blackhosts

This is a cross-platform hosts file installer for hosts files found at the StevenBlack repository.

Project maintained by Lateralus138 Hosted on GitHub Pages — Theme by mattgraham

Black Hosts - Installer

FIRE

^[1]

Black Hosts - Installer

About

Description

This is a cross-platform hosts^[2] file installer for hosts files found at the StevenBlack^[3] repository and uses the JSDELIVR^[4] system to retrieve the files.

Disclaimer

I’m in no way related to this project other than being an avid and long time and grateful user of its resources. I wrote this for myself, but if anyone gets good use out of it, well then, all the better.

Environment

This is a command line utility written in the Rust programming language.

Cross Platform

This should work in command lines in Linux, Windows, & MacOs.

Steven Black Repository

^[3] This repository is a consolidated list of ad, social, phishing, and porn and other types of hosts^[2] files to help block these types of sites.

Visit https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts for more information.

This utility is for use with the main hosts file at the root of the repo and the alternates located in the “alternates” folder at the same repository.

If no alternates option is passed it defaults to the main root hosts file.

Motivation

I have quite a few devices/machines that I administrate/maintain and I’m constantly changing the hosts files for various reasons and this just makes it to where I can do it on-the-fly without having to open a browser or editor or anything. This also makes it to where I can automate this in a root cronjob or administrative task/service.

Usage

This is a cross-platform command line tool in binary executable format that can be used in command lines/consoles/terminals/ttys/shells in Linux, Windows, and MacOs.

This program’s name has various versions, but they should all be renamed to: blackhosts.

Testing

This was written in Linux, but tested in Linux and Windows. Sorry MacOs users; I do not have a Mac, but I do know the operating system well and it has been written properly for the system had compiled successfully as can be seen in this repositories build history and should run fine. Please let me know if it doesn’t.

Deployment

This is currently provided as a compiled binary that is either portable or can be installed in Linux with the Debian - .deb^[5] package installer, but if there’s enough interest I can also provide an AppImage^[6] at some point.

Administrative and Root Usage

The hosts file is always governed and in a place owned by the “Administrator” or “root” account and therefore this program must be ran as Administrator or root (“sudo”).

Linux root (sudo)

In Linux you can run this as the root account with root, su, or much more preferably sudo:

sudo blackhosts
# Or
su -c 'blackhosts'

MacOs root (sudo)

It should be the exact same methods as the Linux methods.

Windows Administrator

Windows is a bit different as there are three things you have to worry about:

It has to be executed from a console, script, or program that has been “Run As Administrator”.
The hosts file attributes can not be set to “read only” in the file’s properties.
Any Anti-Virus or Malware software that protects the hosts file must temporarily be disabled.

File Permissions

The main program file is meant to be executable and in Windows that’s not usually an issue, but in Linux and MacOs you may need to set the permissions.

In a Linux or MacOs command line run:

# executable for all users
chmod +x /path/to/blackhosts
# or
chmod 755 /path/to/blackhosts 
# executable for current user only
chmod u+x /path/to/blackhosts

Installation

This program is portable, but there is a Debian (.deb file) package installer for the Linux binary version.

Debian Installer

The file: blackhosts.deb is a Linux Debian package installer for use on most Linux Debian based operating systems.

Install By (Double) Clicking

Like many other executable files this should be able to be clicked or double clicked to execute and it should open in the systems software manager gui.

Install Command Line Method

Install from command line with:

sudo dpkg -i /path/to/blackhosts.deb

I imagine this can be installed with gdebi, but I’m not familiar with it.

Uninstall with:

Uninstall Command Line Method

sudo apt remove blackhosts
# -y to skip prompt approval

Portable Usage

Portable applications do not need to be installed, but they are easier to use if they are in one of a systems PATH directories.

If the program file is not in PATH (or in the current directory) then you must run it with the complete path url:

/path/to/blackhosts --help

& '\Path\To\blackhosts.exe' --help

If the file is place in PATH then you can run it with:

blackhosts --help

Operating System PATH

PATH directories are stored and can listed in the various operating systems PATH variable.

E.g.

echo "$PATH"

Operating System	Variable Name
Linux	$PATH
MacOs	$PATH
Windows	%PATH%

Environment Usage

Used in many command lines across 3 main operating systems (and more).

Operating System Environment

3 main operating systems:

Linux
Windows
MacOs

Command Line Environment

Used in any command line environment from Linux Shell to Windows PowerShell.

