<b>Network-wide ad blocking via your own Linux hardware</b><br/>
</p>
The Pi-hole blocks ads via a [DNS sinkhole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNS_Sinkhole), so all your devices are protected without the need to install client-side software.
The Pi-hole is a [DNS sinkhole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNS_Sinkhole) that protects your devices from unwanted content, without installing any client-side software.
- **Easy-to-install**: our versatile installer walks you through the process, and [takes less than ten minutes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKWjx1AQYgs)
- **Resolute**: ads are blocked in _non-browser locations_ such as ad-laden mobile apps and smart TVs
- **Fast**: speeds up the feel of everyday browsing by caching DNS queries, saving bandwidth
- **Lightweight**: runs smoothly and requires [minimal resources](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/hardware-software-requirements/273)
- **Robust**: a command line interface for those preferring CLI, and/or wanting to automate tasks
- **Informative**: a beautiful and secure Web Interface dashboard to control your Pi-hole
- **Versatile**: can optionally function as a DHCP server, ensuring your devices will not need configuring individually
- **Scalable**: [capable of handling hundreds of millions of queries](https://pi-hole.net/2017/05/24/how-much-traffic-can-pi-hole-handle/) when installed on powerful hardware
- **Resolute**: content is blocked in _non-browser locations_, such as ad-laden mobile apps and smart TVs
- **Responsive**: seamlessly speeds up the feel of everyday browsing by caching DNS queries
- **Lightweight**: runs smoothly with [minimal hardware and software requirements](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/hardware-software-requirements/273)
- **Robust**: a command line interface that is quality assured for interoperability
- **Insightful**: a beautiful responsive Web Interface dashboard to view and control your Pi-hole
- **Versatile**: can optionally function as a [DHCP server](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/how-do-i-use-pi-holes-built-in-dhcp-server-and-why-would-i-want-to/3026), ensuring *all* your devices are protected automatically
- **Scalable**: [capable of handling hundreds of millions of queries](https://pi-hole.net/2017/05/24/how-much-traffic-can-pi-hole-handle/) when installed on server-grade hardware
- **Modern**: blocks ads over both IPv4 and IPv6
- **Free**: open source software which helps ensure _you_ are the sole person in control of your privacy
[Piping to `bash` _can_ be dangerous](https://pi-hole.net/2016/07/25/curling-and-piping-to-bash/), so we understand the importance of giving people the option to review our code! Our installer is [found here](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/blob/master/automated%20install/basic-install.sh), if you wish to read it before running.
[Piping to `bash` is controversial](https://pi-hole.net/2016/07/25/curling-and-piping-to-bash), as it prevents you from [reading code that is about to run](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/blob/master/automated%20install/basic-install.sh) on your system. Therefore, we provide these alternative installation methods which allow code review before installation:
You can install Pi-hole via one of the two alternative methods:
### Clone our repository and run the automated installer from your device
## Post-install: Make your network take advantage of Pi-hole
Once the installer has been run, you will need to [configure your router to have **DHCP clients use the Pi-hole as their DNS server**](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/how-do-i-configure-my-devices-to-use-pi-hole-as-their-dns-server/245) so that any device that connects to your network will have ads blocked without any further intervention.
Once the installer has been run, you will need to [configure your router to have **DHCP clients use Pi-hole as their DNS server**](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/how-do-i-configure-my-devices-to-use-pi-hole-as-their-dns-server/245) which ensures that all devices connecting to your network will have content blocked without any further intervention.
If your router does not support setting the DNS server, you can [use Pi-hole's built in DHCP server](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/how-do-i-use-pi-holes-built-in-dhcp-server-and-why-would-i-want-to/3026); just be sure to disable DHCP on your router first (if it has that feature available).
@ -56,15 +53,15 @@ As a last resort, you can always manually set each device to use Pi-hole as thei
-----
## Pi-hole is free, but powered by your support
There are many reoccurring costs involved with maintaining free, open source, and privacy-respecting software; expenses which [our volunteers](https://github.com/orgs/pi-hole/people) pitch in to cover out-of-pocket. This is just one example of how strongly we feel about our software, as well as the importance of keeping it maintained.
