MyHosts

MyHosts is a utility that helps you edit and manage the Windows hosts file for network configuration and blocking. It's a lightweight Windows Forms application for managing the local hosts file on Windows systems.

📋 Features

• Easy Host Management - Add, edit, and remove host entries with a user-friendly interface
• Real-time Editing - Direct editing of the hosts file with syntax validation
• Backup & Restore - Automatic backup creation before modifications
• Search & Filter - Quickly find specific host entries
• Clean Architecture - Built with pure .NET Framework, no third-party dependencies

🖥️ Screenshots

MyHosts interface showing hosts file management functionality

🔧 Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 7 SP1 or later
• Framework: .NET Framework 4.8
• Permissions: Administrator privileges (required for hosts file modification)
• Build Tools: MSBuild (included with Visual Studio or .NET Framework SDK)

🚀 Quick Start

Building the Application

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ropean/MyHosts
cd MyHosts

# Build in Release mode
scripts\build.cmd

# Or build in Debug mode (edit scripts\build.cmd)

Running the Application

1. Navigate to MyHosts\bin\Release\
2. Run MyHosts.exe as Administrator
3. Start managing your hosts file

📁 Project Structure

MyHosts/
├── assets/                       # Project assets
│   ├── screenshot.png            # Application screenshot
│   ├── app.ico                   # Application icon
│   └── top_backgroud.png         # Background image
├── CHANGELOG.md                  # Project changelog
├── LICENSE                       # MIT license
├── README.md                     # This file
├── MyHosts/                      # Main application
│   ├── App.config                # Application configuration
│   ├── app.manifest              # Application manifest
│   ├── Program.cs                # Application entry point
│   ├── FrmMain.cs                # Main form
│   ├── FrmEdit.cs                # Edit form
│   ├── CustomNotificationForm.cs # Notification form
│   ├── Utility.cs                # Helper utilities
│   └── Properties/               # Application properties
└── scripts/                      # Build and utility scripts
    ├── build.cmd                 # Build script (Release mode)
    ├── clean.cmd                 # Clean script (Debug & Release)
    └── Scripts.md                # Scripts documentation

🏗️ Build Scripts

The project includes convenient build scripts:

Build Script (scripts/build.cmd)

• Builds the project in Release configuration only
• Optimized for production deployment
• Automatic NuGet package restore

Clean Script (scripts/clean.cmd)

• Removes both Debug and Release build artifacts
• Cleans cached NuGet packages
• Prepares for clean rebuilds

📋 Dependencies

None! This project uses only the .NET Framework 4.8 and standard Windows APIs.

Previously Removed Dependencies

• RestSharp (removed due to security vulnerabilities)
• Fody (removed to eliminate third-party dependencies)
• Costura.Fody (removed to eliminate third-party dependencies)

🛡️ Security

• No External Dependencies - Eliminates supply chain attack vectors
• Administrator Required - Appropriate permission model for system file editing
• Backup Creation - Automatic backup before any modifications
• Input Validation - Proper validation of host entries

🔒 Hosts File Operations

The application performs the following operations on the hosts file:

• Location: %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
• Backup: Creates timestamped backups before modifications
• Validation: Ensures proper hosts file format
• Permissions: Requires administrator privileges

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📝 Development Notes

• IDE: Developed with Visual Studio
• Language: C# with Windows Forms
• Target Framework: .NET Framework 4.8
• Architecture: x86/x64 compatible
• UI: Windows Forms with custom styling

⚖️ License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙋 Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

1. Check the Issues page
2. Create a new issue with detailed information
3. Include your Windows version and .NET Framework version

📊 Version History

See CHANGELOG.md for detailed version history and changes.

Latest Changes

• v0.2.0 - Current release

  • Enhanced hosts file management
  • Improved user interface
  • Better backup and restore features
  • Performance optimizations

• v1.0.0 - Initial release

  • Basic hosts file management
  • Add, edit, remove functionality
  • Backup and restore features

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Note: This application modifies system files and requires administrator privileges. Always backup your hosts file before making changes.