stopweb 0.1.0

A CLI tool to temporarily block websites by modifying the hosts file

StopWeb

Block websites temporarily to help you stay focused. Works by editing your system's hosts file.

I built this because I kept getting distracted by social media and news sites when trying to work. Simple solution: block them for a few hours.

What it does

• Blocks websites for a set amount of time (default: 1 day)
• Automatically unblocks them when time's up
• Works on Mac, Linux, and Windows
• Lets you see what's currently blocked
• Can unblock sites early if needed

Install

pip install stopweb

Basic usage

Block Facebook for a day:

sudo stopweb facebook.com

Block YouTube for 2 hours:

sudo stopweb --duration 2h youtube.com

Block multiple sites at once:

sudo stopweb facebook.com youtube.com reddit.com

See what's blocked:

sudo stopweb --list

Unblock a site early:

sudo stopweb --remove facebook.com

Remove all blocks:

sudo stopweb --clear

Time formats

• 30m - 30 minutes
• 2h - 2 hours
• 1d - 1 day
• 1w - 1 week

How it works

StopWeb edits your hosts file to redirect blocked sites to localhost (127.0.0.1).

On Mac/Linux that's /etc/hosts, on Windows it's C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.

It adds lines like:

127.0.0.1    facebook.com    # StopWeb: expires 2024-01-15 14:30:00

When the time expires, it removes those lines automatically.

Notes

• Requires sudo/admin privileges (needs to edit system files)
• You might need to clear your browser cache after blocking/unblocking
• Creates a backup of your hosts file before making changes
• If something goes wrong, your original hosts file is saved as hosts.stopweb_backup

Why not just use browser extensions?

Browser extensions can be easily disabled when you're feeling weak. Editing the hosts file is more permanent - you'd have to remember the exact command to undo it.

Plus this works system-wide, not just in your browser.