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Old Sony, Browsers, Deviantart, MP4, Roytam1?


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The problems with older browsers are probably due to the DeviantArt web site using new JavaScript features that weren't supported in those old browsers. It probably isn't practical to backport a JavaScript engine from, say, FF 45 to NM 27, so for full functionality you probably need to stick with a newer browser and try to speed things up somehow.

I've heard the "new" NM 27 will be based on FF 41 instead of 38. Maybe that will be enough to get it working; if not, FF 45 is probably your best bet.

To speed things up, do consider more RAM or a faster CPU if at all possible. You might also consider replacing the HDD with a SSD; that will really speed up paging!

But also consider a content blocker like uBlock Origin version 1.16.4.29. If you can block enough bloat from loading, your browser will probably run faster and it won't be as painful to use.

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57 minutes ago, Mathwiz said:

I've heard the "new" NM 27 will be based on FF 41 instead of 38.

actually it is still 38ESR based, but with more and more 39-42 patches porting from ArcticFox (thanks for their hard work!)

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On 7/17/2021 at 5:02 AM, Rod Steel said:

Particular is when you name exact model. Cause it, probably can be upgraded. At least to 512 MB of RAM, maybe to 1GB.

The fastest mobile Coppermine CPU is 1 Ghz. Mobile Tualatin was up to 1.33Ghz

Computers, you know, can be upgraded, you know.:whistle:

 

 

Guess you don't know this one. Its original RAM spec was 128MB, I upgraded it to its maximum possible: 256MB. That's it. Really, if it could have been upgraded beyond that don't you think I would have?

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On 7/14/2021 at 6:48 PM, ArcticFoxie said:

The best route to "test-and-play" is to use PORTABLE browsers (I've never "installed" a browser since going "tabbed" right around 2003/2004 or so {GreenBrowser shell to tabless-IE6]).

Here's a good resource as far as Firefox versions, which it sounds like you are targeting  --  https://sourceforge.net/projects/portableapps/files/Mozilla%20Firefox%2C%20Portable%20Ed./

 

 

Thank you for the link, it saves me the trouble of trying to find specific versions for the ASUS!

 

The best the Sony can handle is 48 (Pentium 3), but for basic testing with the ASUS these will help- I know 52 can do it, so what I'm looking for is somewhere between the two, assuming 52 isn't the first.

 

Now, could someone please tell me how to go about modifying browsers? For example, what kind of software (decompiler?) is used?

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On 7/19/2021 at 6:08 PM, GusCE6 said:

Guess you don't know this one. Its original RAM spec was 128MB, I upgraded it to its maximum possible: 256MB. That's it. Really, if it could have been upgraded beyond that don't you think I would have?

Sorry to hear that. Is a CPU upgrade possible? I guess not or you would've done that too.

IIRC the Pentium III was sold on a separate user-replaceable card, but I don't know if the max. clock speed is set by the CPU card itself or by the motherboard.

About the only remaining improvement possible would be an SSD. I think it would help, especially with such limited RAM, but it's up to you.

On 7/19/2021 at 6:13 PM, GusCE6 said:

Thank you for the link, it saves me the trouble of trying to find specific versions for the ASUS!

The best the Sony can handle is 48 (Pentium 3), but for basic testing with the ASUS these will help- I know 52 can do it, so what I'm looking for is somewhere between the two, assuming 52 isn't the first.

Now, could someone please tell me how to go about modifying browsers? For example, what kind of software (decompiler?) is used?

@roytam1 is your best bet on how to recompile FF browsers. You don't need a decompiler - source code is on the Web - but it looks overwhelming to me! It also takes a substantial PC to do it; I doubt you can do it on the Asus, but just maybe another PC can create a build that will run on it.

