Editing templateVM /etc/hosts to block website

[qubes_noob]

Hello, I edited the /etc/hosts file in the fedora-39-xfce templateVM.
127.0.0.1 chess.com
127.0.0.1 www.chess.com

Then, when I shut down the templateVM and re-opened it, the /etc/hosts file had been changed.
127.0.0.1 fedora-39-xfce
127.0.0.1 fedora-39-xfce

Why is this happening?

What are some ways of blocking distracting websites in Qubes?

[KitsuneNoBaka]

Maybe because 127.0.0.1 is internal communication IP and there is somewhere startup script that ensures /etc/hosts in templates is generic.
If you want to do it for appVM then do it in appVM but in /rw/ and by bind-dir mechanism.

If you want to block sites use sys-firewall or use @solene sys-proxy-out solution

URL filtering HTTPS proxy

Introduction This guide is for users who want to let a qube access some specific websites, but not the entire Internet. It’s especially useful when using the Qubes firewall isn’t enough — for example, when websites change their IPs often, making domain-based rules unreliable. This guide assumes you know what an HTTP(S) proxy is, and that you’re comfortable using the terminal to run commands or edit files. The setup will create a sys-proxy-out qube that filters access to a list of all…