Add Blocking And Blacklist Updates

[Lightning]

This package downloads two extra hosts files from
<a href='http://ssmedia.com/utilities/hosts/hosts.cfm?format=pc' target='_blank'>http://ssmedia.com/utilities/hosts/hosts.cfm?format=pc</a>
and
<a href='http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt' target='_blank'>http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt</a>

These two files are added to the /etc/hosts file and given the IP address of 0.0.0.0 so that all clients connected to FREESCO's DNS server will not resolve the blacklisted URL's to a usable IP address.
This package can be only installed on hard drive or ramdrive installs of FREESCO because the hosts file is around 350K and uses 700K for the two hosts files and can use even more when updating even though the package is VERY small.

Code: Select all

version 1.11 has been removed

This package is updated multiple times, read the posts for the various details on updates and the release of version 1.7 is at the bottom.

[Stig]

In /pkg/rc/rc_hosts

change
snarf <a href='http://www.ssmedia.com/utilities/hosts/hosts.cfm?format=pc' target='_blank'>http://www.ssmedia.com/utilities/hosts/hosts.cfm?format=pc</a> /pkg/hosts.ssmedia
to
snarf <a href='http://www.ssmedia.com/utilities/hosts/hosts.cfm?format=pc' target='_blank'>http://www.ssmedia.com/utilities/hosts/hosts.cfm?format=pc</a> /boot/hosts.ssmedia

and

snarf <a href='http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt' target='_blank'>http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt</a> /pkg/hosts.mvps
to
snarf <a href='http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt' target='_blank'>http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt</a> /boot/hosts.mvps

[Lightning]

Sorry for that, I actually changed the primary directory to the /pkg directory on purpose so that the package will now run as a ramdrive package on a floppy as well. But I missed the two "sed" commands and it still worked on my dev machine because I still had the two files in the /boot directory.
The package is now fixed and updated on my web site.

[Zedde]

So I don't need to change the file as Stig posted ?

[Marc]

Hi,

Great package. This realy is a usefull package. It adds security and helps safe surfing.
Installation and updating the files now works out of the box.
Lightning you did it again.

Not only the 03x series of Freesco was realized by Lightning but allso some of the most used and helpfull packages including the sound and mp3 packages that made me replace my stereo by a Freesco box.


Lightning you are my ultimate freesco guru, I am not worthy, I am not worthy.
My humble respect, thanks and congratulations to Lightning who keeps to amaze me.


Marc

[Lightning]

So I don't need to change the file as Stig posted ?

That is correct, if you installed before I posted the reply that it was fixed then just reinstall it.

Marc, I am not sure that I have ever recieved such a compliment. All I can say is THANKS for the post and it is apreciated.

[Lightning]

The 1.1 version of the hosts package has now been updated to resolve some specific bugs as well as inprove functionality. There has also been a stop command added, so that if for some reason a banned site really has to be accessed you can use "
rc_hosts stop" from the command line. There has also been control added for the hosts package into the control panel with the buttons stop, start, update, view hosts which will display the hosts file and you can browse what sites are actually banned. The package has also been modified so that it can run as a ramdrive package. This package can be installed with

Code: Select all

 Version hosts-1.5-lightning has been removed


[effo]

I just realized that the 1.2 version is replaced with 1.3 (by reading <a href='http://forums.freesco.org/support/index.php?showtopic=14498' target='_blank'>this thread</a>). But I can find no release announcement for the new version. Maybe the URL in the above post should be updated to reflect the new version? Then this post can be removed.

[Lightning]

To many other irons in the fire and in reality version 1.3 was to fix some minor bugs introduced in version 1.2 as well as to make it completely compatible with all versions of the 03x series including the upcoming FREESCO v0.3.5. I have updated the above install link.

[Unregistered]

The FreeSCO mirrors are out-of-date. They still host version 1.1 that requires patching. They do not have a link to Lightning's web site with current, working package (v1.5 as of this writing):
<a href='http://lewys-spot.dyndns.org/packages/0.3.x/' target='_blank'>http://lewys-spot.dyndns.org/packages/0.3.x/</a>

Great package. Thanks.

[Lightning]

It can take a while for updates to be posted on FREESCOsoft and the package was submitted for update when it was created, although this post was not.

Version 1.5 of the hosts package was to make the package completely compatible for all versions of FREESCO 032+ as well as being able to install and run properly as a ramdisk package. The above link has been changed to reflect the new package.

[spaceman]

question.
what is the max file size for hosts ??

[Lightning]

what is the max file size for hosts ??

That is a very good question and if you find the answer let us know. <_<

However I am not really certain there is a maximum size. But be aware that the larger it becomes means the longer it takes for every single DNS lookup. I know that on a reasonably fast machine the stock hosts package adds about a half of a second to each lookup. Which isn't terribly noticable, but it is noticable. So my thinking would be that if the file gets out of hand size wise it could cause delays that would not be acceptible.

[Zedde]

Hello


I know Stig has tried with larger files ~18MB. He changed so the host file was in the ram to make it go faster. He changed the ram drive too.


//Z

[Stig]

I have modify rc_host (hosts-1.5-lightning) an i use <a href='http://forums.freesco.org/support/index.php?showtopic=14584&st=0%EF%BF%BDentry79656#' target='_blank'>32 MB RAM</a>

My blacklist <a href='http://www.sadako.mine.nu//blacklist.txt' target='_blank'>http://www.sadako.mine.nu//blacklist.txt</a>

sorry my englisch :blush1: