addhost.sh

Simple command-line script for managing entries in /etc/hosts on macOS.

Features

• Add hostnames to 127.0.0.1
• Remove hostnames
• List existing entries
• Color-coded output
• Designed specifically for macOS

Installation

1. Save the script to a local path:

   mkdir -p $HOME/bin
   cp addhost.sh $HOME/bin/
   chmod +x $HOME/bin/addhost.sh

2. Add this alias to your shell config file (~/.bash_profile, ~/.zshrc, etc.):

   alias addhost="$HOME/bin/addhost.sh"

3. Reload your shell:

   source ~/.bash_profile   # or source ~/.zshrc

Disclaimer

This script modifies your /etc/hosts file. Use it at your own risk.

Always back up your existing hosts file before using:

sudo cp /etc/hosts /etc/hosts.backup.$(date +%s)

Usage

addhost add <hostname>      # Add a hostname to 127.0.0.1
addhost rm <hostname>       # Remove a hostname
addhost list                # List all hostnames
addhost help                # Show usage info
addhost ver                 # Show version

Example

addhost add test.local
addhost list
addhost rm test.local

Notes

• Script modifies /etc/hosts, so sudo is required for write operations.
• Only works on macOS (uses sed -i "" syntax).
• You should back up your hosts file if you're using this in a production-like setup.

Author

Łukasz 'Alien' Kosma
https://pear.pl
https://github.com/pearpl

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