setting: block distractions via system Hosts file.

[ejmg]

This is a big stretch goal. Implement a way to consistently and (somewhat) safely to manipulate a user's hosts file a la /etc/hosts for linux. Here's how I do it on ubuntu for example:

/etc/hosts:

127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.1 blackbox
0.0.0.1     twitter.com

# IPv6
::1 twitter.com

This is clearly an issue that would vary, at least somewhat, between n*x and Windows. It is also a feature that would involve DNS caching one way or another. For instance, chromium keeps its own cache separate to that of the OS. Until that updates, a user is able to access a website that was recently blocked in their respective hosts file. Figuring out a way to:

• delete the browser(s) cache wherever it is stored on system
• refresh the system cache
• manipulate the browser (momentarily, via API, idk) to wipe the cache, i.e. via chrome://net-internals for chromium/chrome

or a combination of the above would probably be necessary to make the feature consistent/effective.

This is also a feature that should be flagged as having a fringe possibility of messing the user's networking up. It has never given me a serious problem, but possibly combined with another program manipulating DNS/hosts, I see the possibility.

[ejmg]

See also SelfControl and its (defunct) port for linux.

I just want something simple but somewhat functional. It does not need to be advanced and I will not delude myself into thinking I can create a feature that can circumvent a dedicated procrastinator.