No first member, 4 team members:

Brownie Tran Raymond Yang Yang Li Davi Vargas

A powerful Windows application designed to help you stay focused by blocking distracting websites and applications during timed work sessions

Option 1: Download Pre-built Executable (Recommended)

1. Download FocusDock.zip from Latest Release
2. Unzip it anywhere
3. Run app.exe

Option 2: Run from Source

1. Install Python 3.8+
2. Run python -m venv .venv
3. Run .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
4. Run pip install PyQt6 psutil pyinstaller
5. Run pyinstaller --onefile --name app --add-data "blocklist.json;." --add-data "tasks.json;." app.py
6. Run pyinstaller --onefile --name mvp_blocker --add-data "blocklist.json;." mvp_blocker.py
7. cd /dist folder
8. Run app.exe.

⚠️ Windows 10/11 Required - PAC configuration and app blocking only work on Windows

• Customizable countdown timer with hours, minutes, and seconds
• Visual progress indicator with circular progress arc
• Click-to-edit time - Click on the timer to adjust duration

• Selective blocking - Choose which websites and apps to block
• Toggle all - Quickly enable/disable all blocks at once
• HTTP/HTTPS support - Blocks websites via local proxy (HTTP & SOCKS5)
• App blocking - Automatically terminates blocked applications
• Pattern matching - Use wildcards to block entire domains (e.g., *.facebook.com)

• Built-in task list to track your goals
• Add/complete tasks with descriptions
• Auto-delete - Completed tasks automatically disappear
• Persistent storage - Tasks saved to tasks.json

• PAC (Proxy Auto-Configuration) - System-wide blocking via Windows proxy settings
• Multi-layer blocking - HTTP proxy (port 3128) + SOCKS5 proxy (port 1080)
• App termination modes:
  • Polite mode: Graceful termination
  • Strict mode: Force kill if app doesn't close
• Real-time monitoring - Continuous scanning for blocked apps

• Windows 10 or Windows 11 (Required for PAC configuration and app blocking)
• Administrator privileges (to modify Windows proxy settings)

No installation required! Just download and run.

1. Download the application

   • Get FocusDock.zip from GitHub Releases
   • Extract to any folder (e.g., C:\FocusDock\)

2. Verify extracted files

   FocusDock/
   ├── app.exe           # Main application
   ├── mvp_blocker.exe   # Blocking engine
   ├── blocklist.json    # Website/app configuration
   └── tasks.json        # Task list
   

3. Launch the app

   • Double-click app.exe
   • Done! Start your first focus session.

What you need to install:

• Python 3.8 or higher (Download here)
• PyQt6 - GUI framework
• psutil - Process monitoring library

Setup steps:

1. Install Python

   • Download from python.org
   • ⚠️ Important: Check "Add Python to PATH" during installation

2. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/Yang-Raymond/HttpHacks.git
   cd HttpHacks

3. Install required packages

   python -m venv .venv
   .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
   pip install PyQt6 psutil pyinstaller

   Troubleshooting: If pyinstaller command is not found, use python -m PyInstaller instead

4. Compile the application a. Build the main application:

   pyinstaller --onefile --name app --add-data "blocklist.json;." --add-data "tasks.json;." app.py

   b. Build the blocker engine:

   pyinstaller --onefile --name mvp_blocker --add-data "blocklist.json;." mvp_blocker.py

   Troubleshooting: If pyinstaller command is not found, use python -m PyInstaller instead

5. Move to the correct directory

   cd dist

6. Copy and Paste "blocklist.json" and "tasks.json" to dist folder

7. Run the application

   .\app.exe

When you open Focus Dock, you'll see three panels:

Left Panel: Choose what to block (websites & apps)
Middle Panel: Set timer and start/stop blocking
Right Panel: Track your tasks during the session

The left panel shows a pre-loaded list of common distractions:

• YouTube, Netflix, Discord, Steam, League of Legends, etc.

To enable blocking:

• Toggle ON the websites/apps you want to block
• Tip: Use "Toggle All" at the top to quickly enable everything
• Search bar: Type to filter the list (e.g., "D" shows "Discord, Disney")

Usually unblocked by default:

• Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok)
• Streaming (YouTube, Netflix, Twitch)
• Gaming platforms (Steam, Discord, League of Legends)

To add your own distraction:

• Click "Add website" or "Add app" at the bottom
• We'll cover this in detail later

1. Click on the timer in the center (shows 00:00:00)
2. A dialog will pop up with scrollable numbers
3. Set your time:
   • For beginners: Try 00:25:00 (25 minutes)
   • Scroll or type the numbers
4. Click "OK"

In the right panel:

1. Click the "+" button
2. Enter what you want to accomplish:
   • Task name: "Study Chapter 5"
   • Description: "Pages 120-145, take notes"
3. Click "Add Task"
4. Repeat for more tasks

1. Click the big blue "Focus" button in the center

2. What happens:

   • Button changes to "Stop"
   • Timer starts counting down
   • Blocking activates immediately
   • Left panel locks (can't change during session)

3. Test it: Try visiting a blocked site or an app

   • Open your browser
   • Go to youtube.com or facebook.com
   • You should see the website isn't working

   Or

   • Open the Discord app
   • You should see that you can't launch Discord app

While the timer is running:

• ✅ Check off tasks as you complete them (they disappear automatically)
• ✅ Watch the progress arc around the timer
• ❌ Cannot change blocklist (prevents cheating!)

