Does this also happen when you install version 2.9.1 from here? Chances are the newer WebExtensions version will not work as flawlessly as the legacy version (even if you think it should because of the Firefox ESR update).

Also see this thread. Keep in mind more issues have been reported for ABP and Firefox ESR.

If 2.9.1 works fine for you and it wants to update to 3.x from the Add-ons Manager, you can select it there and choose to not be included in any automatic update checks - see the How to update add-ons support article for more information.

Howdy: Adblock Plus 3.0.2 worked just fine, on 3 XP computers, right before the Firefox ESR 52.5.2 update, i.e. with the Firefox version that was immediately before ESR 52.5.2. On one machine, I watched it in real time, i.e. updated the filters, then updated to 52.5.2, then couldn't update the filters. When you click on Update Filters, nothing happens at all. Like the link doesn't even exist.

Hello. I know what you wrote and what you experienced.

Like I said, do NOT assume updates in ESR mean add-ons will behave the same, as a) there have been many issues (especially for ABP) with regard to WebExtensions, their functionality for older Firefox versions (if they are compatible at all) and their migration, and b) chances are ESR updates will include fixes that affect these extensions. Additionally, you can rest assure such issues will not be fixed in ESR.

Just use the 2.9.1 version like the ABP developer advised and you should be fine. All links do exist and should work.

Thanks. Where did the ABP developer advise me to do that?

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-plus/versions/

See 2.9.1 Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

Alan75 said

Thanks. Where did the ABP developer advise me to do that?

In the two adblockplus forum threads and the link to 2.9.1 are in first reply by Tonnes

Thanks. I read them both in full. It's not accurate to say the ABP developer advises anyone to downgrade to 2.9.1. He discourages it. The fact remains that Firefox ESR 52.5.2 (32-bit) broke Adblock Plus 3.0.2, at least on Windows XP SP3, in that none of the filters (EasyList, EasyPrivacy, Malware Domains, etc.) are able to connect to update themselves. Same thing on three XP computers here. It was not a problem in the version of Firefox ESR immediately before 52.5.2. The ESR version right before 52.5.2 was able to connect and update filters within ABP 3.0.2. So perhaps you will fix this in your next ESR or perhaps ABP will figure out what happened and maybe they can resolve it. I contacted them and they responded nicely and said they would attempt to replicate the situation. I do find it unfortunate that folks responding here won't say: "Thanks for the report. Let us see if we can see why the newest ESR, 52.5.2, prevents the newest ABP, 3.0.2, from updating its filters." In the meantime, is there a way to roll back my Firefox to the ESR immediately before ESR 52.5.2?

Alan75 said

Thanks. I read them both in full. It's not accurate to say the ABP developer advises anyone to downgrade to 2.9.1. He discourages it.

In between the lines and comments and on other sources, you can see what the developer wrote about support for older versions, and that the WebExtensions version and dropping support for legacy browsers in those has priority.

The fact remains that Firefox ESR 52.5.2 (32-bit) broke Adblock Plus 3.0.2, at least on Windows XP SP3, in that none of the filters (EasyList, EasyPrivacy, Malware Domains, etc.) are able to connect to update themselves. Same thing on three XP computers here. It was not a problem in the version of Firefox ESR immediately before 52.5.2. The ESR version right before 52.5.2 was able to connect and update filters within ABP 3.0.2.

Rather than "accusing" Firefox based on the fact the same thing happens on your 3 computers but perhaps not for other users and without proper investigation of the issue, it would be better if you could provide some "evidence" about Firefox being at fault by testing, viewing logs, and perhaps use Developer Tools, as developers simply won’t act otherwise. This forum is also not the place to report bugs, but we’re happy to assist in general troubleshooting and to point developers to questions if it turns out there is a real bug.

So perhaps you will fix this in your next ESR or perhaps ABP will figure out what happened and maybe they can resolve it. I contacted them and they responded nicely and said they would attempt to replicate the situation. I do find it unfortunate that folks responding here won't say: "Thanks for the report. Let us see if we can see why the newest ESR, 52.5.2, prevents the newest ABP, 3.0.2, from updating its filters." In the meantime, is there a way to roll back my Firefox to the ESR immediately before ESR 52.5.2?

