Will CasazzaAug 31, 2023
jes!

FYI, when a website erases your text that you just spent an hour writing, you can use this little trick to recover it 99% of the time:

1. find the firefox pid

$ pgrep -l firefox

2. attach gdb to firefox and dump its core

$ sudo gdb <pid>
gcore firefox.dump
<this takes awhile>
quit
<firefox dies>

3. find your lost text in the coredump

$ strings firefox.dump | grep "a unique word/sentence from ur text"

i just did this today to recover a long post i wrote, and figured i'd show others!! 

Aug 31, 2023 at 12:09amWeb
Show threadTeh404Gal Aug 31, 2023
@j3s the power of core dumping
Show threadUrsidinoj/The BjornsdottirsAug 31, 2023
@j3s this is delightfully scary
Show threadjes!Aug 31, 2023
@ellenor2000 if u think this is scary u should see the weird wooden creature i encountered by lake michigan
Show threadHiro  Aug 31, 2023
@j3s oh, wow. What I just saw ​​
Show threadтёплый ветер тихо воет 🌬️Aug 31, 2023
@j3s if you're on firefox, there's a Textarea Cache extension.
Show threadLlamaAug 31, 2023
@oreolek @j3s It's on Chrome too.
Show threadbona fide bustaAug 31, 2023

@oreolek @j3s

for ages I've wanted to make an extension for exactly this problem, except my plan was to save the attributes and contents of every input on the page so it could be helpful with long complex multi-stage forms with heaps of tiny input elements, too (imo that's the bigger problem needing automation, because users can easily copy from huge text inputs). thanks for the reference!

Show threadCsepp 🌢Aug 31, 2023
@jonk @oreolek @j3s Have you tried Form History Control? I've been using it for a while and it saved my ass a few times.
Show threadbona fide bustaSep 2, 2023
@csepp @oreolek @j3s omg good lookin out compadre!
Show threadThe DoctorAug 31, 2023
@j3s Wowsers.
Show threadGraham Sutherland / PolynomialAug 31, 2023
@j3s for Windows users, you can do the same thing but with x64dbg. attach to the process, use the string search function, then resume all threads and detach.
Show threadmnl mnl mnl mnl mnlAug 31, 2023

@j3s @zkat Firefox UX keeps getting better 😅

more seriously that’s a very cool trick, I’m sure I’ll get to use it.

Show threadpenguin42Aug 31, 2023
@j3s There's something very wrong with the world needing to do that.
Show threadAaronAug 31, 2023
@penguin42 @j3s So true
Show threadAdam Shostack  Aug 31, 2023
@j3s @gsuberland Sudo gdb?
Show threadjes!Aug 31, 2023
@adamshostack an oversight - if you own the firefox proc you should be able to leave sudo out.
Show threaddigitalfoxAug 31, 2023
@j3s @adamshostack You might need to adjust process attach permissions for the kernel though, depending on your distribution - "/proc/sys/kernel/yama/ptrace_scope":
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SecurityTeam/Roadmap/KernelHardening#ptrace
SecurityTeam/Roadmap/KernelHardening - Ubuntu Wiki

Show threadAdam Shostack  Aug 31, 2023
@digitalfox @j3s Thanks! I had missed that change to how processes within a uid interact.
Show threadJohn TurnerAug 31, 2023
@j3s This is incredible. It feels like the web version of “if someone forgets what you told them: stop time, lay out the last 5 minutes of the timeline into a tesseract, destroy the current timeline, find when you told them the thing inside the tesseract and record what you said, then restart a new timeline at the point where you’re about to tell them a thing, at which point you can play them the recording”
Show threadjes!Aug 31, 2023
@while1malloc0 ive been saying this
Show threadDavid ZaslavskyAug 31, 2023

@while1malloc0 @j3s Reminds me of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXhnPLMIET0

Funnily enough just today I watched the episode of Rick and Morty that may have been inspired by that premise