I was actually surprised he was able to build Serpent (based on FF 52) so that it works on pre-SSE2 machines. IIRC, starting with FF 49, the Javascript engine uses a just-in-time compiler that can output SSE2 code, so I thought a build avoiding SSE2 instructions would be useless, since any Web page using Javascript (all but the simplest pages these days) would still need it. Yet somehow he pulled it off, so what he did should work for FF 49-51 too.

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Deviantart. Sad story! But with computers that old, the decision, which web servers are allowed to connect to your machine, are important. Because you just have no CPU power to waste. You have to take a look at all the connections, that Deviantart tries to make. Now how to do that? For starters, Pale Moon shows them in the bottom left corner while the stuff is loading (a slower computer is an advantage, displaying the names longer). Next, have a look at about:cache. You'll find things being loaded there, that you haven't asked for. Extract the domains from that (for example static.parastorage.com). Be upset! "I didn't ask for that! How dare you to trash these filthy data packets on my computer!" Stick into your hosts file the line 127.0.0.1 static.parastorage.com. Save it and restart your browser (cache has to be cleared). I'd suggest you to set it to clean everything up on closing the browser automatically (for not having the system clogging up someday). Not everything can be blocked with a hosts file, but probably 90% of what's worth blocking...

Good success with your old computers!

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Repeating myself:

On 7/18/2021 at 9:00 PM, Mathwiz said:

But also consider a content blocker like uBlock Origin version 1.16.4.29. If you can block enough bloat from loading, your browser will probably run faster and it won't be as painful to use.

 

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@dmiranda Excuse me for not being nice this time and tell you the answer, but you should look that up in your search engine of choice. Just search for the suspicious website, you'll find many different explanations, what that server actually is.

I went through my hosts file: Other entries were

127.0.0.1 zn_1zcnvefgbweaxdb-cbs.siteintercept.qualtrics.com

127.0.0.1 e.deviantart.net

127.0.0.1 a.deviantart.net

127.0.0.1 st.deviantart.net

Which breaks the Deviantart layout. But the site loads quicker then! Qualtrics did load on Deviantart many years ago if I recall correctly and can't be blocked with the hosts file, because it has a dynamic random word in front of the server name. That has to go to another part of the firewall (in my case the dnsmasq.conf in my configurable OpenWRT router).

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4 hours ago, Gansangriff said:

I went through my hosts file...

I wouldn't trust hosts file these days , there are browsers that can simply ignore it . Esp., if you run crappy windows 7 and up. My own observations are with Opera , that simply ignores some of the entries . Or any misconfigurations in your system can lead to this . Also , look here. "Chrome does its own DNS prefetching:" (all those weird names you were writing about are chrome's fault.)

https://superuser.com/questions/252452/browsers-ignoring-hosts-file

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On 8/2/2021 at 5:42 AM, Gansangriff said:

@dmiranda Excuse me for not being nice this time and tell you the answer, but you should look that up in your search engine of choice. Just search for the suspicious website, you'll find many different explanations, what that server actually is.

I went through my hosts file: Other entries were

127.0.0.1 zn_1zcnvefgbweaxdb-cbs.siteintercept.qualtrics.com

127.0.0.1 e.deviantart.net

127.0.0.1 a.deviantart.net

127.0.0.1 st.deviantart.net

Which breaks the Deviantart layout. But the site loads quicker then! Qualtrics did load on Deviantart many years ago if I recall correctly and can't be blocked with the hosts file, because it has a dynamic random word in front of the server name. That has to go to another part of the firewall (in my case the dnsmasq.conf in my configurable OpenWRT router).

Investigating.

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On 7/31/2021 at 11:34 PM, Mathwiz said:

Repeating myself:

 

I have tried that on Basilisk 52(?) on the ASUS.

 

Of course the ASUS itself can tackle anything Deviantart throws at it with a yawn, but using that add-on shows great promise. I have already seen that eliminating half+ of what is involved does NOT affect the site itself. On the Sony, assuming that add-on works in both XP and Puppy Linux modes (a big "if"), then that may well do it.

 

Thank you! :)

 

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