How can I edit hosts file on my Mac with a GUI tool like TextWrangler?

Question

I'm struggling to edit my hosts file on my Mac (OS X Yosemite) which is located at /etc/hosts using TextWrangler.

When I open the file first, I receive a dialog box asking "Are you sure you want to unlock "hosts" ? You aren't a member of group wheel."

I click "Unlock".

I edit the file and then try to save, but then I receive another dialog box with an error saying:

This operation couldn' be completed, because an error occurred.

The authenticated save for this file failed (application error code: 200004).

Any suggestions to solve this?

Answer 1

Following these steps, it should be a snap:

1. Launch Terminal
2. Open TextWrangler as sudo by typing the following in one line:
   sudo -b /Applications/TextWrangler.app/Contents/MacOS/TextWrangler /etc/hosts
3. Make your changes, save your edit and close