uBo WE and retention of blocklists [solved IDB]

[Gitoffthelawn]

What situations cause uBo blocklists to be reset?

[Forsaked]

This only happens if the indexedDB is disabled by the user.js or PB mode.
I have set Firefox to clean everything on exit without using the PB mode or indexedDB disabled and my lists survive closing the browser.
Using eCleaner will kill the indexedDB if its enabled, so you need to download and rebuild your blocklists every Firefox start.
There is nothing we can do about this except enabling the indexedDB, disabling PB mode and don't using eCleaner, until Mozilla or Gorhill changes something.

[Gitoffthelawn]

@Forsaked What's your definition of PB mode?

Since you have Firefox cleaning everything on exit, doesn't it delete indexedDB?

[Forsaked]

My "definition" of PB mode is browser.privatebrowsing.autostart=true, which prevents Firefox in using the indexedDB even if it's enabled in the prefs.
With everything i mean, everything what Firefox itself can clean up on exit: cache, cookies, downloads, formdata, history, offline Apps, sessions and site Settings.

[Gitoffthelawn]

@Forsaked Hmmm... I set up a test with browser.privatebrowsing.autostart=false and dom.indexedDB.enabled=true, and set Firefox to clean everything on exit. When I do this, uBo (WebExtensions version) loses its blocklists, and they have to be re-downloaded every time the browser starts.

Do you have a different experience?

[Forsaked]

Yes, my lists don't get cleared.

[Gitoffthelawn]

@Forsaked Thanks. When you restart the browser, and go to the 3rd-party-filters tab in uBo, is the Update now button yellow?

[Forsaked]

As i told you, no.
I was using the PB mode before the native WE of uBlock landet.
Then i tried to enable the indexedDB only to find out that it is still disabled in PB mode.
So i was forced to disable PB mode and enable indexedDB.
Since then my filter lists stay and i don't need to download them every restart of Firefox, except there is an update.

[Gitoffthelawn]

@Forsaked Sounds good. We are seeing different things. Not sure why. What version of Firefox are you using?

[Forsaked]

Stable, but also tested on Beta and Nightly.
Did you still use eCleaner?

FF + PB + iDB disabled = uBO list wipe
FF + PB + iDB enabled = uBO list wipe
FF + iDB disabled = uBO list wipe
FF + iDB enabled = uBO works, no wipe

[Gitoffthelawn]

@Forsaked Not using eCleaner.

@Thorin-Oakenpants Yes.... I'll need to do that. I thought clearing cookies or offline website data cleared IDB (most likely the latter)... will have to do some experimentation.

[Forsaked]

@Thorin-Oakenpants Fun Fact: If indexedDB is enabled while in PB mode (which makes it inaccessible), sites which require the indexedDB like Outlook Web App and other, are working.
I think they only check if it is enabled but don't use it.

@Gitoffthelawn Then please try a vanilla profile like @Thorin-Oakenpants advised you.

[Gitoffthelawn]

I figured out the issue. Thanks to @Forsaked and @Thorin-Oakenpants for their assistance.

I run Firefox within a script. (I've been meaning to share that script for a while.) As part of its duties, the script clears out ..\storage\default within the profile.

It turns out, uBo now stores its data in ..\storage\default. 'nuff said.

What's curious is that some other extensions store their data in ..\storage\permanent. Besides uBo, I don't know of any other extensions that store their data in ..\storage\default. To be clear, I'm not saying that any extensions (including uBo) are storing their data in the wrong place.

Anyone understand the difference between ..\storage\default, ..\storage\permanent, and ..\storage\temporary?

[Gitoffthelawn]

So we can close this then?

One unresolved question before we close:

Anyone understand the difference between ..\storage\default, ..\storage\permanent, and ..\storage\temporary?

[Gitoffthelawn]

Good find. Thank you. Closing now...