The same goes for this. Of course we’re glad you reported this and we’re as eager as you when it comes to finding bugs, but it would go too far to acknowledge your issue as a bug, and as said, even if it was one, the question would be whether or not it would get fixed for a next ESR version as this may affect ABP, but other add-ons could run into similar issues.

Nevertheless, I tried to reproduce your issue on a Win XP SP3 setup that had Firefox 52.4.0 ESR installed and guess what: no issue. I started by installing ABP 3.0.2 from the Add-ons Manager (the one found when searching) and yes, it failed to update, but only because of an ad blocking proxy script that was triggered by the update addresses involved. Turning that off caused no issue. Then I installed 3.0.1 manually to see any differences reported (in the Browser Console, use Ctrl+Shift+J) and there were none either. Then I tried the same with both versions (found automatically and manually) after updating Firefox 52.4.0 ESR to 52.5.2 ESR, and still no issue. The only issue was that enabling and especially updating filter lists from ABP 3.0.x caused a 200MB+ increase in memory and 99% spikes in CPU load slowing things down, but that also appears to be valid for 2.9.1 in general. Maybe that issue is related to yours, but I doubt it.

All this may indicate there is some other software on all your systems (a mutual ad blocking script or some enabled feature in security software?) that may break updating the filter lists. Again, use the Browser Console to check and point to issues within Firefox. If you can provide some evidence as suggested, feel free to follow up with that info here, or if you found the culprit on your end, please mention that and choose any response here as a solution.

/Edit: forgot to mention: yes, you can find previous versions of Firefox including the ESR releases here. Perhaps it’s good to uninstall your current version (you won’t lose data and settings) and then reinstall the version you used earlier from there - theoretically you should suffer the same issue. You can find the version you used before in your Update History reported near the Update settings in Firefox. Be sure you set those to not automatically update before uninstalling, or your re-installed previous version will be updated right after installing it. ;)

Thanks much for your efforts. I appreciate it. I now realize I've not provided enough detail. After experiencing this on two computers, I took a different approach on the third computer, which had not been on in a couple weeks, before assuming the Firefox update was the issue. I started Firefox (which would have, at that moment, had the ESR version that came out immediately before 52.5.2) and I opened ABP 3.0.2 already running on that computer and successfully manually updated each filter. Then, I updated Firefox to ESR 52.5.2, and then returned to ABP 3.0.2, to click update filters again, and then, as on the other two computers, I could no longer update. There are no other Firefox add-ons or extensions on the computers in question. I then tried not using private browsing, not blocking third-party cookies, not letting Firefox use Disconnect, and, basically, every other thing that could be toggled on or off in the Firefox options (certainly including anything that might have differed from a default install) and I also turned off and on any options in ABP that differed from a default install, but none of these things made a difference. I will do as you say and attempt to view logs and use developer tools, though we'll see if I have the skill set for that. What was the "ad blocking proxy script" that prevented you from updating filters?

Hope this is what you asked for. Cheers.

COMPUTER #1

1514151798531 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Loading extension '{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}': Reading manifest: Error processing background.persistent: Event pages are not currently supported. This will run as a persistent background page. 1514151798582 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Loading extension '{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}': Reading manifest: Error processing permissions.7: Unknown permission "unlimitedStorage" 1514151798599 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Loading extension '{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}': Reading manifest: Error processing devtools_page: An unexpected property was found in the WebExtension manifest. 1514151798600 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Loading extension '{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}': Reading manifest: Error processing minimum_opera_version: An unexpected property was found in the WebExtension manifest. 1514151798602 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Loading extension '{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}': Reading manifest: Error processing storage: An unexpected property was found in the WebExtension manifest. 1514151798738 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Please specify whether you want browser_style or not in your browser_action options. In add-on {d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}, attempting to use listener "tabs.onReplaced", which is unimplemented. ExtensionParent.jsm:524:71 NS_ERROR_NOT_AVAILABLE: Component returned failure code: 0x80040111 (NS_ERROR_NOT_AVAILABLE) [nsIDOMWindowUtils.isParentWindowMainWidgetVisible] nsPrompter.js:350 In add-on {d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}, attempting to use listener "tabs.onReplaced", which is unimplemented.

...

