feross/hostile

---

feross/hostile.json

{
  "createdAt": "2013-07-18T01:51:02Z",
  "defaultBranch": "master",
  "description": "Simple, programmatic `/etc/hosts` manipulation (in node.js)",
  "fullName": "feross/hostile",
  "homepage": "",
  "language": "JavaScript",
  "name": "hostile",
  "pushedAt": "2024-12-23T16:51:19Z",
  "stargazersCount": 793,
  "topics": [
    "hosts",
    "ip",
    "javascript",
    "nodejs"
  ],
  "updatedAt": "2025-11-03T21:51:31Z",
  "url": "https://github.com/feross/hostile"
}

hostile [![ci][ci-image]][ci-url] [![npm][npm-image]][npm-url] [![downloads][downloads-image]][downloads-url] [![javascript style guide][standard-image]][standard-url]

[ci-image] !: https://img.shields.io/github/workflow/status/feross/hostile/ci/master [ci-url] !: https://github.com/feross/hostile/actions [npm-image] !: https://img.shields.io/npm/v/hostile.svg [npm-url] !: https://npmjs.org/package/hostile [downloads-image] !: https://img.shields.io/npm/dm/hostile.svg [downloads-url] !: https://npmjs.org/package/hostile [standard-image] !: https://img.shields.io/badge/code_style-standard-brightgreen.svg [standard-url] !: https://standardjs.com

Simple, programmatic /etc/hosts manipulation (in node.js)

install

npm install hostile

usage

If you use OS X or Linux, this module assumes your hosts file is at /etc/hosts. On Windows, it assumes your hosts file is at C:/Windows/System32/drivers/etc/hosts.

Commands that modify the hosts file require root privileges.

list all host file records

hostile list

set a domain in the hosts file

hostile set [ip] [host]

examples:

hostile set localhost domain.com
hostile set 192.168.33.10 domain.com

remove a domain from the hosts file

hostile remove [host]

example:

hostile remove domain.com

load a set of hosts from a file

hostile load [file_path]

hosts.txt

# hosts.txt
127.0.0.1 github.com
127.0.0.1 twitter.com

example:

hostile load hosts.txt

unload [remove] a set of hosts from a file

hostile unload [file_path]

# hosts.txt
127.0.0.1 github.com
127.0.0.1 twitter.com

example:

hostile unload hosts.txt

methods

Commands that modify the hosts file require root privileges.

I wouldn’t recommend running your production node server with admin privileges unless you downgrade to a normal user with process.setuid(id) before you start accepting requests.

All methods have sync versions. Just omit the callback parameter.

add a rule to /etc/hosts

var hostile = require('hostile')
hostile.set('127.0.0.1', 'peercdn.com', function (err) {
  if (err) {
    console.error(err)
  } else {
    console.log('set /etc/hosts successfully!')
  }
})

If the rule already exists, then this does nothing.

remove a rule from /etc/hosts

hostile.remove('127.0.0.1', 'peercdn.com', function (err) {
  if (err) {
    console.error(err)
  } else {
    console.log('set /etc/hosts successfully!')
  }
})

If the rule does not exist, then this does nothing.

get all lines in /etc/hosts

// If `preserveFormatting` is true, then include comments, blank lines and other
// non-host entries in the result
var preserveFormatting = false

hostile.get(preserveFormatting, function (err, lines) {
  if (err) {
    console.error(err.message)
  }
  lines.forEach(function (line) {
    console.log(line) // [IP, Host]
  })
})

get all lines in any file

// If `preserveFormatting` is true, then include comments, blank lines and other
// non-host entries in the result
var preserveFormatting = false

hostile.getFile(file_path, preserveFormatting, function (err, lines) {
  if (err) {
    console.error(err.message)
  }
  lines.forEach(function (line) {
    console.log(line) // [IP, Host]
  })
})

contributors

• Feross Aboukhadijeh (author)
• Maayan Glikser

license

MIT. Copyright (c) Feross Aboukhadijeh.