There are many reoccurring costs involved with maintaining free, open source, and privacyrespecting software; expenses which [our volunteer developers](https://github.com/orgs/pi-hole/people) pitch in to cover out-of-pocket. This is just one example of how strongly we feel about our software, as well as the importance of keeping it maintained.
Make no mistake: **your support is absolutely vital to help keep us innovating!**
### Donations
Sending a donation using our links below is **extremely helpful** in offsetting a portion of our monthly expenses:
-  [Donate via PayPal](https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3J2L3Z4DHW9UY)
<imgsrc="https://pi-hole.github.io/graphics/Badges/paypal-badge-black.svg"width="24"height="24"alt="PP"/><ahref="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3J2L3Z4DHW9UY">Donate via PayPal</a><br/>
If you'd rather not donate (_which is okay!_), there are other ways you can help support us:
@ -83,36 +80,44 @@ If you have something to add - anything from a typo through to a whole new featu
You'll find that the [install script](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/blob/master/automated%20install/basic-install.sh) and the [debug script](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/blob/master/advanced/Scripts/piholeDebug.sh) have an abundance of comments, which will help you better understand how Pi-hole works. They're also a valuable resource to those who want to learn how to write scripts or code a program! We encourage anyone who likes to tinker to read through it, and submit a pull request for us to review.
### Presentations about Pi-hole
Word-of-mouth continues to help our project grow immensely, and we'd like to help those who are going to be presenting Pi-hole at a conference, meetup or even a school project. If you'd like some free swag to hand out to your audience, [get in touch with us](https://pi-hole.net/2017/05/17/giving-a-presentation-on-pi-hole-contact-us-first-for-some-goodies-and-support/).
Word-of-mouth continues to help our project grow immensely, and so we are helping make this easier for people.
If you are going to be presenting Pi-hole at a conference, meetup or even a school project, [get in touch with us](https://pi-hole.net/2017/05/17/giving-a-presentation-on-pi-hole-contact-us-first-for-some-goodies-and-support/) so we can hook you up with free swag to hand out to your audience!
- [/r/pihole on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/pihole/)
- [@The_Pi_Hole on Twitter](https://twitter.com/The_Pi_Hole)
- [Pi-hole on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT5kq9w0wSjogzJb81C9U0w)
- [ThePiHole on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ThePiHole/)
- [Chat on Gitter](https://gitter.im/pi-hole/pi-hole)
While we are primarily reachable on our <ahref="https://discourse.pi-hole.net/">Discourse User Forum</a>, we can also be found on a variety of social media outlets. **Please be sure to check the FAQ's** before starting a new discussion, as we do not have the spare time to reply to every request for assistance.
The `pihole` command has all the functionality necessary to be able to fully administer the Pi-hole.
The `pihole` command has all the functionality necessary to be able to fully administer the Pi-hole, without the need of the Web Interface. It's fast, user-friendly, and auditable by anyone with understanding of `bash`.
* [Viewing the live log file](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/wiki/Core-Function-Breakdown#tail)
* [Real-time Statistics via `ssh`](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/wiki/Core-Function-Breakdown#chronometer) or [your TFT LCD screen](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HN0LL2A/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pihole09-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01HN0LL2A&linkId=fb33e9efb10c1daba0dd1dd9fea72b1a)
* [Real-time Statistics via `ssh`](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/wiki/Core-Function-Breakdown#chronometer) or [your TFT LCD screen](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00ID39LM4/pihole09-20)
* [Updating Ad Lists](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/wiki/Core-Function-Breakdown#gravity)
* [Querying Ad Lists for matching domains](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/wiki/Core-Function-Breakdown#query)
* [Querying Ad Lists for blocked domains](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/wiki/Core-Function-Breakdown#query)
* [Enabling and Disabling Pi-hole](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/wiki/Core-Function-Breakdown#enable--disable)
* ... and *many* more!