One-Minute Time Machine - The Short Film that (probably) helped Rick & Morty win an Emmy

YouTube
Show threadSteve's PlaceOct 21, 2023
@while1malloc0 @j3s Correct. That's what it does, except no timelines are damaged in the process. As you won't be needing that tesseract, you may leave it by the door.
Show threadpotatoxelAug 31, 2023
@j3s segmentation fault. core dumped.
Show threadClifford AdamsAug 31, 2023

@j3s

Easier tip to make sure the website never erases your text (works on almost all browsers!):

1. Type your long text.

2. Type CONTROL-A to select all, then

3. Type almost anything *EXCEPT* CONTROL-C ...

Congratulations! You just erased your text before the website could! Maybe a core dump would help, but maybe not.

For extra fun in step 3 type CONTROL-V.

Hope this helps someone! 🤪

Show threadjes!Aug 31, 2023
@wikicliff 😭😭😭 omg same
Show threadAnafabulaAug 31, 2023
@wikicliff Ctrl-Z works most of the time
Show threadClifford AdamsAug 31, 2023
@Anafabula
Drat! Those meddling kids and their new undo technology! 😃 (To me Ctrl-Z is the Unix suspend process. Heck, I'm old enough to remember Ctrl-S flow control. 😜 )
Show threadBrendanAug 31, 2023
@j3s this is a pretty great trick. I have always grieved, then started over.
Show threadThreadbaneAug 31, 2023
@j3s
Cool. Sounds like something I'd have done 20 years ago. 8^)
Show threadsam (is (mostly) afk)Aug 31, 2023

@j3s though I don't fully understand what this does or the tools used... I can *feel* the cursed vibes radiating off of it >:3

when have you had a website erase text without it being related to a crash/page reload/etc, which I assume this trick does not work on?

Show threadjes!Aug 31, 2023

@flbr this should work on a page crash/reload situation as well! firefox has a bunch of memory and your string of words is probably still in that abyss somewhere, waiting to be written over.

but for example when i type a big long answer and hit submit, and the website says my session has timed out, and hitting back only gets me to a "login" page instead of the page w/ my text on it ;..;

Show threadsam (is (mostly) afk)Aug 31, 2023
@j3s ohhhhhh, yeah that's definitely happened to me within the past week, that's super cool!
Show threadRick OAug 31, 2023
@j3s thank you for sharing this! I'd rather do this even if it took twice as long as rewriting whatever I lost 😆
Show threadPatrick ChizeckAug 31, 2023

@j3s

I cannot tell if this will recover my writing or delete my hard drive.

Show threadjes!Aug 31, 2023
@chizeck
Show threadLawler Hix Aug 31, 2023
@j3s Thank!
Show thread정아름Aug 31, 2023
@j3s firefox supposed to hold user inputs whenever user refreshes page, restart their browser.
react ruined it..
I miss good old days
Show threadjes!Aug 31, 2023
@jarm good old days had their problems too
Show threadJonathan TrottAug 31, 2023
@j3s I've trained myself to <cmd>-<a>,<cmd>-<c> before hitting any buttons on a web site - clipboard managers will then have a copy of your text. Sad I've had to train myself to do this though…
Show threadMichael BondAug 31, 2023
@j3s I've been trying to get into the habit of writing in an external app, and then copying / pasting into the browser.
Show threadDaniel BlakeAug 31, 2023
@j3s @lispi314 Or just use the lowtech way of writing in a text editor first & copy-paste your long posting to the flaky website. Any post that’s taking over a minute to type -> text editor.
Show threaddana Aug 31, 2023
@j3s nice!
I once did a similar thing, but with my entire hard-drive, after accidentally deleting a project I was working on
Show threadAlexanderMarsAug 31, 2023
@j3s well fuck me… here I’ve been using the command-hulk-smash keystroke(both fists) whenever something like that happened. All this time, goddamn coredump could’ve saved me like 2 or 7 laptops over the years.
Show threadOpsitiveAug 31, 2023
@j3s Your debug fu is strong, but I think, instead of “next time, I’ll use gdb”, I’d go “next time, I’ll use a proper editor first”.
Show threadSophie SchmiegAug 31, 2023
@j3s next time, the website will use madvise(MADV_DONTDUMP), just to be difficult.
Show threadDavid ZaslavskyAug 31, 2023
@j3s lol I literally just could have used this (but I was lazy and retyped some version of the comment, it wasn't really that long)
Show threadsebsauvageAug 31, 2023
@j3s
Or use this addon : https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/form-history-control/
Form History Control – Get this Extension for 🦊 Firefox (en-US)

