BootAble – FreeDOS boot testing freeware
To obtain direct, low-level access to a system's mass storage drives, SpinRite runs under a GRC-customized version of FreeDOS which has been modified to add compatibility with all file systems. In order to run SpinRite it must first be possible to boot FreeDOS.
GRC's “BootAble” freeware allows anyone to easily create BIOS-bootable media in order to workout and confirm the details of getting a machine to boot FreeDOS through a BIOS. Once the means of doing that has been determined, the media created by SpinRite can be booted and run in the same way.
The participants here, who have taken the time to share their knowledge and experience, their successes and some frustrations with booting their computers into FreeDOS, have created a valuable knowledgebase which will benefit everyone who follows.
You may click on the image to the right to obtain your own copy of BootAble. Then use the knowledge and experience documented here to boot your computer(s) into FreeDOS. And please do not hesitate to ask questions – nowhere else can better answers be found.
(You may permanently close this reminder with the 'X' in the upper right.)
No, just using like Pholder and not using the default DNS, and also using Ghostery and Privacybadger as well, which does a good enough job of stripping most of those lookups before they even reach DNS to get resolved, and removes a lot of the annoying ads. That and Duckduckgo browser on mobile helps a lot. Not quite annoyed yet with the mobile YT player yet, as I rarely use it, to actively look up a way to neuter it as well.
I hope my point here isn't lost, but a DNS lookup is only requested if a url hasn't previously been resolved or an address isn't already known. No? And if we're playing by the numbers, an external DNS is irrelevant, Yes? I don't think the 'hosts file' can or should be "abandon" as a key security layer, it's simple and proven substantial when understood and properly utilized, and works for all attempts to reach beyond the local host as @Steve highligted in SN45. I'm NOT suggesting abandoning any DNS, just properly recognizing it as an additional downstream security layer.
On some devices (Windows included) a DNS lookup starts in a local cache with expiring entries, and then proceeds with the hosts file, and if not found there proceeds further up the chain. (DNS is recursive.) So in theory maintaining a list of exceptions in the hosts file can save some traffic to upstream DNS, but since you're talking about sites that you want blocked, who cares if the resolution is very slightly slower. I presume nothing is ending up in the cache if found in the hosts file. Otherwise, if the result is found in the recursive DNS lookup, it will end up in the cache... but the only way it got there is because it wasn't in the hosts file.
I thought my point would be lost with you, but you're beginning to smell what I'm standing in...
Okay, I get it, you don't like using the hosts file and you've had problems in the past, and you love Quad9...got it! But, I on the other hand have strategically utilized the 'hosts file' as a security layer for the past 18 years in both Windows and Linux with really no unexpected issues. I personally use both Windows and Linux, with Linux being my personal daily driver for the past 10 years. I was simply hoping @Steve might opine/suggest a current maintained 'hosts file' he was aware of different than the one I currently use. FWIW, I deployed Arista Edge NGFW (previously Untangle) as my perimeter sentinel back in 2007 and recommend it for all my clients, and over the years have utilized several DNS services including Quad9. Now, if you're finished, maybe @Steve will add his $0.02 about a 'hosts file'. THX!
pi-hole.net
Unfortunately, MVPS Hosts hasn't been updated since March-06-2021 and shouldn't've made the list. ChatGPT is clearly misinformed. D'oh!
+1
github.com
