uBlock Origin or uMatrix

[vddrnnr]

Hi all,

For web browsers in general on early intel macs whats the best option to control
CPU usage withou turning off javascript completely?

Thanx in advance.

Best regards,
voidRunner

 

[eyoungren]

I think it's a matter of preference. I prefer uMatrix because it has finer controls. Others prefer uBlock because it's not so granular.

It's the same developer, they do the same thing. Both work.

 

[nospamboz]

Use both. I have both installed on most of my browsers, even Arctic Fox on Snow Leopard, using the nMatrix port via PaleMoon. uBlock does all the automatic stuff, and uMatrix gives me finer control when I want it. They work well together. Of course, I only tell my family about uBlock, because I don't want them breaking websites with uMatrix, which is easy to do.

 

[f54da]

uBlock in advanced mode can mostly replace uMatrix. It's not as fine-grained in the UI but you can always declaratively add finer grain rules if needed.

 

[B S Magnet]

Hi all,

For web browsers in general on early intel macs whats the best option to control
CPU usage withou turning off javascript completely?

Thanx in advance.

Best regards,
voidRunner

Seconding @nospamboz on this one.

With noted exceptions, I find uBlock Origin alone can allow features from major, “trusted” sites — not only cookies, but also JS/XHR for features considered either not core for accessing a page’s principal contents or JS code which can break function on a site.

By “trusted”, this tends to include servers from google/yt, fb, and amazon. With uMatrix added in, I’ve set up page elements which wish to ping those servers to be allowed on an opt-in, per-site, as-I-need-it basis. For example, I use uMatrix to just completely deny cookies from said major sites unless I’m actually on those sites (as they don’t need to be following my browser usage for improving the quality of their product data for advertisers).

Conversely, there are limited instances when leaving uMatrix running, but temporarily suspending uBlock Origin, works out for the best. Offhand, the big one to come to mind is Aliexpress: letting uBlock Origin run has a tendency to break the site’s functionality, but to leave it up and disable uMatrix lets through a couple of third-party servers I’d rather not be loading. So for it, I just use uMatrix and fine-tune it from there.

All of this to say: uBlock Origin is excellent for basic, general blocking and is also excellent for picking visual elements within a page you’d rather not see (like nagging pop-ups or footer-banners); uMatrix is excellent for blocking under-the-bonnet elements you’d rather not be loading in the first place. uBlock Origin is granular for the GUI; uMatrix is granular for the armature beneath the GUI.

 

[eyoungren]

I primarily use uMatrix over uBlock Origin and over combination of the two based on my browsing habits.

Basically, I frequent four sites in rotation all day. MacRumors, Reddit, Flipboard and Google News. Both Flipboard and Google News will send me off to various news/blog websites. I automatically want the assumption to be 'deny everything' with uMatrix. It's quite easy to hit 'All' on uMatrix and reload the page, but until I save the option, uMatrix does not keep track. That's the behavior I want because unless I am hitting the same site multiple times I won't be back to that particular news site.

If a particular site has risen to the level of wanting to save it with uMatrix then it's risen to my giving uMatrix the time to granularly filter out what I don't want. uBlock Origin does not give me those fine controls.

Finally, uMatrix has the option to make website think you just dropped in from nowhere.