#Unified hosts file @EXTENSIONS_HEADER@
This repository consolidates several reputable hosts
files, and merges them
into a unified hosts file with duplicates removed. This repo provides several
hosts files tailored to you need to block.
- Last updated: @GEN_DATE@.
- Here's the raw hosts file @EXTENSIONS_HEADER@ containing @NUM_ENTRIES@ entries.
The Non Github mirror is the link to use for some hosts file managers like Hostsman for Windows that don't work with Github download links.
Host file recipe | Readme | Raw hosts | hosts (.zip) | Unique domains | Non Github mirror |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
@TOCROWS@ |
Expectation: These unified hosts files should serve all devices, regardless of OS.
Updated hosts
files from the following locations are always unified and
included:
Host file source | Description | Home page | Raw hosts | Update frequency |
---|---|---|---|---|
@SOURCEROWS@ |
The unified hosts file is extensible. You manage extensions by curating the
extensions/
folder tree. See the social
, gambling
, and porn
extension
folders.
The updateHostsFile.py
script, which is python 2.7 and Python 3-compatible,
will generate a unified hosts file based on the sources in the local data/
subfolder. The script will prompt you Whether it should fetch updated
versions (from locations defined by the update.json
text file in each
source's folder), otherwise it will use the hosts
file that's already there.
python3 updateHostsFile.py [--auto] [--replace] [--ip nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn] [--extensions ext1 ext2 ext3]
python updateHostsFile.py [--auto] [--replace] [--ip nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn] [--extensions ext1 ext2 ext3]
--help
, or -h
: display help.
--auto
, or -a
: run the script without prompting. When --auto
is invoked,
- Hosts data sources, including extensions, are updated.
- No extensions are included by default. Use the
--extensions
or-e
flag to include any you want. - Your active hosts file is not replaced unless you include the
--replace
flag.
--backup
, or -b
: Make a backup of existing hosts file(s) as you generate
over them.
--extensions <ext1> <ext2> <ext3>
, or -e <ext1> <ext2> <ext3>
: the names
of subfolders below the extensions
folder containing additional
category-specific hosts files to include in the amalgamation. Example:
--extensions porn
or -e social porn
.
--flush-dns-cache
, or -f
: skip the prompt for flushing the DNS cache.
Only active when --replace
is also active.
--ip nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn
, or -i nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn
: the IP address to use as the
target. Default is 0.0.0.0
.
--keepdomaincomments
, or -k
: false
(default) or true
, keep the comments
that appear on the same line as domains. The default is false
since some
router-based implementations can't handle comments in-line with hosts.
--skipstatichosts
, or -s
: false
(default) or true
,
--noupdate
, or -n
: skip fetching updates from hosts data sources.
--output <subfolder>
, or -o <subfolder>
: place the generated source file
in a subfolder. If the subfolder does not exist, it will be created.
--replace
, or -r
: trigger replacing your active hosts
--skipstatichosts
, or -s
: false
(default) or true
, omit the standard
--section, at the top containing lines like
127.0.0.1 localhost. This is
--useful for configuring proximate DNS services on the local network.
--zip
, or -z
: false
(default) or true
, additionally create a zip
--archive of the hosts file named
hosts.zip`.
Add one or more additional sources, each in a subfolder of the data/
folder, and specify the url
key in its update.json
file.
Add one or more optional extensions, which originate from subfolders of the
extensions/
folder. Again the url in update.json
controls where this
extension finds its updates.
Create an optional blacklist
file. The contents of this file (containing a
listing of additional domains in hosts
file format) are appended to the
unified hosts file during the update process. A sample blacklist
is
included, and may be modified as you desire.
- NOTE: The
blacklist
is not tracked by git, so any changes you make won't be overridden when yougit pull
this repo fromorigin
in the future.
If you have custom hosts records, place them in file myhosts
. The contents
of this file are prepended to the unified hosts file during the update
process.
The myhosts
file is not tracked by git, so any changes you make won't be
overridden when you git pull
this repo from origin
in the future.
The domains you list in the whitelist
file are excluded from the final hosts
file.
The whitelist
uses partial matching. Therefore if you whitelist google- analytics.com
, that domain and all its subdomains won't be merged into the
final hosts file.
