identifying what content was blocked

[jw72253]

Hello. I have installed NoScript in Firefox on a Windows OS. I would like to be able to use it to identify what particular elements get blocked on a page so that I can tweak its effect. I think it blocks several things, but in many cases I want to allow some but not all of them. There are "so many" different settings, but I did not find a comprehensive manual or guide. Maybe on one page I want to allow java, but not flash, and maybe somewhere else I want silverlight but not <IFRAME>. Heck, I don't even know what IFRAME means, so how can I decide when to allow it or whether allowing it would fix something I need to see?

To give an example of my problem, suppose I go to a website forum and read a post, to which I want to reply. When I click the reply button and nothing happens , if I can see the indication that java (void) is related to the problem, it seems like I ought to be able to allow just that much without using the "Temporarily allow all this page" option.

So, am I thinking about this all correctly and can I find a way to tweak it without having to post a question here at every single inquiry. Seems like that would take ages. I want to tweak it quickly, and starting now. Thanks.

[Thrawn]

Hello. I have installed NoScript in Firefox on a Windows OS. I would like to be able to use it to identify what particular elements get blocked on a page so that I can tweak its effect. I think it blocks several things, but in many cases I want to allow some but not all of them. There are "so many" different settings, but I did not find a comprehensive manual or guide. Maybe on one page I want to allow java, but not flash, and maybe somewhere else I want silverlight but not <IFRAME>. Heck, I don't even know what IFRAME means, so how can I decide when to allow it or whether allowing it would fix something I need to see?

Sounds like you want NoScript 3.x for the desktop. It's coming as soon as Giorgio can fit it in! In the meantime, you should be able to temporarily activate specific plugin objects by clicking on the NoScript placeholder.

For identifying which scripts are trying to run, you might like the JSView addon (haven't investigated it much myself, but I know Tom T. is a fan).

Theoretically you could set up ABE rules to block some types of objects and not others, but that wouldn't be as quick as you want.

To give an example of my problem, suppose I go to a website forum and read a post, to which I want to reply. When I click the reply button and nothing happens , if I can see the indication that java (void) is related to the problem, it seems like I ought to be able to allow just that much without using the "Temporarily allow all this page" option.

You should be able to allow the top-level site via the regular menu, without allowing all scripts on the page. If that doesn't work, and you need to know which site is responsible for the blocked script, you'll need to do a bit more digging; JSView should help, or you can just experiment.

[Tom T.]

....I did not find a comprehensive manual or guide...

Could I respectfully suggest reading the NoScript FAQ and NoScript "Features" Page, for starters?

Then if you still have questions, of course come back and post.

EDIT: The NOSCRIPT QUICK START GUIDE FOR NEW USERS, in all caps, at the top of this very same forum, was written and posted in the hope that it, too, would be of help to, uh, ... new users.

[jw72253]

"Could I respectfully suggest reading the NoScript FAQ and NoScript "Features" Page, for starters? Then if you still have questions, of course come back and post. .."

All righty, then, I am looking over the kindly aforementioned literature, and in a couple of the examples I want to inquire. Your instructions about syncing between two installations of Firefox have stated this:

On your “master” workstation:
Install NoScript 1.9.2.8 or above.
Install Mozilla Weave or the XMarks extension and configure a bookmark synchronization profile. Notice that both these systems allow you to host your data on a server of your own, even though Weave offers encryption both for transport and storage.
Open the NoScript Options dialog and tick the General|Backup NoScript configuration in a bookmark for easy synchronization checkbox, then click “OK”. A new bookmark folder named [NoScript] should have been created inside your Bookmarks menu.
Right click the XMarks or Weave icon and select Sync now.

As I will need to do this syncing, I would like clarification. It appears as if FF has changed since that part of the guide was written. Now the Weave product has been built into FF. See, for example, Tools>Set up Sync. In addition, the NoScript Options dialogue for General tab does not have mention of "NoScript configuration in a bookmark..." So, how will this be handled, assuming I wanted to use the Weave-like option for doing so? Thanks.

Incidentally, your documentation is nicely written, unlike what I have often encountered on too many occassions elsewhere. I appreciate your having taken the time to do so, as it makes it much easier to understand obviously, and it is more efficient.

[Tom T.]

All righty, then, I am looking over the kindly aforementioned literature

Thank you for reading...

.... syncing between two installations of Firefox <snip> It appears as if FF has changed since that part of the guide was written.

Both NoScript and Firefox have changed very extensively since then. The Guides make reference to Firefox 2 and 3, both now obsolete.
Some users still use older versions (risky), so the post was left there, but there was advice to look in other places for information on synching newer versions of Firefox.

Now the Weave product has been built into FF. See, for example, Tools>Set up Sync.

Which does use the new Firefox Synch system. We have a sticky thread on that, quite lengthy, but probably only the more recent posts are applicable.
"NoScript and Firefox Sync".
Basically, click the Tools option that you described, and follow the prompts to set up a Synch account.

However, the method of copying profiles from one machine to another manually, which was the last part of that old Guide, should still work.

In addition, the NoScript Options dialogue for General tab does not have mention of "NoScript configuration in a bookmark..."

That feature was removed when the Firefox Synch and NoScript Export/Import made it somewhat redundant.
It is still there in Firefox 3, but you are correct: The FAQs should be edited accordingly. I will ask Giorgio Maone (NoScript developer) to do this.

You can open NoScript Menu > Options. At the very bottom is an Export button. Clicking that will export *all* NS settings into a .txt file in the location that you choose in the dialog box. You can then import that file into any other profile or machine (copy it on a flash drive, LAN, etc.) by using the Import button.

Note that the additional set of Export/Import buttons on the Whitelist tab of NS Options applies *only* to your Whitelist, or trusted sites, and Untrusted list, which is sites you have specifically marked as Untrusted. Note that NoScript *by default* blocks *all* scripts, except for those in the Default Whitelist -- and you are free to remove from the default list any that you don't use. (Recommended.) The advantage of Untrusted is that those sites no longer appear in the main NS Menu. This can shorten the menu greatly when a site has perhaps a dozen or more script sources trying to load. You can always view the Untrusted by pointing to Untrusted in the NS menu.

There may be occasions when someone wants to save, back up, or synch only Whitelist and Untrusted, so those buttons were kept even after the overall NS Settings export/import feature was added.

*Personally*, I prefer not to rely on third parties or Internet connections as much as possible, so I prefer manually synching the profiles.
I have a backup machine that comes out of the box only once a month or so, to get all updates (MS, anti-virus, Firefox and all add-ons, etc.), and the copy from flash drive works quite well. I wrote myself a little tool called a "batch script" that copies all from Machine A's profile to the flash drive's copy of Machine B's profile. Then another two clicks copies from the (now-updated) flash drive to Machine B's actual profile. Everything is updated -- all Fx settings, add-on settings and updates, etc.

Incidentally, your documentation is nicely written, unlike what I have often encountered on too many occassions elsewhere. I appreciate your having taken the time to do so, as it makes it much easier to understand obviously, and it is more efficient.

Thank you very much.

We are always striving to improve, so if you have any suggestions as to how to do so, please feel free to post.
And of course, if any further questions that are not in the documentation (note the additional sticky posts at the top of this forum), or about the documentation itself -- ask away.

- Tom