@ -121,7 +126,17 @@ You can read our [Core Feature Breakdown](https://github.com/pi-hole/pi-hole/wik
### The Web Interface Dashboard
This [optional dashboard](https://github.com/pi-hole/AdminLTE) allows you to view stats, change settings, and configure your Pi-hole. It's the power of the Command Line Interface, with none of the learning curve!
* Long Term Statistics to view data over user defined time ranges
* The ability to easily manage and configure Pi-hole features
* ... and all the main features of the Command Line Interface!
There are several ways to [access the dashboard](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/how-do-i-access-pi-holes-dashboard-admin-interface/3168):
@ -139,19 +154,28 @@ Some of the statistics you can integrate include:
* Percentage of ads blocked
* Unique domains
* Queries forwarded (to your chosen upstream DNS server)
* Queries cached (served by Pi-hole)
* Unique Pi-hole clients
* Queries cached
* Unique clients
The API can be accessed via [`telnet`](https://github.com/pi-hole/FTL), the Web (`admin/api.php`) and Command Line (`pihole -c -j`). [More details are found here](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-api/1863).
The API can be accessed via [`telnet`](https://github.com/pi-hole/FTL), the Web (`admin/api.php`) and Command Line (`pihole -c -j`). You can out find [more details over here](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/pi-hole-api/1863).
-----
## The Origin Of Pi-hole
Pi-hole being a **advertising-aware DNS/Web server**, makes use of the following technologies:
* [`dnsmasq`](http://www.thekelleys.org.uk/dnsmasq/doc.html) - a lightweight DNS and DHCP server
* [`curl`](https://curl.haxx.se) - A command line tool for transferring data with URL syntax
* [`lighttpd`](https://www.lighttpd.net) - webserver designed and optimized for high performance
* [`php`](https://secure.php.net) - a popular general-purpose web scripting language
* [AdminLTE Dashboard](https://github.com/almasaeed2010/AdminLTE) - premium admin control panel based on Bootstrap 3.x
While quite outdated at this point, [this original blog post about Pi-hole](https://jacobsalmela.com/2015/06/16/block-millions-ads-network-wide-with-a-raspberry-pi-hole-2-0/) goes into **great detail** about how Pi-hole was originally setup and how it works. Syntactically, it's no longer accurate, but the same basic principles and logic still apply to Pi-hole's current state.
-----
## Pi-hole Projects
- [The Big Blocklist Collection](https://wally3k.github.io)
- [Docker Pi-hole container (x86 and ARM)](https://hub.docker.com/r/diginc/pi-hole/)
- [Pi-Hole in the cloud](http://blog.codybunch.com/2015/07/28/Pi-Hole-in-the-cloud/)
- [Pie in the Sky-Hole [A Pi-Hole in the cloud for ad-blocking via DNS]](https://dlaa.me/blog/post/skyhole)
@ -186,5 +210,7 @@ While quite outdated at this point, [this original blog post about Pi-hole](http
- [Digital Trends: 5 Fun, Easy Projects You Can Try With a $35 Raspberry Pi](https://youtu.be/QwrKlyC2kdM?t=1m42s)
- [Adafruit: Raspberry Pi Quick Look at Pi Hole ad blocking server with Tony D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg4u2j1HYlI)
- [Devacron: OrangePi Zero as an Ad-Block server with Pi-Hole](http://www.devacron.com/orangepi-zero-as-an-ad-block-server-with-pi-hole/)
- [CryptoAUSTRALIA Blog: How We Tried 5 Privacy Focused Raspberry Pi Projects](https://blog.cryptoaustralia.org.au/2017/10/05/5-privacy-focused-raspberry-pi-projects/)
- [Linux Pro: The Hole Truth](http://www.linuxpromagazine.com/Issues/2017/200/The-sysadmin-s-daily-grind-Pi-hole)
- [CryptoAUSTRALIA: How We Tried 5 Privacy Focused Raspberry Pi Projects](https://blog.cryptoaustralia.org.au/2017/10/05/5-privacy-focused-raspberry-pi-projects/)
WaLLy3K
7 years ago
committed by