If you need to stop early:

• Click "Stop" button
• Blocking ends immediately
• Close and reopen browser to access blocked sites

When the timer reaches 00:00:00:

• Blocking automatically stops
• You'll hear/see a completion indicator
• All websites/apps are accessible again
• Take a break! (Or start another session)

1. Click "Add website" in the left panel
2. Fill in the form:
   • Name: LinkedIn (display name)
   • URLs: linkedin.com, *.linkedin.com (comma-separated)
3. Click "Add"

URL Pattern Tips:

• youtube.com → blocks only youtube.com
• *.youtube.com → blocks all subdomains (m.youtube.com, music.youtube.com)
• *.facebook.com, *.instagram.com → block multiple at once

Common patterns:

1. Add websites/apps to block

   • Click "Add website" or "Add app" in the left panel
   • Enter the website name and URL patterns (e.g., facebook.com, *.facebook.com)
   • For apps, enter the executable name (e.g., discord, steam)

2. Toggle blocking

   • Use individual toggles to enable/disable specific blocks
   • Use "Toggle All" to quickly enable/disable everything

3. Set your timer

   • Click on the timer display
   • Scroll or type to set hours, minutes, and seconds
   • Click "OK" to confirm

4. Start focusing

   • Click the "Focus" button
   • Blocked websites and apps will be inaccessible during the session
   • Click "Stop" to end the session early

5. Track your tasks

   • Add tasks using the "+" button in the right panel
   • Check off tasks as you complete them
   • Completed tasks automatically disappear

Stores website and app blocking configuration:

{
  "websites": {
    "Facebook & Meta": {
      "blocked": true,
      "apps": "",
      "urls": ["*.facebook.com", "facebook.com", "*.instagram.com"]
    },
    "Discord": {
      "blocked": false,
      "apps": "discord*",
      "urls": ["discord.com", "*.discord.com"]
    }
  }
}

Stores your task list:

{
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Complete project documentation",
      "description": "Write comprehensive README",
      "completed": false
    }
  ]
}

1. PAC Server: Runs on localhost:18080 serving proxy auto-config
2. HTTP Proxy: Listens on 127.0.0.1:3128 for HTTP/HTTPS traffic
3. SOCKS5 Proxy: Listens on 127.0.0.1:1080 as fallback
4. System Integration: Modifies Windows registry to enable PAC
5. Request Filtering: Matches domains against blocklist and blocks/allows accordingly

1. Process Scanning: Scans running processes every 1-2 seconds
2. Pattern Matching: Uses wildcards to match process names (e.g., discord*)
3. Termination:
   • Polite mode: Sends SIGTERM and waits
   • Strict mode: Sends SIGTERM, waits 2 seconds, then SIGKILL if needed
4. System Protection: Never touches critical system processes

All blocking activity is logged to logs/traffic.log:

2025-11-09 14:30:15 CONNECT facebook.com:443 BLOCK
2025-11-09 14:30:20 APP discord.exe TERMINATE rule=discord*

HTTPHacks/
├── app.py                 # Main entry point
├── mvp_blocker.py         # Core blocking engine (proxy + app blocker)
├── blocklist.json         # Website/app blocking configuration
├── tasks.json             # Task list storage
├── UI/                    # User interface components
│   ├── main_window.py     # Main application window
│   ├── clock_widget.py    # Timer display and controls
│   ├── task_panel.py      # Task management panel
│   ├── blocklist_manager.py  # Blocklist data management
│   ├── toggle_switch.py   # Custom toggle switch widget
│   ├── website_toggle_widget.py  # Website/app toggle row
│   ├── time_edit_dialog.py  # Time picker dialog
│   ├── scroll_number_widget.py  # Scrollable number input
│   ├── add_website_dialog.py  # Add website dialog
│   ├── add_app_dialog.py  # Add app dialog
│   ├── task_input.py      # Task input form
│   └── task_item.py       # Individual task widget
└── logs/                  # Traffic and blocking logs

• Check browser: Close and reopen browser after starting focus session
• Clear browser cache: Some browsers cache DNS/connections
• Verify PAC: Check Windows proxy settings (Internet Options > Connections > LAN Settings)
• Try incognito mode: Private browsing doesn't use cached connections

• Check app settings: Some apps have auto-restart features
• Administrator rights: Run the app as administrator for better process control

• Run manually: python mvp_blocker.py --disable-pac-only
• Check registry: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings

The mvp_blocker.py script can be run standalone with options:

python mvp_blocker.py [options]

Options:

• --proxy-port PORT - HTTP proxy port (default: 3128)
• --socks-port PORT - SOCKS5 proxy port (default: 1080)
• --pac-port PORT - PAC server port (default: 18080)
• --enable-pac - Enable system PAC configuration
• --disable-pac - Disable PAC configuration on exit
• --disable-pac-only - Only disable PAC and exit
• --blocklist FILE - Path to blocklist JSON (default: blocklist.json)
• --log FILE - Path to log file (default: logs/traffic.log)
• --app-mode MODE - App blocking mode: polite or strict (default: strict)
• --app-grace SECONDS - Grace period before force kill (default: 2.0)
• --app-scan SECONDS - Process scan interval (default: 2.0)
• --app-dry-run - Log only, don't terminate apps

1. UI Components: Add to UI/ directory following the existing pattern
2. Blocklist Manager: Extend UI/blocklist_manager.py for new data operations
3. Blocking Logic: Modify mvp_blocker.py for proxy/app blocking changes

• Local only: All proxies run on localhost (127.0.0.1)
• No external connections: Blocking is done locally
• No data collection: Nothing is sent to external servers
• Open source: Full code transparency