| SYSTEM INFORMATION | |
|---|---|
| OS type and version | Ubuntu 20.04 |
| Webmin version | 1.990 |
| Virtualmin version | 6.17-3 Pro |
| Related packages | SUGGESTED |
How can I test a site before going live and assigning the external IP
Thanks
Probably very simple
The easiest, if you are relunctant to setup DNS right away is to setup the “hosts” file on your local computer, mapping your server’s IP address to the domain.
This will effectively tell your computer how to find the website, while the rest of the world won’t actually be able to view the site at this point.
Example entry:
1.2.3.4 mydomain.com www.mydomain.com
Because your system uses the records from the “hosts” file before doing a DNS lookup, you’ll effectively see the site as if the DNS was setup. Only thing you cannot assign at this point is a Let’s Encrypt certificate as that requires the DNS to be setup.
The “hosts” file lives in different locations depending on the OS…
Linux:
/etc/hosts
MacOS:
/etc/hosts
Windows:
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
*** the location for Windows may be incorrect, but it’s somewhere around there ***
1 Like
Extra info about the windows hosts file and some howto while user rights , for free you see there also kind of blacklist 
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