Windows
- CMD
- PowerShell
Linux
- Shell
- Bash
- Zsh
- many more…
MacOs
- Same as Linux I imagine.

Examples

Install or update to the “normal” hosts file:

 $ sudo blackhosts

 Your hosts file does not match the new file:

 /etc/hosts:
 MD5: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e

 https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/StevenBlack/hosts@master/hosts:
 MD5: 4a20dc26d106bba609308a4a91be1eea

 Would you like to update your /etc/hosts file:
 ([y]es,[n]o)?

yes

 /etc/hosts successfully updated.

Install or update to the “social” hosts file:

 $ sudo blackhosts social
[sudo] password for flux:

 Your hosts file does not match the new file:

 /etc/hosts:
 MD5: 4a20dc26d106bba609308a4a91be1eea

 https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/StevenBlack/hosts@master/alternates/social/hosts:
 MD5: c0bec182ab2903a37c4a92115e1dd550

 Would you like to update your /etc/hosts file:
 ([y]es,[n]o)?

yes

 /etc/hosts successfully updated.

Install while skipping affirmation prompt:

 $ sudo blackhosts --yes

 /etc/hosts successfully updated.

Help:

 $ blackhosts --help

 blackhosts - 'hosts' installer
 Install custom 'hosts' files from the
 'StevenBlack' GitHub repository.

 @USAGE:
	blackhosts
	blackhosts [OPTIONS...]
 	blackhosts ALTERNATE...
 	blackhosts [OPTIONS...] ALTERNATE...

 @OPTIONS:
	-h,--help	This help screen.
	-q,--quiet	Don't print output -
		                non-verbose. Assumes '-y'
		                to skip affirmation.
	-y,--yes	Skip affirmation -
		                auto-yes.

 @ALTERNATE:
 	Alternate hosts file from list in
	'alternates' directory at the repository.

 @ERRORS:	Exit Codes
	0	No errors.
	1	Remote 'hosts' is not properly
	        UTF encoded.
	2	Remote 'hosts' file not found.
	3	Could not read local 'hosts'
	        file.
	4	Error while reading user
	        input.
	5	Could not open local 'hosts'
	        file.
	6	Could not write local 'hosts'
	        file.

Links

All links pertinent to this project.

All of the most current, up-to-date files are located on the ‘Stable Release’ page.

File Links

Project Links

Current project links.

Description	Link
Main repository.	https://github.com/Lateralus138/blackhosts
Main repository - themed version.	https://lateralus138.github.io/blackhosts
Current Releases	https://github.com/Lateralus138/blackhosts/releases
Stable Release	https://github.com/Lateralus138/blackhosts/releases/tag/1.0.109134

Project Status

Overall Status

Readme Card

Description	Status
Project Release Date
Total downloads for this project
Complete repository size
Commits in last month
Commits in last year

Latest Version Status

Description	Status	Number of Downloads
Latest Release version
Latest Tag version, possible Pre-Release’s

Latest Master Build Status

Name	Status	MD5
Code Quality		NA
Linux: `Build`/`Publish`
Debian: `Build`/`Publish`
Windows: `Build`/`Publish`
MacOS: `Build`/`Publish`

Support Me If You Like

If you like this project and care to donate to my PayPal:

Or Buy Me A Coffee if your prefer:

Notes

#	Description	Link
¹	This image is part of the logo found at the Steven Black repository; it is not my stock, but I did render and edit this cut.	Stock Logo Home
²	The hosts file is found on any device that connects to the internet and needs to resolve website host names to IP’s.	DuckDuckGo Search
³	This is the repository that hosts all the “hosts” files that can be installed with this installer. The default file is at the root of the repository and any alternates are in the “alternates” folder. The name of the alternative is the name of the corresponding internal folders within the “alternates” folder. See the repository for a better understanding and more information.	Steven Black - hosts - Repository
⁴	JSDELIVR is a common file delivery system for files hosted at GitHub.	JSDELIVR WebSite
⁵	The Debian `.deb` file is a Linux application package installer/delivery system.	DuckDuckGo Search
⁶	AppImage is a portable executable system with sand-boxing capabilities and no need to worry about dependencies. There isn’t much need to have an AppImage with this seeing that it has no dependencies, but if anyone wants it I will considering creating one.	DuckDuckGo Search

Media

DISCLAIMER: Not my stock work as stated before.

Logo

Screen Shots

Help Screen

Demo Screen

LICENSE

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.