====== Hostess ======

===== License =====

Hostess is distributed in the [[wp>Public Domain]].

===== Download =====

Before downloading or using this product, make sure you __**understand and accept**__ the terms of the [[#license]].

  * Latest Version: {{:projects:hostess-07-05-2005.zip|Hostess 1.0 - July 27, 2005}}

===== About =====

Some of the best programs ever written were written out of need. I ran a computer lab at a community college for nearly a year. Getting tired of constantly kicking random students out of the computer lab for surfing pornographic websites (which was against school policy), I decided to take action and write a program that would assist in blocking said websites at a local machine level. As soon as it was implemented, the number of students getting kicked out of the computer lab went from five or more a week to zero for a good portion of a half year. I'm still in shock.

Takes a list of domain names from [[http://www.squidguard.org/blacklist/|SquidGuard]] or [[http://cri.univ-tlse1.fr/documentations/cache/squidguard_en.html#contrib|compatible]] (and here's my [[http://www.urlblacklist.com/?sec=download|favorite]] list) and outputs a hosts file suitable for blocking domains at the local machine level. Written in Java and requires a [[http://java.sun.com/|JRE]]. (From what I understand, it requires version 1.5, your mileage may vary.)

===== Install =====

**Note** for those wishing to use the resultant host file on Windows, you may wish to do the following first, which appears to prevent a system stall once the host file is installed, in most situations.

  * Right-click the "My Computer" icon on the desktop and choose "Manage."
  * Scroll to the "services" section and locate the "dns client" entry and then right-click on this entry and choose "properties."
  * Stop the service and then from the dropdown box choose "disable."
  * You should be able to use the Hosts file as normal, and now you can install it. A reboot might be required to get it working fully.