)
on the 4 x option list, I then selected "5" to exit, WITHOUT making anything changes
then hit exit once more

AB-solution decided to cycle dnsmasq anyways, even though no change was made.

I have since gone back in and actually made the change to Medium, and all went well. Just wanted to share.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Started AB-Solution (1.07)
Selected option to change list (h)
on the 4 x option list, I then selected "5" to exit, WITHOUT making anything changes
then hit exit once more

AB-solution decided to cycle dnsmasq anyways, even though no change was made.

I have since gone back in and actually made the change to Medium, and all went well. Just wanted to share.

Happens to me a lot when I save new code to the router and then run something without first hitting 11 or force quit the app (CTRL-C). But that is expected in my case!

I don't know why it would do it to you, maybe the old version (1.06) was cached in the terminal or on the router. I have no explanation for that ATM.

 

[cybrnook]

No worries, in the end it is all working as expected. Just wanted to let you know it restarted dnsmasq in a scenario where it may not have needed to (yet).

All is well

 

[Goobi]

@thelonelycoder I am still running the original advanced method. Is there any reason to upgrade? Am I missing out on anything besides the streamlined installation process? If not, I would rather hold tight for the GUI AB version.

 

[thelonelycoder]

@thelonelycoder I am still running the original advanced method. Is there any reason to upgrade? Am I missing out on anything besides the streamlined installation process? If not, I would rather hold tight for the GUI AB version.

If you have no need for the logging- and ad-blocking toggles and the ability to switch hosts file types on the fly - then you may rest assured you are using the best you can with a combined hosts file!

 

[Goobi]

If you have no need for the logging- and ad-blocking toggles and the ability to switch hosts file types on the fly - then you may rest assured you are using the best you can with a combined hosts file!

Sounds good, thanks for you great work on this project!!

 

[thelonelycoder]

EDIT: Just upgraded from Standard option to Medium and that as well went smooth.

There are 4 x options now, I believe 1.06 had three? Medium seems a good choice to also add malware domains, thanks again!

The fourth was added in v 1.05: Additional hosts file type added

 

[elorimer]

I wonder if it would be worthwhile to make the curl command itself part of the script? Perhaps split the install option from the upgrade option? I'm not sure if it would be possible for the script to run the curl, then run itself to upgrade.

Or perhaps have the install create a second script that is executes the curl and then the script. Upgrading isn't that arduous, but I keep looking at the i command and wondering if I run that to upgrade, or if I am already upgraded.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I wonder if it would be worthwhile to make the curl command itself part of the script? Perhaps split the install option from the upgrade option? I'm not sure if it would be possible for the script to run the curl, then run itself to upgrade.

Or perhaps have the install create a second script that is executes the curl and then the script. Upgrading isn't that arduous, but I keep looking at the i command and wondering if I run that to upgrade, or if I am already upgraded.

That was already coded and working in the 1.1-dev version. Then came the relevation I could actually do an integrated Merlin GUI version. So I hastily removed unfinished code like the add-ons and released v1.05 with the hope this would be the last script-only release. The self-update did not make sense then. Things turned out different now and that updater would have been handy. Too late now.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Important: Read this if you have v1.07 installed or upgraded to
I have just pushed some code fixes to GitHub for v1.07:
- jffs/scripts/post-mount incorrectly saved backup to the source dir
- jffs/scripts/post-mount has an incorrect sleep time of 21 or 22 seconds instead of 2
- code to fix the incorrect sleep time in post-mount file

Meaning that the backup of the post-mount file was made to /jffs/scripts/ instead of in the /adblocking/backup/ directory on your USB device.

Please check the sleep time in /jffs/scripts/post-mount. It may be 21 or 22 seconds instead of the (sensible) 2 seconds.
This is what the AB-Solution entry should look like in /jffs/scripts/post-mount:
sleep 2 is correct, sleep 21 or 22 is not.

# generated by AB-Solution 1.07
if [ -d "/tmp/mnt/{your devices name}" ];then
    sleep 2
    service restart_dnsmasq
    logger "AB-Solution added entries via post-mount"
fi

You may manually change it or:
Downloading ab-solution.sh again and then upgrading AB-Solution will fix this, I have added code to make the change.
Check the install log after upgrading, you will find an entry saying:
"Fixing the incorrect sleep time in post-mount"

 

[cybrnook]

I went ahead and deleted the rogue entry in /jffs/scripts/post-mount_2016-04-02_16, which was still present after upgrading to the latest code you just published.

As well, I corrected manually the entry in /adblocking/backup/ to have sleep 2 instead of sleep 21

Back too looking good - Not that the issue you pointed out above would affect performance.

 

[FTC]

Hello. First of all, congratulate you for a very useful package you've built. Now a question. When I installed the AB solution a few weeks ago in my RT-AC3200 w/Merlin, it removed my DNS addresses from the LAN/DHCP page stating that this was necessary for the AB solution to work, and that I could optionally place those addresses (the DNS IP addresses as provided by my internet provider) under the appropriate WAN settings page, which I havn't done and all seems like working OK (clientwise), so I have 2 questions :

- What DNS addresses are my clients using now (that there is no DNS specified in the router config) ? the ones cascaded from the WAN DHCP server ?

- If I ever add DNSs into the WAN settings page ... will this be the ones casdaded to my clients ? will AB solution still work ? why ?

Thanks in advance and excuse me if this are too simple questions..

 

[thelonelycoder]

Hello. First of all, congratulate you for a very useful package you've built. Now a question. When I installed the AB solution a few weeks ago in my RT-AC3200 w/Merlin, it removed my DNS addresses from the LAN/DHCP page stating that this was necessary for the AB solution to work, and that I could optionally place those addresses (the DNS IP addresses as provided by my internet provider) under the appropriate WAN settings page, which I havn't done and all seems like working OK (clientwise), so I have 2 questions :

- What DNS addresses are my clients using now (that there is no DNS specified in the router config) ? the ones cascaded from the WAN DHCP server ?

- If I ever add DNSs into the WAN settings page ... will this be the ones casdaded to my clients ? will AB solution still work ? why ?

Thanks in advance and excuse me if this are too simple questions..

Your clients use your router as DNS Server, handled by dnsmasq. Dnsmasq uses your ISP's DNS Servers by default if none are set in WAN or LAN settings. These are likely the fastest DNS resolvers available to you. If for any reason you want to set the DNS and still have a working AB-Solution, then set the Servers in WAN Settings.
My script removes the LAN DNS settings because this would effectively bypass dnsmasq and prevent AB-Solution to do it's Job.

 

[visortgw]

Your clients use your router as DNS Server, handled by dnsmasq. Dnsmasq uses your ISP's DNS Servers by default if none are set in WAN or LAN settings. These are likely the fastest DNS resolvers available to you. If for any reason you want to set the DNS and still have a working AB-Solution, then set the Servers in WAN Settings.
My script removes the LAN DNS settings because this would effectively bypass dnsmasq and prevent AB-Solution to do it's Job.

Just remember to enable the setting to broadcast the router as a DNS server (I forget the exact name) on the LAN DHCP tab.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Just remember to enable the setting to broadcast the router as a DNS server (I forget the exact name) on the LAN DHCP tab.

That is done by the script by disabling the upstream DNS, forcing the router to be the one to handle it.

 

[FTC]

Clear now. Thank you for the explanation.