48
linuxxx
5y

Started working on a pihole alternative a while ago.

I like pihole a lot but one of the features I am missing is to be able to define a list of mass surveillance related domains (Snowden leaks; PRISM program and such) and show statistics based on dns queries containing blacklisted domains, prases/words and surveillance-related domains/words (google/facebook/microsoft/apple etc).

Started working on one based on an existing (php based) dns server which is open source and slowly but surely developed something which worked.
Then, I found out that the php resolving function (dns resolving) uses the system default, which can, of course, be google's dns as well. Changing this would be ideal but while the documentation suggested that it could be done some way, it didn't work for me so I chose a library which can do it with specific dns servers (to use as external dns servers).
This library used a different way of showing the retrieved dns query results and really wasn't in for converting everything by hand so i kinda quit the project a while ago.

A few days ago I thought fuck it and started again.
Now have a working version based on the new dns resolving library and made some other good improvements.

For those who are wondering why I chose PHP for this: why the fuck not?

Happy happy happy.

Comments
  • 7
    (still looking for a good youtube alternative (if you look at the queries in the picture...))
  • 5
    Other than breaking your .ini file. Open source this 😍
  • 4
    @C0D4 Like it? I've got a stats page as well (visualized)... ;)
  • 2
    Great project!

    May I ask why you recreate your whole thing from scratch instead of sending a pull request to pihole?
  • 1
    Wouldn't it make more sense to override the system DNS in /etc/resolv.conf (or configure whatever is managing that file) instead? Like your application could be using your favorite DNS (out of curiosity, which external DNS do you use? And what are your thoughts on Cloudflare's 1.0.0.1?) but when everything else in the system that's likely built to be just a local DNS server.. but if the rest of the system still uses Google DNS or ISP DNS or whatever, isn't it rather incomplete?
  • 4
    @kolaente Yes, wanted to write my own version anyways 😁

    @Condor I'll run this on a server of mine and will force all DNS queries to this server through firewall rules.
  • 5
    @linuxxx I do enjoy it when people make use of the cli colouring in php 😂

    Actually it’s a pretty good idea, if this can be ported to a web frontend for visual details and stats.. on top, maybe drop a db in for dns recording so you can do historical stats awell. Oh this could go so far 😎

    Nice work.

    Oh and Fix your .ini file 😂
  • 3
    @C0D4 Both those things are already in place ;)

    And no clue as for the error, the syntax is actually correct, I've had this on multiple computers without a good reason 😅
  • 2
    @linuxxx I have vidtu.be - maybe we could add a sort of proxy to embedded YouTube videos. YouTube should release a "non-advertisement" version of the embed soon, though it'll be a paid service I guess… :p (or if you have another idea.. :p as long as it's not XXX)
  • 1
    @xewl is that domain yours? seller is u?
  • 2
    I've heard about two YouTube's "replacement" but don't know how well they fare:
    - https://hooktube.com
    - https://invidio.us
  • 3
    @Jilano I often use hooktube! But it's not a proxy, just another frontend.

    I block everything with the word Google and this makes it hard to watch YouTube videos 😬
  • 2
    @linuxxx That, I can imagine. Well, what about leaving YouTube altogether and focus on PeerTube and the likes? (Not the same content for now, fortunately/unfortunately)
  • 0
    @CozyPlanes dox me lol, but yes.
  • 1
    @Jilano For me it's all about music and following latest releases, that's all I do on YouTube and loads of content is only on YouTube :/
  • 0
    Can't you just add your own domain list to pihole? Pretty sure you can.
  • 0
    @olback Of course, read my comments above as for why I created my own solition.
  • 0
    I though pihole is based on a list of domains just as any adblocker, that list is in a repo... Can't you just add more lists to pihole?
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