Cannot send message: Other side disconnected: ["MessageChannel:Response", {result:4, messageName:"481-0", recipient:{}, error:{message:"Message manager disconnected", result:(void 0)}}] ExtensionUtils.jsm:1091

______________________________________________________________

COMPUTER #2

1514152031693 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Loading extension '{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}': Reading manifest: Error processing background.persistent: Event pages are not currently supported. This will run as a persistent background page. 1514152031746 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Loading extension '{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}': Reading manifest: Error processing permissions.7: Unknown permission "unlimitedStorage" 1514152031763 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Loading extension '{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}': Reading manifest: Error processing devtools_page: An unexpected property was found in the WebExtension manifest. 1514152031764 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Loading extension '{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}': Reading manifest: Error processing minimum_opera_version: An unexpected property was found in the WebExtension manifest. 1514152031766 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Loading extension '{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}': Reading manifest: Error processing storage: An unexpected property was found in the WebExtension manifest. 1514152031902 addons.webextension.{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} WARN Please specify whether you want browser_style or not in your browser_action options. In add-on {d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}, attempting to use listener "tabs.onReplaced", which is unimplemented. ExtensionParent.jsm:524:71 NS_ERROR_NOT_AVAILABLE: Component returned failure code: 0x80040111 (NS_ERROR_NOT_AVAILABLE) [nsIDOMWindowUtils.isParentWindowMainWidgetVisible] nsPrompter.js:350 In add-on {d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}, attempting to use listener "tabs.onReplaced", which is unimplemented.

...

Cannot send message: Other side disconnected: ["MessageChannel:Response", {result:4, messageName:"117-0", recipient:{}, error:{message:"Message manager disconnected", result:(void 0)}}]

Thanks for the log. Indeed, this is useful, albeit I see about the same (JavaScript) warnings without affecting the ability to update the lists.

Can you reproduce the logging for 1 machine but this time, only with the Net, Security, Logging and Server tabs fully enabled? (I wrote "fully" as enabling part of them using the drop-down arrow may not be enough.) Clear the screen using the trash can icon before attempting to update the lists. The GET responses for the filter lists are the most important.

Since you wrote "When you click on Update filter, it appears there is not even an attempt to connect" in your first post, the question would be whether or not there would be GET requests at all. In case you had these tabs enabled for your log above.....

The script I referred to is something you can find when searching online for bust and banner, but I don’t think it applies here.

No problem. I followed the above instructions carefully three times. Clicking "update now" or "UPDATE ALL FILTER LISTS" produces nothing in the Browser Console at all. The windows remained blank (with only those 4 tabs fully selected) after trash-canning what had been there from launching the browser.

Three or four minutes later, there were three GETs and a POST related to:

https://blocklist.addons.mozilla.org/blocklist/3/, https://firefox.settings.services.mozilla.com/v1/buckets/monitor/collections/changes/records and https://blocklists.settings.services.mozilla.com/v1/blocklist/3/

but I suspect that has nothing to do with ABP.

P.S.: Update History shows that the previous browser on these machines was Firefox 52.5.0esr, within which ABP was happy to update its filters. Cheers

PP.SS.: Out of an abundance of curiosity, I ran the same processes you ask for above on Firefox on a current Mac, and this was the result, so now I know exactly what I'm looking for that isn't happening on the other three machines:

GET XHR https://easylist-downloads.adblockplus.org/antiadblockfilters.txt [HTTP/1.1 200 OK 1948ms] POST http://ocsp.comodoca.com/ [HTTP/1.1 200 OK 331ms] POST http://ocsp.comodoca.com/ [HTTP/1.1 200 OK 320ms]

Correct. Do note you may need check/enable the XHR item under NET in the browser Console to see the GET requests - it may be turned off.

Were you able to reproduce the issue with ABP 3.0.2 after reverting to Firefox 52.5.0 ESR, or did that work fine as before?

Do you have any other add-ons enabled, and did you try after disabling all of them except ABP? Could you also check what happens when Use hardware acceleration when available is unchecked? (Restart Firefox afterwards.)

Looking at the changes for FF 52.5.4 compared to its previous 52.5.0 version, something with regard to security and web workers in Private Browsing mode changed, but I doubt that will reflect in not being able to update filter lists. I tried to use permanent Private Browsing mode (by setting Firefox to Never remember history, assuming you use it too) to see if that’s related, but it still worked.

You could also try to see what happens with ABP’s latest beta build found here - the issue could have been resolved meanwhile - or trying and comparing behavior between several older beta versions (all of them using FF 52.5.4) may indicate something.

