AdminSettings for uBlock are not working anymore in Firefox

[BenKu82]

Prerequisites

• I verified that this is not a filter issue
  • Filter issues MUST be reported at filter issue tracker
• This is not a support issue or a question
  • Support issues and questions are handled at /r/uBlockOrigin
• I performed a cursory search of the issue tracker to avoid opening a duplicate issue
  • Your issue may already be reported.
• I tried to reproduce the issue when...
  • uBlock Origin is the only extension
  • uBlock Origin with default lists/settings
  • using a new, unmodified browser profile
• I am running the latest version of uBlock Origin
• I checked the documentation to understand that the issue I report is not a normal behavior

Description

In Issue gorhill/uBlock#2986 is a Solution documented, but it does not work anymore.

A specific URL where the issue occurs

[A specific URL is MANDATORY for issue happening on a web page, even if it happens "everywhere"]

Steps to Reproduce

1. Creating File "[email protected]" containing:

{
 "name": "[email protected]",
 "description": "ignored",
 "type": "storage",
 "data": {
    "adminSettings": {"autoUpdate":true,"netWhitelist":"about-scheme\nbehind-the-scene\nchrome-extension-scheme\nchrome-scheme\nlocalhost\nloopconversation.about-scheme\nopera-scheme\nEXAMPLE.COM"}
   
		}
		
}

2. Creating Registry-Entry

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\ManagedStorage\[email protected]]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\browser\\extensions\\[email protected]"

3. Starting Firefox

Expected behavior:

EXAMPLE.COM has to be entered in the uBlock-Whitelist

Actual behavior:

Nothing

Your environment

• uBlock Origin version: v1.25.0
• Browser Name and version: Mozilla Firefox 68.8.0esr
• Operating System and version: MS Windows 10 1809

[gwarser]

I'm pretty sure this must be double escaped string:

"adminSettings": {"autoUpdate":true,"netWhitelist":"

->

"adminSettings": "{\"userFilters\":\"www.test.de##sc

---

Use this tool to encode properly: http://raymondhill.net/ublock/adminSetting.html and use "as a JSON string value"

[BenKu82]

I tested it with the tool, too. But it does not work, too.

[gwarser]

Works for me on Linux

It failed for me few times - just make sure JSON is valid, is properly escaped and is correctly quoted.

[gorhill]

Your [email protected] worked on my side. Note that double escaping is no longer needed so the following worked for me:

{
    "name": "[email protected]",
    "description": "_",
    "type": "storage",
    "data": {
        "adminSettings": {
            "autoUpdate": true,
            "netWhitelist": "about-scheme\nbehind-the-scene\nchrome-extension-scheme\nchrome-scheme\nlocalhost\nloopconversation.about-scheme\nopera-scheme\nEXAMPLE.COM"
        }
    }
}

[gorhill]

There is an issue actually, I see EXAMPLE.COM but it's commented out.

Edit 1: never mind, it's commented out because it is considered invalid, it's properly added when converted to lowercase. However, autoUpdate: true is not being enforced, I need to investigate why.

Edit 2: Ok autoUpdate is not being enforced because it needs to be a property of userSettings, just as it is in the backup file. So all is ok here finally.

Note that I am on linux, I do not have access to a Windows computer.

[gorhill]

uBlock Origin version: v1.25.0

Sorry, I don't think this version supported not double-encoding; still the double encoded JSON worked for me:

"{\"autoUpdate\":true,\"netWhitelist\":\"about-scheme\\nbehind-the-scene\\nchrome-extension-scheme\\nchrome-scheme\\nlocalhost\\nloopconversation.about-scheme\\nopera-scheme\\nEXAMPLE.COM\"}"

[BenKu82]

I don´t know, what is wrong, but all your solutions does not work on my test systems.
@gorhill: I used your last string like this (copy and paste failure before):

{
    "name": "[email protected]",
    "description": "_",
    "type": "storage",
    "data": {
        "adminSettings": {
            "autoUpdate": true,
            "netWhitelist": "about-scheme\nbehind-the-scene\nchrome-extension-scheme\nchrome-scheme\nlocalhost\nloopconversation.about-scheme\nopera-scheme\nexmple.com\nexample2.com"
        }
    }
}

And my registry entry looks like this:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\ManagedStorage]
"[email protected]"="@=C:\\temp\\[email protected]"

[gwarser]

Please use proper code formatting. We cannot distinguish between formatting errors and possible encoding issues.

https://help.github.com/en/github/writing-on-github/basic-writing-and-formatting-syntax#quoting-code

[gorhill]

Your json text is invalid, see with https://jsonlint.com/. My string did not have this error.

[BenKu82]

Is the Syntax of the Registry-Entry correct?

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\ManagedStorage]
"[email protected]"="@=C:\\temp\\[email protected]"

PS: I corrected my entry before.

[gwarser]

We are both on Linux, so we cannot test this. Looking at examples it's wrong.

[email protected] is a "directory" and @ means "default" key.

[BenKu82]

Is there an other way to deploy a whitelist?
Where does uBlock save manual whitelist entries?

[gorhill]

uBO has no access to the file system, settings are saved through an API, and Firefox decides how settings are saved.

[BenKu82]

The solution was the key named [email protected] instead of a value. My fault.
The path to the file is simply in the default value.
Thank´s @gorhill and @gwarser