Paul M Foster wrote:
> Ken Elliott wrote:
>
>>>> Is there other functionality of this file that I'm not aware of, which
>>>
>>
>> prevents the installation of software by other than those computers
>> mentioned in this file?
>>
>> It is simply making use of the file to redirect packets destined for
>> known
>> "bad" sites back to your own machine. If you visit a site with an
>> ad, or
>> spyware link, the link goes to a dead-end. This works on Linux, as
>> well as
>> Windows. Here's an example of a couple of entries in my HOSTS file.
>>
>> 127.0.0.1 demo.netgravity.com
>> 127.0.0.1 double-click.com
>> 127.0.0.1 doubleclick.com
>> 127.0.0.1 doubleclick.net
>> 127.0.0.1 draco.netgravity.com
>>
>> There's a no-cost Win program called "Spybot Search and Destroy" that
>> will
>> create the file, and fill it with a few hundred entries. Its less of an
>> issue with Linux (duh), but it can speed up browsing the web by blocking
>> ads.
>> It's a good idea to do this, but you still need all the other
>> protections as
>> well.
>>
>
> Hmm. Pretty interesting. Seems like your file would grow pretty big,
> though. I can't believe the number of weird places that show up in my
> cookies file from time to time. I think to myself, "Wait a minute--
> I've never been there."
The Host files I install on clients machines is usually about 3 megs and
contains enteries from spyware/virii/ads/someporn
It helps keep them from sites that would give screw up there install of
windows and keeps me sane from having to deal with a constant flow of
spyware virus and porn.
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