# Install hblock with Homebrew, Nix, pacman Adblocker that creates a hosts file from multiple sources. Version 3.5.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:hblock ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install hblock ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#hblock ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/hb/hblock/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S hblock ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: hblock from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:hblock - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.5.1 - **Source summary:** Adblocker that creates a hosts file from multiple sources - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - hblock (cli) - hblock (alias) ## Uses from macOS - curl ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 3.5.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/hectorm/hblock - Upstream latest detected: v3.5.1 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage hBlock is a POSIX shell hosts-file generator for blocking advertising, tracking, and malware domains. It belongs to the long Unix tradition of small text-processing security tools: fetch lists, merge/filter them, and write a system file or alternate output format. ### Project history The public GitHub repository was created in August 2015 by Hector Molinero Fernandez. The README describes hBlock as a POSIX-compliant shell script that gathers domains from multiple sources and creates a hosts file, among other formats, to prevent systems from connecting to them. The manpage documents the program as hBlock 3.5.1 and exposes its design through options: output file, header, footer, sources file, allowlist, denylist, redirection address, wrapping, template, comments, lenient matching, regex allowlists, subdomain filtering, retries, continuation on download error, and parallel downloads. ### Adoption history The README points users to a package list and mentions various package managers. Input facts show hBlock packaged in Homebrew, Nix, and pacman, which fits its audience: Unix-like users who want repeatable hosts-file generation rather than a browser-specific blocker. The project also publishes nightly generated blocklist outputs on its website and documents a systemd timer for regular updates, showing use as both a local command and scheduled system maintenance tool. ### How it is used The default workflow is to run hblock and let it generate a hosts file from built-in or configured sources. Users can point it at custom sources.list, allow.list, deny.list, header, and footer files under XDG_CONFIG_HOME/hblock or /etc/hblock, or print to stdout for integration with other tooling. The README warns that hBlock replaces the system hosts file by default, so careful use and backups matter when a machine already has local hosts entries. ### Why package nerds care hBlock is package-nerd friendly because it is just a shell script with explicit files, environment variables, and predictable Unix paths. It demonstrates how a tiny package can wrap a volatile external data problem while leaving policy in plain text files. ### Timeline - 2015: Public GitHub repository created. - 2020s: hBlock documents versioned manual pages and a 3.x command surface. - 2020s: Homebrew, Nix, and pacman package names appear in input package facts. ### Related projects - hMirror is related by upstream maintainer documentation as a way to inspect source blocklists behind false positives. - Hosts-file blocklists, dnsmasq-style outputs, and systemd timers are related operational pieces described by the README and manpage. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/hblock/sources.list, /etc/hblock/sources.list, $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/hblock/allow.list, /etc/hblock/allow.list, $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/hblock/deny.list, /etc/hblock/deny.list, $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/hblock/header, /etc/hblock/header, $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/hblock/footer, /etc/hblock/footer ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** hblock - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - hblock: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/hb/hblock/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman - hblock - 3.5.1-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: hblock from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Adblocker that creates a hosts file from multiple sources | https://hblock.molinero.dev/ ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Security and crypto packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/security-crypto-tools/) - Matched security, identity, cryptography, password, signing, or certificate metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [libotr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libotr/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, privacy, security. - [mat2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mat2/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, privacy, security. - [acme.sh](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/acme-sh/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, security, shell. - [chaos-client](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chaos-client/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, security. - [cryfs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cryfs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, privacy, security. - [dnsgen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dnsgen/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, security. - [dnsmap](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dnsmap/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, security. - [dnstwist](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dnstwist/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, security. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/hblock.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/hblock.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph