---
id: python-hosts
version: "1.1.2"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# python-hosts — A hosts file manager library written in python

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 184.1K/mo

## What it is and what it does

python-hosts is a library for programmatic manipulation of the system hosts file. It lets you create, add, remove, and query hostname-to-IP mappings without manually editing the file, and supports importing entries from files or URLs. The library has no runtime dependencies and works as a pure Python module.

It's designed for system administrators and automation scripts that need to manage network hostname resolution at the OS level. You instantiate a Hosts object pointing to a hosts file, manipulate entries using HostsEntry objects, and write changes back to disk. The package remains compatible with Python 2.7 and modern Python 3 releases, though it has not seen a release in over a year.

Use it for:

- Automate adding or removing hostname entries in CI/CD pipelines or deployment scripts.
- Bulk import hosts from a remote URL or file to synchronize local DNS resolution.
- Query the hosts file programmatically to check if a hostname or IP already exists before making changes.
- Merge new hostname aliases with existing entries without overwriting the entire hosts file.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Manages hosts file entries programmatically—add, remove, import, and query IP-to-hostname mappings without manual file editing.

Yes, if you need programmatic hosts file management. The package is stable (Production/Stable status), has no dependencies, and carries a permissive MIT license. However, the aging maintenance status (416 days since last release) means you should verify compatibility with your Python version before relying on it for critical automation.

## Install

pip install python-hosts
uv add python-hosts
poetry add python-hosts

## Installing python-hosts

Before you install: Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance status is aging—last release was 416 days ago, though the repository remains active with a recent commit on 2025-08-11.

License in practice: MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install python-hosts

from python_hosts import Hosts, HostsEntry
hosts = Hosts(path='hosts_test')
entry = HostsEntry(entry_type='ipv4', address='1.2.3.4', names=['www.example.com'])
hosts.add([entry])
hosts.write()

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package still works reliably on modern Python 3 versions given the aging maintenance status and lack of explicit requires_python specification.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 184.1K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

hosts file management, add remove hosts entries, hosts file parser, network hostname mapping, hosts file automation, system-administration, network-configuration

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/python-hosts) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/python-hosts/)