* Here's the [raw hosts file with fakenews, gambling, porn, social extensions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/alternates/fakenews-gambling-porn-social/hosts) containing 40,366 entries.
The **Non Github mirror** is the link to use for some hosts file managers like [Hostsman for Windows](http://www.abelhadigital.com/hostsman) that don't work with Github download links.
Host file recipe | Readme | Raw hosts | hosts (.zip) | Unique domains | Non Github mirror
AdAway | AdAway is an open source ad blocker for Android using the hosts file. |[link](https://adaway.org/) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AdAway/adaway.github.io/master/hosts.txt) | occasionally
add.2o7Net | 2o7Net tracking sites based on http://www.hostsfile.org/hosts.html content. |[link](https://github.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras/master/add.2o7Net/hosts) | occasionally
add.Dead | Dead sites based on http://www.hostsfile.org/hosts.html content. |[link](https://github.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras/master/add.Dead/hosts) | occasionally
add.Risk | Risk content sites based on http://www.hostsfile.org/hosts.html content. |[link](https://github.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras/master/add.Risk/hosts) | occasionally
add.Spam | Spam sites based on http://www.hostsfile.org/hosts.html content. |[link](https://github.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras/master/add.Spam/hosts) | occasionally
Malware Domain List | Malware Domain List is a non-commercial community project. |[link](http://www.malwaredomainlist.com/) | [raw](https://www.malwaredomainlist.com/hostslist/hosts.txt) | weekly
MVPS hosts file | The purpose of this site is to provide the user with a high quality custom HOSTS file. |[link](http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/) | [raw](http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.txt) | monthly
Dan Pollock – someonewhocares.org | How to make the internet not suck (as much). |[link](http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/) | [raw](http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/zero/hosts) | frequently
SpotifyAds | Spotify ads sources sites based on https://github.com/Xeroday/Spotify-Ad-Blocker content. |[link](https://github.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras/master/SpotifyAds/hosts) | occasionally
Steven Black's ad-hoc list | Additional sketch domains as I come across them. |[link](https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts/blob/master/data/StevenBlack/hosts) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/data/StevenBlack/hosts) | occasionally
Telemetry | Windows users tracking sites based on https://github.com/Nummer/Destroy-Windows-10-Spying content. |[link](https://github.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras/master/Telemetry/hosts) | occasionally
tyzbit | Microsoft tracking domains. A fork of this repo providing additional data. |[link](https://github.com/tyzbit/hosts/blob/master/data/tyzbit/hosts) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tyzbit/hosts/master/data/tyzbit/hosts) | rarely
UncheckyAds | Windows installers ads sources sites based on https://unchecky.com/ content. |[link](https://github.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FadeMind/hosts.extras/master/UncheckyAds/hosts) | occasionally
yoyo.org | Blocking with ad server and tracking server hostnames. |[link](https://pgl.yoyo.org/adservers/) | [raw](https://pgl.yoyo.org/adservers/serverlist.php?hostformat=hosts&mimetype=plaintext&useip=0.0.0.0) | frequently
Fake News | An in-progress collection of fake news outlets. |[link](https://github.com/marktron/fakenews) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/marktron/fakenews/master/fakenews) | occasional
Sinfonietta's gambling blocking hosts file | A collection of category-specific host files. |[link](https://github.com/Sinfonietta/hostfiles) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Sinfonietta/hostfiles/master/gambling-hosts) | occasional
Sinfonietta's porn blocking hosts file | A collection of category-specific host files. |[link](https://github.com/Sinfonietta/hostfiles) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Sinfonietta/hostfiles/master/pornography-hosts) | occasional
Sinfonietta's social media blocking hosts file | A collection of category-specific host files. |[link](https://github.com/Sinfonietta/hostfiles) | [raw](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Sinfonietta/hostfiles/master/social-hosts) | occasional
## Extensions
The unified hosts file is extensible. You manage extensions by curating the `extensions/` folder tree. See the `social`, `gambling`, and `porn` extension folders.
## Generate your own unified hosts file
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.info text file in each source's folder), otherwise it will use the
`--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`.
`--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`.
## How do I control which sources are unified?
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.info` 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 you `git pull`
this repo from `origin` in the future.
### How do I include my own custom domain mappings?
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.
### How do I prevent domains from being included?
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.
## What is a hosts file?
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...
## We recommend using `0.0.0.0` instead of `127.0.0.1`
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.
## Why not use just `0` instead of `0.0.0.0`?
We tried that. Using `0` doesn't work universally.
## Location of your hosts file
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.
|`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.|
|If you want using huge hosts file with merged [hphosts](https://www.hosts-file.net) (NOT INCLUDED HERE) you need to DISABLE and STOP `Dnscache` service before you replace hosts file in Windows Systems. You have been warned.|