DNScrypt & /etc/hosts for dummies...

mr.travo · 03-04-2018, 06:26 PM

Yes, I titled this for me

A month or so ago I setup DNScrypt and love it. I have put it on both my linux systems now. Today I found out about the /etc/hosts file for blacklisting websites.

What I am wanting to do is download the ready-made list at hostfile.min.nu and put it on my /etc/hosts. The problem that I am seeing is in the setup instructions they say:

"Every hosts file in Linux should have an entry for the IP address "127.0.0.1", with the name "localhost" following it."

While I understand this and know it's true, I was told to change my DNS in my IPv4 connections to 127.0.0.2 in order for DNScrypt to work properly.

Will editing the hosts file and leaving everything setup with 127.0.0.1 cause a conflict between the two or cause the hosts file to not work properly?

Sorry for the question- I'm just trying to learn this stuff as I go.

Thanks for your time!

mr.travo · 03-04-2018, 08:06 PM

Ok- I went ahead and tried blocking a couple of sites (facebook and instagram) and it worked! I still don't understand why I had to point my connections settings for the DNS in IPv4 to 127.0.0.2 instead of keeping it at 127.0.0.1 for DNScrypt to work. I will see if I can dig up more about that.

Another question I now have about the hosts file is I tired adding another "test site" (disney.com) but it still loaded. I restarted the network and everything and it still loads no matter what. I then added another site to ensure I didn't have anything messed up and it blocked it like it's supposed to.

Can anyone tell me why disney is still going through? I added both:

127.0.0.1 www.disney.com
127.0.0.1 disney.com

Anyone that can explain this would be awesome!

Thanks guys!

T

ondoho · 03-06-2018, 01:10 AM

^ no idea, it should work like with the other entries.

to answer your first Q: the usual way is to append the list of hosts to be blocked to /etc/hosts.
also various scripts float around the 'net that will assist you.

PS: some browsers (chrom*) seem to work around /etc/hosts, or at least not update it immediately.

mr.travo · 03-06-2018, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ondoho

^ no idea, it should work like with the other entries.

PS: some browsers (chrom*) seem to work around /etc/hosts, or at least not update it immediately.

I appreciate it! I have Chromium installed but rarely use it. I refuse to use *G* Chrome.

erabaddosi-2116 · 03-27-2018, 01:58 PM

Hi mr.travo,

What is /etc/nsswitch.conf set to for the "hosts" line?

mr.travo · 03-27-2018, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erabaddosi-2116

Hi mr.travo,

What is /etc/nsswitch.conf set to for the "hosts" line?

Hey there! I have recently stopped using DNScrypt and OpenDNS on that system. I went back to a regular DNS loopback 127.0.0.1 and I think I have this one pointed to OpenNIC.

Here is my output:

Code:

# /etc/nsswitch.conf
#
# Example configuration of GNU Name Service Switch functionality.
# If you have the `glibc-doc-reference' and `info' packages installed, try:
# `info libc "Name Service Switch"' for information about this file.

passwd:         compat
group:          compat
shadow:         compat
gshadow:        files

hosts:          files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] dns
networks:       files

protocols:      db files
services:       db files
ethers:         db files
rpc:            db files

netgroup:       nis