pockethost/packages/www/content/docs/development/full-stack/etc_hosts.md

title	category	subcategory	description
Manually set up `/etc/hosts`	development	full-stack	Learn how to manually configure your host entries with PocketHost for developers who can't utilize dnsmasq or similar tools. Navigate a slightly streamlined dev experience while you expand your project's reach using PocketHost, with support for as many '*.pockethost.test' subdomains as required.

Overview

It's possible to manually fine-tune your host entries with PocketHost, particularly when dnsmasq and related tools are out of the question. This method offers a slightly stripped-down but nonetheless effective developer experience. Further, it supports an unlimited number of '*.pockethost.test' subdomains, enabling you to touch a wider audience as you grow your project with PocketHost.

Seize control by adding host entries to the /etc/hosts file. Begin by bringing up the file with a text editor like nano. Lines specified under the file associate IP addresses with host names.

Here, 127.0.0.1 directs to your local machine. Following it, you'll add 'pockethost.test'—the main domain—along with other subdomains like 'pockethost-central.pockethost.test'—the primary PocketBase instance—and 'test.pockethost.test'—an illustrative PocketBase instance at the user level.

The manual method requires specifying subdomains individually as /etc/hosts doesn't interpret wildcards. Therefore, you're required to add as many '*.pockethost.test' subdomains as necessary for testing manually. Although slightly more time-consuming, taking this approach ensures a steadfast connection between your development environment and PocketBase through PocketHost.

If you can't use dnsmasq or equivalent, you can still configure hosts manually. The dev experience will be slightly more limited, but it will still work.

1. Add host entries to /etc./hosts

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Then, add these entries:

127.0.0.1 pockethost.test                      # The main domain
127.0.0.1 pockethost-central.pockethost.test   # The main pocketbase instance
127.0.0.1 test.pockethost.test                 # A sample (user) pocketbase instance

Add as many *.pockethost.test subdomains as you want to test. Since /etc/hosts does not support wild-carding, this must be done manually.