Shamil's Blog. Software Engineering Processes, Android, CI, Devops.

In light of google disabling adblocking-related API parts for Chrome extensions and lots of other shit about Chrome I started to look for an alternative.
What I came into is "ungoogled chromium" which can be downloaded as many other chromium variants from here. Not sure on next step, can possibly compile it myself with importing latest patches or reverting patch related to API cut (I'm sure they'll make it impossible. though).
There're some challenges in process of moving to Chromium from Chrome, though. Copying profile is not enough ;)

• If you want to move to Chromium smooth and save your opened tabs, the trick is to copy user profile while Chrome is opened (as Chromium resets some of settings while opening newly copied profile it starts with "Open with new tab" option effectively forgetting all your tabs
• In Chromium passwords cannot be imported. At all. Or saved. Until you delete "Login Data*" files (DB itself and -journal).
• Extensions cannot be set up from chrome store. Download process is manual using download URL below or here with pictures (if you don't mind some Japanese).
• Look through 

Download link for chrome extension is below, replace version (in format: 74.0) and extension ID with actual values:

https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx?response=redirect&prodversion=[PRODVERSION]&acceptformat=crx2,crx3&x=id%3D[EXTENSIONID]%26uc

PS Speaking of privacy and adblock-related extensions, I'm using uBlock origin (gorhill's one) and Tampermonkey with some Medium-related scripts. Cannot imagine browsing without them - internet is just hell (from my point of view I can compare it with popups and blinking banners of 90s).

Labels: chrome, chromium, extensions, google, opensource, privacy, security, ublock

I don't like an annoying videos crying out loud on me from respectful web sites (mostly ads). Also I don't want to setup another one Chrome extension (230000 users using that). I already have too much of them. And yes, uBlock Origin cannot stop them all.
So I've patched Chrome (chromium actually) source code and compiled it for myself from source. Voila, it works! Patch is below just to know how simple the change (that is being discussed for 2 years with no effect, while the problem itself exists for much more than 5 years) is.
And yes, I don't mind pressing manually for video to start every time. Also I don't mind stop wasting my data plan and draining laptop battery. Thanks Google for being unfriendly and not having any user settings for this ;-)
Disclaimer: published under MIT License. That is, simply: "as-is", no guarantees, by downloading this patch you know what are you doing.

Labels: ads, autoplay, chrome, chromium, linux, opensource, patch, video, webkit