I did push a few messages to people at ABP but expect the holidays will cause them to reply next week at the earliest.

(1) The XHR item under Net was ticked.

(2) I have not reverted to 52.5.0; I am using the latest available esr in order to have your latest security updates.

(3) There are no other add-ons enabled on those computers.

(4) I checked the hardware acceration for you. Not a factor either way.

(5) I've already troubleshot in and out of private browsing mode, including permanent private mode.

(6) You keep referring to Firefox 52.5.4 (esr, I assume), which has not been pushed out as far as I can see. The latest is 52.5.3, which installed on these computers this morning. It did not resolve the problem of no GETs/POSTs for the ABP filters, though it did permanently rename all the filter-update status lines to "just now." Alas, no. You still can't update them. No GET. No POST.

(7) Thanks for pushing this to a few people; I also contacted ABP, and got an initial reply from a human, but nothing since.

About 52.5.4: right, not sure why - of course I meant 52.5.0 -> 52.5.2. I wondered if you could reproduce after reverting from 52.5.2 to 52.5.0 just to prove the 52.5.2 ESR update caused the issue. Regardless of security updates, you should not really fear using a slightly older version for testing and just try doing so for proper troubleshooting.

When the filter lists say "just now", there has to be a request for them. Perhaps the most important part is why you don’t see a "Failed, download failure" message instead when updates (really) fail. Note that you can click the arrow to expand the GET text to see what happens - a successful update apparently indicates "Response body was not stored."

I don’t think the POST text you quoted above applies to the filter list updates, hence they show only once after launch, appearing when checking a certificate provider. Considering the latter, do you have Query OCSP responder servers to confirm the current validity of certificates enabled in Firefox Options > Advanced panel Certificate tab (set by default)? Unchecking it makes no change for me. However and thinking of that, I did not see you reported using any security software (on all machines) that could be related? (You would probably suffer other issues in that case though.)

The ABP 3.0.2 release info can be found here, yet I see no relation to the filter list issue other than their #6010 that should have been fixed some beta versions ago, at least for Firefox. Did you try any newer ABP betas? Any links in that ticket (e.g. to their forum) are worth reading though.

You should also be able to find a file called storage.js inside this folder: <profile folder>\browser-extension-data\{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}\ - this is where the filter lists should be stored, so you can check the file’s time stamp instead of the message reported.

I still see no issue after upgrading to today’s 52.5.3 ESR with ABP 3.0.2 release, apart from slow responses sometimes and GET requests perhaps appearing later than expected.

All together, I wonder if it wouldn’t be better to stick to 2.9.1 at this point rather than awaiting ABP to fix all issues while knowing WebExtensions do not work very well with legacy ones, performance is worse than 2.9.1, and in case you want to add legacy add-ons later.

Most, if not all, ABP people are on PTO right now... ;)

This is a lot and I may wait for FF or ABP to solve the problem. The computers in question are not used often. One of the computers *seems* to have updated ABP during today's installation of 52.5.3, but cannot be updated again via the "update now" command or the "UPDATE ALL FILTER LISTS" command. It had reported "just now" and now it says "hours ago." The other computer did not change its reports as a result of today's installation of 52.5.3. It still shows the filters last updated between Nov. 16 and Nov. 19. As to storage.js ... on the computer that said "just now" and now says "hours ago," the storage.js file date is this morning at the time of the 52.5.3 installation (ish). The other computer, which reports its last updates were between Nov. 16 and Nov. 19, shows a file date on storage.js of this afternoon. Please note, clicking on "update filters" does NOT change the timestamp on the storage.js file on either computer. This is all I have for now. I my free time, I may work through some of the extensive suggestions above unless the problem magically or not so magically goes away in the next FF ESR update or the next ABP update. Cheers. (I now suppose it is at least possible that ABP is updating itself in the background, but that the manual "update now" and the manual "UPDATE ALL FILTER LISTS" are broken in FF 52.5.2 and 52.5.3, and that the interface that reports on the date of the last update to each filter is broken on at least the second computer. FWIW, these two computers are twins, clones, same manufacturer, same software, same everything.) Until later...

No wonder you couldn't replicate the issue, Tonnes. In order for the issue to occur, Adblock Plus had to already be installed when Firefox was updated to 52.5.2. I resolved the issue on all three computers today by uninstalling and reinstalling Adblock Plus. Happy New Year.