linuxgeek: [LINUX_Newbies] Re: Have you modified your HOSTS file yet?

--- In LINUX_Newbies@yahoogroups.com, "dbneeley" <dbneeley@...> wrote:
>
> Here at home in Ukraine, I have a very fast connection but the DNS lookup service is horrible. Some sites can take so long to try to resolve that they time out and must be reloaded again.
>
> However, until today I had ignored updating my "hosts" file. Now that I have, I wonder what kept me so long...and boy, is my face red!
>
> As you may know, every operating system that allows Internet access has a local file that lists IP numbers and the corresponding URL. The standard one in Linux distros may only have the 127.0.0.1 address listed as "localhost." The standard one in Ubuntu-derived distros is a little longer, but not all that much.
>
> However, it is simple to add the sites you often access. You can also add various advertising sites, for example, that you want not to be bothered with--which also greatly speeds up page loading since most ads will no longer be loaded.
>
> Fortunately, there are several sites that have pre-built lists of most of the ad sites as well as many known sites that host malware, which are simply listed in the hosts file with the localhost address.
>
> Here's what you do:
>
> I got the large file of hosts I didn't want to see from http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/
>
> Next, I opened a terminal and found the IP addresses for the sites I visit regularly, using the "host" command. For example:
>
> > host google.com
>
> It returns the IP addresses. I did the same thing with the other sites I use every day and made a list of them.
>
> Next, locate the "hosts" file on your machine. The most common setup is /etc/hosts (as it is in Ubuntu, for example).
>
> That file has to be edited as root--so since I use KDE, I opened a terminal and entered "kdesudo kate" and then opened the file in the Kate editor. You could also use gedit or any other text editor, so long as you open the file as root.
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> I first saved the original with a different name--in my case I called it hosts_original.
>
> Then, moving back to the original file, I entered the frequent sites list, using the same format: IP address followed by any number of spaces or tabs, the URL, then more spaces or tabs and a nickname if I wished. That way, you can use a shorthand name for the site in your address bar if you wish.
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> Note that large sites like Google will have more than one IP address; put each of them on its own line and repeat the URL listing.
>
> Note that you cannot use wild cards in the HOSTS file, so each IP address must be on a separate line.
>
> Finally, I copied the file from the someonewhocares.org site at the bottom of the HOSTS file and saved it all as simply "hosts" in the original location.
>
> Then, either stop and restart your networking services or simply reboot.
>
> Suddenly, things will load much faster and you will no longer be bothered with most of the online advertising or the tracking sites that compromise your privacy.
>
> The entire operation took perhaps fifteen minutes at most, and the difference for me is much like night and day.
>
> I hope you find this helpful if you have never done it.
>
> Best to all,
>
> David
>

Another way to do this that is safer for any IP address that might
change is to set up a caching DNS server then point all of your
computers to it first then secondarily to your current DNS. I changed
the DNS settings in my router to point to my caching server first.

Loyal