Edit host file os x 10.8

The plain-text of the hosts file is identical regardless of the operating system on which it is used. All operating systems employ the same hosts file format. It is made up of lines of text identifying a numeric IP address and the corresponding host name. For example, this entry. Your computer would use this information to directly navigate to the site without requiring a DNS lookup. Where the file is located in the file system hierarchy is, however, dependent on the computing platform.

Since it is a text file, you can essentially use any text editor to make modifications. For the purposes of this demonstration, we will use the nano text editor that is included with macOS Sierra and later versions. Help on using nano can be found here.

Host Database localhost is used to configure the loopback interface when the system is booting. Do not change this entry. If you intend to make changes to your hosts file, we suggest that you first make a copy of it to revert to if necessary. Take special note of the localhost entry and the IP address of This is the loopback address.

Using this address simply returns control to the local machine. This essentially blocks access to domains with an address of You can create an extensive hosts file to exert control over how your computer access hosts over the network.

This is often required in corporate settings where internal networks are employed. Another useful purpose is to block annoying adwares or a specific domain name without using any third party apps. To edit a text file of this category, the best app on Mac OS platform is Terminal. However you can edit the hosts file thanks to the Nano editor.

The app is already provided inside the Utilities folder, hence no additional download or purchase from app store would be required. Step 1: Find your way towards Terminal. Open Utilities folder and it should be chronologically ordered. Step 3: If the command line above is typed in correctly, Terminal would ask for the Admin password.

Step 4: Hosts file is now open on the Nano text editor. Now you can edit the Hosts file as you wish. Sign in Sign in Sign in corporate. Browse Search. Ask a question. Any advice? What do I need to change? Is it because I ran the original application previously?

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