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This is a great post, and is exactly the line I've been thinking along for a long time. I currently use uMatrix for this and it implements this almost perfectl

This is a great post, and is exactly the line I've been thinking along for a long time. I currently use uMatrix for this and it implements this almost perfectly. However, it's scope is too narrow: it only controls requests within the webpage, so doesn't have access to it many requests the browser will make outside of that scope. If you start by broadening the scope from webpage to browser, you eventually get to the operating system level, at which point we're really just talking about a firewall/proxy tool with granular control. I've used things like privoxy and proxomitron for this in the past; little snitch is the best I've used in terms of UX and control, but it's still nowhere near as good as the uMatrix interface. There are a number of challenges with making such a tool, the primary two being: (1) mitming secure connections, (2) contextual control, differentiating iframe, js, css, image, etc. requests becomes more difficult once you're working at a global level. Given these limitations, uMatrix in combination with a good, strict about:config that allows granular control over everything may be the best we can ask for in the short term.

cinquemb 9y ago
>… so doesn't have access to it many requests the browser will make outside of that scope. You have access if you chose to modify/recompile the .cpp/.rs files that deal with sending requests that those higher level functions use, this is what I do. Some particular places of interest on /mozilla-central/: - /servo/components/style/gecko/urls.rs, will pertain to calls called from css image functions - /netwerk/protocol/http/nsHttpHandler.cpp, some classess that deal with handling things related to sending all http requests
- feelin_googley 9y ago
  To clarify, you are modifying and recompiling a Mozilla browser from source?
  - cinquemb 9y ago
    Correct. If anyone else is interested you can get started here and modify things for yourself for your own purposes [0]. [0] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Developer_guide/Build_Instructions https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Developer_g...
severine 9y ago
>it only controls requests within the webpage, so doesn't have access to it many requests the browser will make outside of that scope. You also have the "behind the scene" settings: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Behind-the-scene-network-requests https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Behind-the-scene-netw... That's for uBlock Origin but I seem to recall it works similarly in uMatrix (can't check now).
- lucideer 9y ago
  Wow. That's not a feature I was aware of at all. My only concern here is: does the extensions API used by this feature definitely cover all requests made by the browser. e.g. I don't see requests to geolocation services from the Navigator.geolocation API, Google Safe Browsing or CT auditing included in the list of example request types there.
deleted 9y ago
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cinquemb 9y ago

>… so doesn't have access to it many requests the browser will make outside of that scope. You have access if you chose to modify/recompile the .cpp/.rs files that deal with sending requests that those higher level functions use, this is what I do. Some particular places of interest on /mozilla-central/: - /servo/components/style/gecko/urls.rs, will pertain to calls called from css image functions - /netwerk/protocol/http/nsHttpHandler.cpp, some classess that deal with handling things related to sending all http requests

feelin_googley 9y ago
To clarify, you are modifying and recompiling a Mozilla browser from source?
- cinquemb 9y ago
  Correct. If anyone else is interested you can get started here and modify things for yourself for your own purposes [0]. [0] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Developer_guide/Build_Instructions https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Developer_g...

severine 9y ago

>it only controls requests within the webpage, so doesn't have access to it many requests the browser will make outside of that scope. You also have the "behind the scene" settings: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Behind-the-scene-network-requests https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Behind-the-scene-netw... That's for uBlock Origin but I seem to recall it works similarly in uMatrix (can't check now).

lucideer 9y ago
Wow. That's not a feature I was aware of at all. My only concern here is: does the extensions API used by this feature definitely cover all requests made by the browser. e.g. I don't see requests to geolocation services from the Navigator.geolocation API, Google Safe Browsing or CT auditing included in the list of example request types there.

deleted 9y ago

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