General:
In /etc/hosts I added this:
199.255.145.110 williamgibsonboard.com
199.255.145.110 www.williamgibsonboard.com
@-tweet @ian_ruotsala for suggestions, questions
bookmark this for future reference: http://wgbeeper.dns1.us/ (thanks, garage_rubin!)
Mac:
- make sure to copy the /etc/hosts file just in case something serious goes wrong
- start Terminal
- type: sudo nano /etc/hosts
- enter password when/if prompted
- paste these two lines at the bottom:
199.255.145.110 williamgibsonboard.com
199.255.145.110 www.williamgibsonboard.com
It should look something like this:
- save the file by pressing the "Ctrl" and "O" keys at same time.
That should be it! You might still have to re-start your web browser to make sure it reads from updated host file. @-tweet me if that didn't work/you need further advice/assistance.
Windows:
Windows 7:
- If you don't already have Notepad++ installed, you should install Notepad++
- open your hosts file using Notepad++ (hosts file is likely located somewhere like C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc )
- at the bottom of the hosts file, paste:
199.255.145.110 williamgibsonboard.com
199.255.145.110 www.williamgibsonboard.com
That should be it! You might have to try re-starting your web browser to make sure it is reading from updated hosts file.
If Notepad++ doesn't allow you to save hosts file, it is likely because it is not in "Administrator" mode. @-Tweet me and I'll try to figure out how to get into admin mode.
@-Tweet me if you have any other comments/questions/concerns/suggestions.
And on Windows 7 it is apparently a pain in the ass. Try these instructions to edit it with Notepad.
Windows XP, Windows Vista:
I will momentarily test out instructions on my XP and Vista machines. For now, try using the instructions provided for Win7. @-Tweet me if the Win7 instructions work/do not work for you.
Windows 8:
I don't have a access to a Windows 8 machine, so I can't offer any first-hand knowledge. Try using the Windows 7 instructions for now. If those work or don't work for you, @-Tweet me to tell me.
Linux:
If you are using Linux, I tend to assume you already know how to modify /etc/hosts without me explaining. Nevertheless, if you happen to be a newbie, try this:
- make sure to copy the /etc/hosts file just in case something serious goes wrong
- open you terminal
- type: sudo vim /etc/hosts
- enter your password when/if prompted
- vim should start up; press the "i" key.
- there should be a few lines like "127.0.0.1 localhost"; use the arrow key to bring cursor below those
- enter these two lines:
199.255.145.110 williamgibsonboard.com
199.255.145.110 www.williamgibsonboard.com
- press the "Esc" key
- type ":" then type "w" then hit "Enter"
- type ":" then type "q" then hit "Enter"
That should be it! You might have to try re-starting your web browser to make sure it is reading from updated hosts file. I am assuming you are using Ubuntu specifically with vim installed--if these are not true for you, or you're having other troubles, @-tweet me for questions/advice.
What happens when the domain is finally renewed?
Probably you should disable the entries you made--in Mac, Windows, and Linux, just put a hash mark ("#") in front of the lines you entered. The next time we forget to renew the domain, just re-enable the lines, and change the IP address to whatever the WGBeeper has.
instructions current as of 8 December, 2013