Download Form History Control for Firefox. Manage form history entries (search, edit, cleanup, export/import) and easy text formfiller. Auto-save text entered in any form while typing to allow fast recovery when disaster strikes.

Show threadRyan Egesdahl Aug 31, 2023

@sebsauvage @j3s Or this one: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/textarea-cache/

There’s a Chrome version, too. I’m certain there are others, depending on your preferences and browser - unless you’re running Safari, in which case you kinda deserve to dig through a core dump to recover that input.

Textarea Cache – Get this Extension for 🦊 Firefox (en-US)

Download Textarea Cache for Firefox. Allows to save automatically the content in a text input field.

Show threadGuilherme DellagustinAug 31, 2023
@j3s wow, that's hardcore
Show threadezaquariiAug 31, 2023
@j3s I'm saving it to my #orgmode #roam notes.

Yes, this was an advert in disguise. 🤷
Show threadNick AndersonAug 31, 2023

@ezaquarii @j3s ahem...

This is the way.

Show threadNils Goroll 🕊️Aug 31, 2023

@j3s https://fosstodon.org/@slink/110955590053429544 🎶 just now strings gcore saved my life 🎶

it was actually `gcore $(pgrep emacs)` and `strings core.*`, but that doesn't match the rhythm of the song.

This was one of the super rare occasions when #emacs would hang with some unsaved code in the undo buffer which I wanted back.
I am so happy to be on a #FOSS Operating Systems which lets me do things (tm).
#c #opensource

Nils Goroll (@[email protected])

🎶 just now strings gcore saved my life 🎶 it was actually `gcore $(pgrep emacs)` and `strings core.*`, but that doesn't match the rhythm of the song. This was one of the super rare occasions when #emacs would hang with some unsaved code in the undo buffer which I wanted back. I am so happy to be on a #FOSS Operating Systems which lets me do things (tm). #c #opensource

Fosstodon
Show threadConor NashAug 31, 2023
@j3s I love this because someone will read it and go down a rabbit hole, eventually leading to then discovering a whole new level of how computers work 💾
Show threadNik | Klampfradler 🎸🚲Aug 31, 2023
@j3s Have you tried Ctrl-Z 🤔?
Show threadtowoAug 31, 2023
@j3s I can also very much recommend the textern extension (https://github.com/jlebon/textern), which allows you to open any text box with an external editor.
GitHub - jlebon/textern: A Firefox add-on for editing text in your favourite external editor!

A Firefox add-on for editing text in your favourite external editor! - GitHub - jlebon/textern: A Firefox add-on for editing text in your favourite external editor!

GitHub
Show threadMatt MascarenhasAug 31, 2023
@towo @j3s Oh gosh, thanks for the reminder that I used to use this kind of thing! "It's All Text!", mentioned under Related Projects, was the thing in those days.
Show threadMershark Calyo Lucere-DelphiAug 31, 2023
@j3s I just started precomposing my longer-form writings on notepad++ off to the side then I copypasta in lol
Show threadChartreuseSep 1, 2023
@dragonarchitect @j3s That's been my approach (though in Geany or really any text editor) for anything longer than a few sentences. It's really annoying how often losing long posts is a thing on the modern web.