The whitelist
is not tracked by git, so any changes you make won't be
overridden when you git pull
this repo from origin
in the future.
A hosts file, named hosts
(with no file extension), is a plain-text file
used by all operating systems to map hostnames to IP addresses.
In most operating systems, the hosts
file is preferential to DNS
.
Therefore if a domain name is resolved by the hosts
file, the request never
leaves your computer.
Having a smart hosts
file goes a long way towards blocking malware, adware,
and other irritants.
For example, to nullify requests to some doubleclick.net servers, adding these lines to your hosts file will do it:
# block doubleClick's servers
0.0.0.0 ad.ae.doubleclick.net
0.0.0.0 ad.ar.doubleclick.net
0.0.0.0 ad.at.doubleclick.net
0.0.0.0 ad.au.doubleclick.net
0.0.0.0 ad.be.doubleclick.net
# etc...
Traditionally most host files use 127.0.0.1
, the loopback address, to establish an IP connection to the local machine.
We prefer to use ``0.0.0.0`, which is defined as a non-routable meta-address used to designate an invalid, unknown, or non applicable target.
Using 0.0.0.0
is empirically faster, possibly because there's no wait for a timeout resolution. It also does not
interfere with a web server that may be running on the local PC.
We tried that. Using 0
doesn't work universally.
To modify your current hosts
file, look for it in the following places and modify it with a text
editor.
Mac OS X, iOS, Android, Linux: /etc/hosts
folder.
Windows: %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
folder.
Your operating system will cache DNS lookups. You can either reboot or run the following commands to manually flush your DNS cache once the new hosts file is in place.
Open a Terminal and run:
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache;sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
makeHostsWindows.bat BATCH file will create various alternate hosts files by combining and adding the gambling, porn, and social media extensions. You need to be connected to the Internet. This file REQUIRED installed Python 3.5.x runtime environment in Windows System. Launch this file as normal user. |
---|
Run updateHostsWindows.bat BATCH file in Command Prompt with Administrator privileges in repository directory for easy update, replace hosts file and reload DNS cache in Windows System. You need to be connected to the Internet. This file REQUIRED installed Python 3.5.x runtime environment in Windows System. |
---|
WARNING: Don't run these BAT files directly or from popup menu. You have been warned. |
---|
Open a Command Prompt in directory where are files from this repository:
Windows XP: Start -> Run -> cmd
Windows Vista, 7: Start Button -> type cmd
-> right-click Command Prompt ->
"Run as Administrator"
Windows 8: Start -> Swipe Up -> All Apps -> Windows System -> right-click Command Prompt -> "Run as Administrator"
Windows 10: Start Button -> type cmd
-> right-click Command Prompt ->
"Run as Administrator"
and run command:
updateHostsWindows.bat
If you want to use a huge hosts file by merging hphosts (NOT INCLUDED HERE) you need to DISABLE and STOP Dnscache service before you replace hosts file in Windows Systems. You have been warned. |
---|
Open a Command Prompt with Administrator privileges and run once commands:
sc config "Dnscache" start= disabled
sc stop "Dnscache"
Open a Terminal and run with root privileges:
Debian/Ubuntu sudo /etc/rc.d/init.d/nscd restart
Linux with systemd: sudo systemctl restart network.service
Fedora Linux: sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager.service
Arch Linux/Manjaro with Network Manager: sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager.service
Arch Linux/Manjaro with Wicd: sudo systemctl restart wicd.service
Others: Consult this wikipedia article.
The goals of this repo are to:
-
automatically combine high-quality lists of hosts,
-
provide easy extensions,
-
de-dupe the resultant combined list,
-
and keep the resultant file reasonably sized.
A high-quality source is defined here as one that is actively curated. A hosts source should be frequently updated by its maintainers with both additions and removals. The larger the hosts file, the higher the level of curation is expected.
For example, the (huge) hosts file from [hosts-file.net](http://hosts- file.net) is not included here because it is very large (300,000+ entries) and doesn't currently display a corresponding high level of curation activity.
It is expected that this unified hosts file will serve both desktop and mobile devices under a variety of operating systems.