google and China

cynwulf · 09-16-2014, 11:08 AM

To test it, ping those hosts and see if it resolves to the loopback - if it doesn't you've not added those in the right place. Also try adding "www." variants for some of those lines.

Code:

127.0.0.1 google.com
127.0.0.1 www.google.com
127.0.0.1 ajax.googleapis.com
127.0.0.1 google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1 googlesyndication.com
127.0.0.1 www.googlesyndication.com

This is what I've get when pinging google.com with those lines in /etc/hosts:

Code:

$ ping google.com
PING google.com (127.0.0.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from localhost (127.0.0.1): icmp_req=1 ttl=64 time=0.243 ms

(Note IP address - if you see something other than the loopback address, then you've not configured your hosts correctly)

Note: If you're connected using a proxy, then your /etc/hosts is being bypassed anyway. In that case use a mozilla browser and install requestpolicy and just deny requests to the google hosts.

Pedroski · 09-16-2014, 05:37 PM

Ok, I'm getting there. How's this??

pedro@pedro-bedro2:~$ ping -c 5 google.com
PING google.com (127.0.0.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from localhost (127.0.0.1): icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.047 ms
64 bytes from localhost (127.0.0.1): icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.046 ms
64 bytes from localhost (127.0.0.1): icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.054 ms
64 bytes from localhost (127.0.0.1): icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=0.044 ms
64 bytes from localhost (127.0.0.1): icmp_seq=5 ttl=64 time=0.048 ms

--- google.com ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 5 received, 0% packet loss, time 3997ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.044/0.047/0.054/0.009 ms

If you could just point me at 'requestpolicy' How do I get it??

Sometimes I use astrill as my vpn, but usually I don't start it, as things go slower. Just some things are totally blocked and if you want to read them, then you need a vpn.
I always use Firefox.

cynwulf · 09-17-2014, 03:30 AM

According the ping output google.com should be blocked.

If you use firefox, just go into the addons manager, search for it and install it as you would any other add on...

Pedroski · 09-22-2014, 05:33 PM

requestpolicy blocks a bit too much. Even reddit.com would not load. I'm not sure how to get it to leave the things that I want alone.

I'll have to work on that!

cynwulf · 09-23-2014, 06:48 AM

It's very easy. Click the red flag and just allow what you want to allow... or don't use it...

Pedroski · 09-25-2014, 03:12 AM

Just to let you know: things are really loading faster now that I have modified hosts. Do you know where I can read up on how that works? Or is there a very simple explanation?

My collegues who use windows here are jealous! I don't suppose win has a 'hosts' file.

cynwulf · 09-25-2014, 07:10 AM

The hosts file pre-dates DNS. You can read all about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_%28file%29

Windows has a hosts file, usually to be found in \windows\system32\drivers\etc\

maples · 10-18-2014, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cynwulf

Windows has a hosts file, usually to be found in \windows\system32\drivers\etc\

Hmmm... Even Windows recognizes the need for /etc/!!!

But back to the topic- would Tor be an option?

Randicus Draco Albus · 10-18-2014, 07:18 PM

From what I read, the government has cracked down heavily on Tor, making it more difficult to use than elsewhere. That is only second-hand information though. I have only tried Tor a couple times two or three years ago. I could not configure it properly on my then Debian system. At the moment, I am wondering if a VPN is a better option. Of course, that requires more knowledge than I currently possess. I need to learn though, because they are going crazy with blocking things. Not only are Ixquick and DuckDuckGo banned, but BBC news was banned when the protests in Hong Kong became more "energetic."

jefro · 10-18-2014, 07:29 PM

If the requested page has links to unauthorized site then that is how China blocks them. It has nothing to do with your computer. Tell the government of China to stop.

While I've always been a fan of a good hosts file I believe it will do little in this case.

You'd be better off with a text only browser in my opinion to access LQ.

To be specific, there is an order that linux can access name lookups. It can be changed. Most default would be hosts file but any proxy.pac type or other proxy configs would generally avoid all that.

Randicus Draco Albus · 10-18-2014, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Tell the government of China to stop.

And their response would be, "Yes Sir! Right away! Sorry for the inconvenience."

maples · 10-19-2014, 03:13 PM

Could an external proxy server, like these bypass the censorship?

Randicus Draco Albus · 10-20-2014, 08:03 AM

Probably, but the problem is getting one. Clicking your link for example:
"The network link was interrupted while negotiating a connection. Please try again."
In other words, blocked. Almost every website that has anything to do with proxies or VPNs is blocked.

Ihatewindows522 · 10-20-2014, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedroski

China is waging war on google at the moment. Even with a vpn, it is not easy to connect. Without, you cannot access gmail or google search at all.

China is getting tricky and 'sees' the vpn. astrill.com is unreachable, unless you have astrill already installed and then you might need stealth mode.

I would like to suggest to the mods that they think about cutting out links to google advertising if the ip is China, then linuxquestions.org might load before the 22nd century! People in China need linuxquestions too!

Thanks!

I think everyone here is familiar with Anonymous...and I'm pretty sure they've overcome getting to Google from China.

Their Uber Secret Handbook suggests loads of ways to cloak yourself online, try a few out.
http://zinelibrary.info/files/Anonym...erHandbook.pdf