I'm looking to configure my laptop so that I can completely block ads without using any external hardware like a Raspberry Pi or Docker. I've seen some videos mentioning Pi-hole, but since I'm on Arch Linux, I want to know the most effective methods for ad blocking directly on my laptop. Any suggestions?
5 Answers
For a straightforward solution, I recommend just using a browser extension like uBlock Origin. If it's just one machine, this will do a great job and is usually more effective than setting up network-level ad blocking. No complex setup required!
For DNS-level blocking, you can also use DNS servers like Mullvad, AdGuard, or NextDNS. Just configure them in your laptop's network settings for broad ad blocking functionality without additional hardware.
You could try installing Docker on your laptop, which enables you to run Pi-hole on your system without needing a Raspberry Pi. It's pretty versatile as long as your PC can handle it!
You don't actually need a Raspberry Pi for Pi-hole; you can install it on any Linux-based computer, including your Arch laptop. However, consider if the effort is worth it for just one device—sometimes, ad blockers in browsers are sufficient as they update more quickly against ads that find workarounds.
Technically, you could set up a virtual machine with Pi-hole if you're comfortable with that. I run mine on Proxmox, but honestly, for most people, a simple adblock extension should cover your needs. Plus, you can add custom blocklists easily with several extensions!
Absolutely! uBlock, along with Firefox and Consent-O-Matic, is a quick setup that takes about 30 seconds. If you're adventurous, you might consider Brave, but I’ve had some minor issues with it on Hyprland.