Custom Rules with WebExtensions

[kjorand]

Hi,
According to this site it is now possible to add custom rules to Google Chrome by just editing a few lines of it's code, but doing so we corrupt the app which Chrome doen't seem to appreciate it.
Could it be possible to apply the trick descibed above directly in the code of the extension (no corruption, no disparition on update)?
Then we would just have to edit

C:\Users\****\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\gcbommkclmclpchllfjekcdonpmejbdp\2017.6.20_0\rules\custom.rulesets

Working a lot with local devices (192.168.1.XXX), some of them having to be served over https, others not ... it would be much easier and much less of a pain in the ass ;-)

Additionnally, some websites like Doodle do work with https everywhere on but not with the block unencrypted content option ...

So thinking a little more long term, it'd be great to be able directly from the menu to:

• remember exclusion of the current site (with an openning field to edit the filter: to choose if the whole domain or the current subdomain or current page ?)
• remember the deactivation of the blocking option site to site just as for the activation of https everywhere itself

Thank you for that great app!
There are a few of them on the market, but that one is currently the only one I trust (even though it's a little boring having to activate/deactivate it every two minutes when switching tabs .... )

[jeremyn]

I'm not entirely sure what you're asking for, but Firefox lets you use complete custom ruleset files as described in https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere/rulesets#testing, by putting the files into a special directory. Chrome has a limited ability to add custom rules using the extension GUI with Add a rule for this site.

With the coming requirement for add-ons to use WebExtensions instead of XUL/XPCOM as for Firefox 57, the existing Firefox code will be replaced with something like the Chrome code. It's not clear yet to me how custom ruleset files will be supported going forward.

[gopherit]

With the coming requirement for add-ons to use WebExtensions instead of XUL/XPCOM as for Firefox 57, the existing Firefox code will be replaced with something like the Chrome code. It's not clear yet to me how custom ruleset files will be supported going forward.

I use the custom rules directory in Firefox for all of my development and testing purposes before I even think of submitting a PR. I'd hate to see that functionality disappear.

I barely use Chrome, but I've found the Chrome add-on to have less functionality than the FF one. It's just "different."

[J0WI]

I'm not sure if this dupes something that is going to change for the Firefox Webextension release.

@J0WI Add the high priority label please.

[jeremyn]

@gopherit I also use the custom rules directory, for HTTPS Everywhere maintenance. I asked @Hainish about plans to add this to the WebExtensions version, and he responded in #9958 (comment) and following with a (IMHO) tedious and complex workaround. It involves preprocessing the ruleset on the command line and then including the processed ruleset in a JavaScript snippet in the debug console.

This approach is not a good substitute for the existing functionality, but I don't know how pressed @Hainish is for time on getting the WebExtensions add-on finished for general users. I don't know how to prioritize this critical problem for the twenty or so very important users who are maintainers and regular contributors, vs getting the basic stuff done for the million general users.

@Hainish Can you weigh in here please?

@J0WI I think WebExtensions has some mechanism for migrating the rulesets in HTTPSEverywhereCustomRules folder into the localStorage, but that's not real custom rule support. I also think the migration only happens once.

[Hainish]

@jeremyn

• The Embedded WebExtension version is still able to digest rules in HTTPSEverywhereUserRules, WebExtensions timeline/checklist #9958 (comment)
• The WebExtension version does not have the capability to read files to disk

Do you have a suggested path forward?

My suggestion is to migrate the rules from HTTPSEverywhereCustomRules folder into localStorage. For some reason I thought it is already done.

[mgol]

@Hainish I feel what's deeply needed here - and that applies to both Chrome & Firefox versions - is to have a settings UI with an editable list of rules. At the basic level even a textarea with rules in a custom DSL would be a big improvement to the current state of things. Some extensions already have something like that, see e.g. uBlock Origin's rule list (the "My filters" tab in the add-on's options).

@mgol #11794

[Hainish]

@koops HTTPSEverywhereUserRules are being stored via the storage API (not localStorage) as of #11800, as an array under the key legacy_custom_rulesets.

[Hainish]

This is only after a migration is performed, though, which can only be done in Embedded WebExtensions.

[jeremyn]

@Hainish: @mgol and @koops76 have the solution: an in-extension UI where you can edit rules. The key is that we can insert, modify, and persist rulesets which look like normal (not compacted) rulesets, using some kind of text editor.