focus-shell

A minimal bash script that blocks distracting websites via /etc/hosts. Works on macOS and Linux.

Appends a marked block to /etc/hosts redirecting domains to 127.0.0.1. A lightweight background process manages schedule windows, timer expirations, and breaks. Runs without external dependencies on both macOS and Linux.

Usage

focus status                                           # show state, time left, and blocked sites
sudo focus start [duration]                            # block immediately (default: 3h)
sudo focus add [duration]                              # extend deadline (default: 1h)
sudo focus schedule {--allow|--block} <range> [--days] # recurring schedule (e.g. --allow 9pm-11pm)
sudo focus break [duration]                            # pause blocking (default: 30m)
sudo focus resume                                      # end break early, resume blocking
sudo focus stop                                        # unblock everything now

Formats

• Duration: Whole numbers with h or m (e.g. 30m, 2h, 1h30m).
• Scheudle Time: 12-hour local time with am/pm (e.g. 9am, 5pm, 12am, 12pm, 8:30am, 9:15pm).

Install

Place the focus executable somewhere in your PATH (e.g. ~/.local/bin or /usr/local/bin):

# Clone and symlink:
ln -s "$PWD/focus" ~/.local/bin/focus

# Or download directly:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sdi2200262/focus-shell/main/focus \
  -o /usr/local/bin/focus && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/focus

Blocked sites

Edit the DOMAINS array at the top of the script to customize. Defaults:

• Instagram, Reddit, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube

Tests

Run the isolated test suite:

bash test/test_focus.sh

License

MIT