Whitelist-only mode

Alternative title: How do I use Plucky to block everything except for the stuff I want?

This page is for setting up a permanent whitelist-only mode. If you only want it temporarily such as for studying, see focus.

What is whitelist-only mode?

A whitelist is a list of things which are allowed by Plucky (or any filter), as opposed to a blacklist which is a list of things that the user wants to be blocked by the filter.

In a typical filter setup, the blacklist is user-defined and whatever is undefined lands in the whitelist by default.

Whitelist-only mode inverts that setup–meaning the whitelist is user-defined and anything undefined is automatically blacklisted.

This approach to filtering is a type of extreme which might be used for children who are only allowed very restrictive Internet access, or for adults who embrace the philosophies of minimalism and intentional technology use.

But if you need an explanation of who whitelist-only mode is for, it’s probably not for you. Instead you may be looking for a more standard approach such as classic or wimpy.

Desktop versus browser filtering

When the system feature is enabled Plucky can filter both the desktop as well as the web browser.

When considering a whitelist-only approach, one must consider whether this should apply to both desktop and web browser, or web browser only.

It’s also worth remembering that Plucky is a network filter, not an app locker. This means that blocking a website means it can’t open, but blocking a program doesn’t prevent it from opening–only from accessing the Internet.

If you feel you need a whitelist-only approach in the browser but aren’t sure about the desktop, ask yourself if there are apps on your PC which might pose the same troubles to you as the websites you’re hoping to lose access to. For example, a user who wishes to stop compulsively checking social media should be aware of the existence of social media clients in the form of desktop apps, and consider whether these apps could be a pitfall in his plans.

How to block only the browser

There are several options here. Each method may carry its own nuances–pick the one that makes the most sense to you.

block the program

pluck + block program:msedge.exe    ## block Edge on Windows
pluck + block program:brave browser ## block Brave on macOS

Blocking a web browser with a block program rule means Plucky will attempt (and succeed) to filter anything inside the browser that isn’t whitelisted. This can include pages like brave://history which might not be intended by the user. If that’s undesirable, see the next option.

block by protocol

pluck + block protocol https
pluck + block protocol http

Blocking the http and https protocols means effectively no urls (outside whitelisted sites) can be accessed because nearly all indexed urls follow this protocol, and those that don’t may not be supported by modern internet browsers.

Because the http/https prefix is used for websites, settings pages within the browser like brave://history are unblocked.

block by media type

pluck + block text/html  ## block any HTML page
pluck + block text/      ## block any text page

Blocking by media type might be even more thorough than blocking using the protocol method above.

Both the media type method and the protocol method are browser-agnostic, meaning one rule will work in all browsers. A downside of the ‘block program’ method is it only applies to the named browsers, ie. block program:chrome.exe only blocks Chrome and doesn’t block Brave. But block protocol https and block text/ work in every browser.

Unlike the protocol method, both block text/ and block text/html will block pages like brave://history. Some users might see that as a useful feature, especially since desired pages can simply be added to the whitelist; e.g., pluck + allow brave://settings/.

How to block only the desktop

nhb

pluck + nhb

See nhb for more details. Basically nhb blocks any programs that aren’t whitelisted. Sometimes Plucky allows certain system processes for the sake of sanity, but the user’s own installed programs should always be blocked by nhb.

The best way to block both desktop and browser

block otherwise

pluck + block otherwise

block otherwise is a special rule which is designed precisely with the whitelist-only approach in mind. If you intend to put the entire PC, both desktop apps and web browsers, in whitelist-only mode then block otherwise is the best and most effecient way to do it.