Javascript - Anti browser checking

[satimis]

Hi folks,

Ubuntu 7.04 desktop
Opera 9.22


Frequently I encountered problem on visiting some public websites claiming "Browser not support", "Require Internet Explorer V.xx". If luck with me I can identify the browser as IE to bypass it. If out of luck I have to going back to MS Window IE. In the later case I suppose they check the features of browser visiting their site. I'm now searching a java script to defeat such check.

Can any folk shed me some light? Is there such a script available on this site? If NO please help me to write such a script. TIA

satimis

[karinne]

Hmmm ... can't you disable javascript in Opera? In the preferences? That might do it.

[satimis]

Originally Posted by karinne

Hmmm ... can't you disable javascript in Opera? In the preferences? That might do it.

Hi karinne,

Already tried before. Disable java/javascript reults in the webpage can't be displayed correctly.

B.R.
satimis

[ScottR]

As far as I know there is no way to hide your browser. The script checks the application name for certain words and returns true or false. So you would somehow have to fool the script into thinking that Microsoft Internet Explorer is contained in the application name for Opera somewhere.

Good Luck,
Scott

[satimis]

Originally Posted by ScottR

As far as I know there is no way to hide your browser. The script checks the application name for certain words and returns true or false. So you would somehow have to fool the script into thinking that Microsoft Internet Explorer is contained in the application name for Opera somewhere.

Hi Scott,


Before I went to a wrong concept that the administrators of those public site wrote a script to check the components of the browser visiting their sites and posted this topic. Actually it is NOT.


After investigating the problem a couple days I think I can come up with a conclusion. Those public sites refuse to be visited with browsers other than IE NOT for security reason BUT largely on account of the administrators' experience and knowledge in building webpages.


A webpage displays differently on browsers. To make a webpage to be displayed exactly as they imagine on all browsers is NOT an easy job. So the easiest and straighforward solution is controlling the browser visiting their webpages, ONLY allowing the browser they test their webpage on its building. Unfortunately most people use the buggy IE as browser. They use it for testing. Therefore they exclude other browsers visiting their webpages. On detecting identification, non-IE visitors will be directed to a warning page saying "browser NOT supported. Please use IE....."


I succeeded visiting those public sites with Opera and Firefox identified as IE. I found some icons/links/etc. disappeared. Because ActiveX is needed. Unfortunately ActiveX does not work on Linux. I ran IE on MS Windows to prove my finding.


The above is my observation. Up-to-now further efforts injected on this respect will be unnecessary, ONLY wasting time. Unless a new technology has been developed on open source to make ActiveX working on Linux/Unix OR other solutions.


If those site administrators have capable knowhow writing a script checking the components of the visiting browser, it will be better devoting their effort building their webpages displayed exactly as imagined on all available browsers on the Globe.


IEs4Linux running on Linux can do the job because it runs native IE on it. However it is NOT stable. One day before after upgrading wine the top tool bar on IE disappeared. I force-downgraded wine to its previously version. Reinstalled IE to get the top tool bar back. Still I can't enable ActiveX. After its enabling and reload IE it came back to "disable ActiveX". I don't know WHY?


B.R.
satimis

[karinne]

Originally Posted by satimis

Those public sites refuse to be visited with browsers other than IE NOT for security reason BUT largely on account of the administrators' experience and knowledge in building webpages.

Yeah .... no! Those are people that don't want to take the time to learn how to code properly.

There is no ... NO ... excuse for not having your site work properly in all major browsers (IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari)

[ScottR]

I agree with Karinne, anyone who denies a user access to their site depending on what browser they use obviously has no idea what they are doing, and should leave coding web pages to those that know what they are doing.

[satimis]

Originally Posted by karinne

...... There is no ... NO ... excuse for not having your site work properly in all major browsers (IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari)

About seven years ago I encountered exactly the same problem on online banking. Browsers other than IE visiting the site of my bank will be sensored to a warning page. I was running mozila/konqueror/Opera (I can't recall exactly). I called my bank to let my browser in, adding it to my account. They refused on the excuse of security reason. Finally I managed to get in with the browser identified as IE.

After seven years there are still folks using similar tactic. At the beginning I went to the wrong concept that they may run an advanced script checking the features and components of the visiting browser other than identity. In fact they have no improvement on technic, still checking identify.

I have been doing webpage design several years ago. To make a webpage displays exactly as imagined throughout all browsers are time consuming. The easiest way would be restricting browser.

I ran text browser visiting those public sites. I found the embedded links which can't be seen by Firefox and Opera because without ActiveX, icons disappeared. Text browser can do the job which a GUI browser can't do.


satimis