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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Host Files

k2benger - Dec 5, 2006 - 11:28 pm

Hello,

I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find the so called " host files"

I have a ibook G4, and I need to find them so that I can block websties.


Thank you

thoule - Dec 6, 2006 - 2:24 am

The hosts file is in /etc directory. That is invisible to the Mac OS. The easiest way to edit it is to open Applications folder, then open Utilities, then open the program called Terminal.

You'll get a window with something like the following in it.

----------------------------START
Last login: Tue Dec 5 22:56:02 on ttyp1
Welcome to Darwin!
todd-laptop:~ todd$
----------------------------END


Type the following (be precise, mistakes cause big problems).

----------------------------START
sudo nano /etc/hosts <-and press return
----------------------------END

You'll be asked for your computer password. Enter it and press return. The window will change to something like the following.

----------------------------START
##
# Host Database
#
# localhost is used to configure the loopback interface
# when the system is booting. Do not change this entry.
##
127.0.0.1 localhost
255.255.255.255 broadcasthost
::1 localhost
----------------------------END

At the bottom of that window, enter the IP address and DNS name you want to modify. To block a host, use 127.0.0.1 as the IP address. For example, I want to block clubpengin on my kids... I'll add the following line.

----------------------------START
127.0.0.1 www.clubpenguin.com
127.0.0.1 clubpenguin.com
----------------------------END

Then I'll press Control-O to write Out the file (save it), and Control X to exit.

Here is the URL for a hosts file that blocks common Ad sites and spyware sites- maybe you want to add these to your hosts file as well.

http://everythingisnt.com/hosts

Good Luck! And if you are unsure, don't do it. Whenever you start a command in terminal with sudo, you are running it as the super-admin on the machine and can cause problems...

Todd

k2benger - Dec 6, 2006 - 11:05 am

Hi

Thank you very much, but i have a little promblem
I found the terminal, and it say all the stuff ( Darwin ect.)
But do i press return and then the
sudo nano /etc/hosts

then another return, becuase when i tryed to return first it just basically copyed the line before so my name was twice. But dont worry i closed it and then opened it and it was normal again.

So do i have to press "return"
then write " sudo nano /etc/hosts"
THen "return" Again?


Thanks

thoule - Dec 6, 2006 - 2:09 pm

The important one is return after the sudo nano line. The first return does nothing.
-t-

sudo means Do The Following as SuperAdmin on the computer
nano means open the text-writing program
/etc/hosts -- this is the file to edit. It's called hosts in the /etc folder