Many patterns-NNN.ini files, normal?

[OneShot77]

Hi. Looking in the adblockplus subdir of my Firefox (latest released Windows version, EasyPrivacy+EasyList & Antisocial & Antimalware) profile dir I see patterns-1.ini through patterns-569.ini. Glancing at the list, some of those are in the 18-19 KB size range and some in the 600-700 KB size range. The higher the number the more recent the creation/modification time. In addition to that I have one patterns.ini file plus five patterns-backupN.ini files.

Are those many patterns-NNN.ini files normal and necessary?
I manually backup adblockplus via the Backup and Restore. Is it OK to delete the patterns-backupN.ini files?

Thanks.

[vinny86]

The usual number of backups is 5.
odd that you have many more.
In my experience it is perfectly okay to delete the backups manually.

[OneShot77]

Well there are only 5 patterns-backupN.ini files. However, there are 569 patterns-NNN.ini files and I don't know what those are for. Some of the later files appear to contain just hit counts, some of the later files appear to contain subscription filters. I notice that patterns.ini is identical to the file that adblockplus created when I manually backed it up, which leads me to believe that patterns.ini holds everything I need (?). Are the ever increasing numbers of patterns-NNN.ini files some kind of glitch?

Adblock Plus 2.1.2, Firefox 14.0.1, XP Pro

[vinny86]

Sorry, didn't read your post thoroughly.
Definitely, some kind of bug.

patterns-(number) in my system number 4 and 2 each are for my custom element hiding rules and custom blocking rules.

Shall i move this post to the bug report section ?

[OneShot77]

Please feel free to move it. I now know to look for it over there. Perhaps I shouldn't have from the point of view of tracking down the cause, but I did remove all subscriptions and re-add them. It is too early to be sure but it looks as though that might have resolved whatever problem that was going on. There were numerous patterns-NNN.ini files for each and every day since 06/29/2012. However, there have been none created since I removed/readded my subscriptions.

[Wladimir Palant]

patterns-NNN.ini is a temporary file created when patterns.ini is written (Firefox does that actually, not Adblock Plus). Normally these are removed when the operation finishes. I have a hard time imagining how hundreds of those can stay around - unless you have a habit of forcefully shutting down the Firefox process or switching off your computer instead of closing it. The only other thought would be skewed file permissions (directory is writable by you but patterns.ini isn't) but I doubt that it would cause this effect.

[OneShot77]

It appears I can cause a lingering patterns-N.ini file to be created by:

1) Enabling BetterPrivacy 1.68
2) Enabling the Adblock Plus Count filter hits option
3) Causing the filter hit counts to change by visiting a site that will match a filter
4) Closing all Firefox windows

If I disable either #1 or #2 it will stop happening. Perhaps BetterPrivacy 1.68 is interfering with Firefox's write cleanup process? The only BetterPrivacy options I have checked are a) Delete Flash cookies on Firefox exit and b) Prevent the Firefox 'Clear Recent History' functions from handling LSO's as usual cookies. Could someone else run a quick test with BetterPrivacy 1.68 installed and let me know if they can duplicate?

Thanks to you all.

[Wladimir Palant]

I tried reproducing by installing BetterPrivacy 1.68 and configuring it as you described but in my case things worked correctly (Firefox 14.0.1 and Firfox 17.0a1 on Windows 7 x64).

[vinny86]

Long time Better Privacy user... never encountered the mentioned problem too.

[OneShot77]

Thank you both for attempting to duplicate it. I guess this is specific to my setup The basic outline of which is listed below for reference. I tested with all the other extensions/plugins enabled and also tested with all the other extensions/plugins (besides Adblock Plus and Better Privacy) disabled. I don't know if that is functionally equivalent to not having them installed, and there there are the various Firefox option adjustments I made. If I find some time I may try to dig into this further. For right now though I think I'll just run with filter hit counting disabled.

Windows XP SP3 (x86, fully patched)
Firefox 14.0.1
Adblock Plus 2.1.2 (EasyPrivacy+EasyList, Antisocial, Malware Domains)
All-in-One Gestures 0.22.1
BetterPrivacy 1.68
Context Search 0.4.6
NoScript 2.5.1
RefControl 0.8.16
Status-4-Evar 2012.07.08.17
Adobe Acrobat 10.1.4.38
Shockwave Flash 11.3.300.271

[Gilbert]

To Wladimir Palant,

I encountered the same problem of numerous Patterns-NNN.ini, and I went back to version 2.0.3 of ABP that has not this defect.
Is it possible to solve this problem in future versions?
thank you

(Windows XP, Service Pack 3 + Firefox 14.0.1)

[snuffy]

I've had the same problem with multiple numbered "pattern.ini" files, and also multiple numbered "session.js" files in the FireFox "profile" folder. The problem appears to be the way the newest FF and ABP interact with anti-virus on-access file scanning. You can read my work around in my posts here:
https://adblockplus.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11246

[EagleBoy]

Bringing an older post back to life...

I just found out I had 1.47GB of these pattern.ini files in my adblockplus directory, increasing in number up to pattern-3409.ini. After doing a little digging, it does appear to be a conflict between Better Privacy and AdblockPlus. If Better Privacy 1.68 is running, a pattern-XXX.ini file is created upon Firefox exit. Each and every time I exit Firefox, a new pattern-XXX.ini file is created and left. If I disable Better Privacy, no pattern-XXX.ini files are left behind.

[Fischkopp]

Hi,

I have the same problem, found that topic and can confirm what EagleBoy wrote. When Better Privacy is deactivated ABP does not create a pattern-###.ini upon closing Firefox, if Better Privacy is activated each closing of Firefox produces one additional pattern-###.ini.

Is there a way, that Wladimir contacts the author of Better Privacy for finding the conflict and then find a solution, maybe in ABP or in BP ???

Kind regards,
Fischkopp

[sacred apple]

I also experience the same problem.

The one thing I would like to add that I haven't seen mentioned is that when I uncheck "count filter hits" ABP stops creating the excess paterns-NNN.ini files.


I have the latest ff(v22 as of this writing)
I tried uninstalling/reinstalling betterprivacy
tried disabling, closing ff, re-enabling ABP(don't want to remove it completely bc I have custom filters)