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Automation & scripting

CLI tools, scheduled jobs, filesystem tasks, and glue scripts that save time.

3 matches

How to Update a Hosts File to Block Distractions in Python

This script updates a local hosts file (or a demo file) by adding or updating entries to block distracting websites like Facebook and Twitter.

hosts-file automation blocking

Python

from pathlib import Path

def update_hosts(entries):
    """
    Add or update blocking entries in the hosts file.
    Uses a local demo file by default to avoid system changes.
    """
    hosts_path = Path("demo_hosts.txt")
    
    # Create demo file if it doesn't exist
    if not hosts_path.exists():
        hosts…

11 0 Open

Automation & scripting easy

How to Write an IP Block List to hosts.deny in Python

This Python script validates a list of IP addresses and CIDR ranges, then writes them to a hosts.deny file to block connections at the TCP wrapper level.

hosts.deny ip-block ipaddress

Python

from ipaddress import ip_network

def write_hosts_deny(ip_list, output_file="hosts.deny"):
    with open(output_file, "w") as f:
        for ip in ip_list:
            try:
                ip_network(ip)
                f.write(f"ALL: {ip}\n")
            except ValueError:
                continue
    print(f"Written…

14 0 Open

Automation & scripting medium

How to check Python files for common coding mistakes

Walks a directory tree parsing each .py file with ast, reporting empty functions, bare try blocks, too many parameters, and empty classes.

ast linting code-quality

Python

import ast
import os
import sys

def check_file(filepath):
    try:
        with open(filepath) as f:
            code = f.read()
        tree = ast.parse(code, filename=filepath)
    except SyntaxError as e:
        print(f"{filepath}: SyntaxError: {e.msg}")
        return
    
    issues = []
    for node in ast.wal…

42 0 Open

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