Allow updating content blocker database independently of Orion

adamaveray

Brief Summary
The 'content blocker database' line in Orion's settings shows the date it was last updated but should be able to be manually updated on demand independent of Orion itself.

Details:
This is somewhat related to https://orionfeedback.org/d/2694-a-force-update-content-blocker-option-is-missed, but according to this comment the content blocker database is bundled/updated with Orion itself with no indication of that in the settings screen leading to the default assumption it is updated independently, so as requested this is being made as a separate issue.

I am posting this on 2023-07-10 but according to the settings entry the last content blocker update was 2023-05-31, so over a month ago. I assumed something was wrong causing it not to update but had to find that previous issue comment to realise it is bundled with Orion. Even if there is no new version having a manual update button would allow users to be sure there's not an issue on their end preventing the database from updating (but according to another thread Orion uses EasyList which was last updated today so it seems like there should be a newer version showing).

For comparison, Transmission's conceptually-similar peer blocklist management is much more robust (screenshot below) providing agency with a manual update button, a count of how many entries it contains, and a custom blocklist URL which is already requested in this thread (and uses : not – as the label-date separator which reads nicer).

Image/Video:
The current entry in Orion:

For comparison, here's how a conceptually equivalent blocklist is managed in Transmission:

Vlad

adamaveray Can you provide more info about what Trasmission is, how does it compare to Orions ad blocker and what is the URL of the block list shown in the picture?

adamaveray

Vlad Sure, Transmission is a BitTorrent client for Mac (and other platforms but the Mac app has a 100% native UI). Its blocklist functionality allows automatically blocking connections to & from IP addresses of known bad actors. I believe it ships with a safe default blocklist URL set like Orion's default content blocker database, however there are alternate community-compiled lists available in various places to cater to different preferences & risk levels so Transmission also allows users to provide a different blocklist URL to load from (as shown in the earlier screenshots).

While a web browser and a BitTorrent client are obviously very different a content blocker list and a peer blocklist are conceptually similar so I think Transmission's functionality & interface would work well for Orion (but it would be better to be able to specify multiple blocklists in Orion to support e.g. a safe global one like EasyList in addition to other region-specific or niche lists without having to settle for one or the other – using multiple blocklists is very common and even EasyList provide 4 additional lists intended to be used alongside the primary one).

SerViette

I'll add to this from the latest RC. Just tried the manual "Update Now" content blockers, but Last Update shows 4 days ago.

Last Update is wrong, or the manual content blocker update isn't working?

yokoffing

Also, is there a reason there’s not an auto update feature? Blocklist need to update regularly.

Blocklist have built-in expire times. For instance, Easylist is 4 days.

Vlad

yokoffing Yes, we are three developers with 2000 open issues. It is not the lack of will but the lack of resources and never ending new stream of reported bugs, all of which appear to be critical.

I'd love if we could spend two weeks just working on the content blocker feature. Reality is we give it a few days and dig back in the bottomless pit that are bug reports and feature suggestions.

Look around this forum and tell me what you see? 🙂