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Richard
Asked: 2011-05-26 08:58:09 +0800 CST

Temporarily change etc/hosts file on a windows workstation

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Is there a tool, that allows an individual to temporarily switch between different etc/hosts configurations, without setting up a dns?

Example:

I would like to quickly change the etc/hosts config file, so that project1.com forwards to a local IP like 192.168.10.50 without changing information in our DNS server.

Why?

We are developing several bigger cms projects. The cms is developed inside a virtual machine. Sometimes we have to make bigger changes to a cms system that is already in production. A developer needs to access the productive version of the site and some minutes later he wants to redirect all requests to the local virtual machine.

A tool, that can easily swap between different etc/hosts configuration files would be ideal.

If possible don't want the users to manually edit the etc/hosts file.

domain-name-system redirect etc hosts-file

2 Answers

  1. You could just write a batch job that could be run to swap the hosts file from one version to another when run.

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  2. You could create batch file where user input then copies and replaces the hosts file.

    Perhaps not ideal but a simple and quick solution.

    Example in picture

    Just create the hosts files and keep them somewhere on the machine, like C:\temp\hostfiles\

    Then create a .bat file with content like:

    [@echo off
:ask
@echo Select hosts file project
@echo 1 - Project 1
@echo 2 - Project 2
@echo 3 - Project 3
@echo 0 - Exit
set INPUT=
set /P INPUT=Type input: %=%
If /I "%INPUT%"=="1" goto 1 
If /I "%INPUT%"=="2" goto 2
If /I "%INPUT%"=="3" goto 3
If /I "%INPUT%"=="0" goto exit
goto ask
:1
COPY "C:\temp\hostfiles\project1" "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts" /y >nul
@echo Project 1 hosts file is now active
goto exit
:2
COPY "C:\temp\hostfiles\project2" "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts" /y >nul
@echo Project 2 hosts file is now active
goto exit
:3
COPY "C:\temp\hostfiles\project3" "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts" /y >nul
@echo Project 3 hosts file is now active
goto exit
:exit
@pause

    Strongly recommend to backup the hosts file before testing this.

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