DNSUtils is a useful package for quickly checking and viewing DNS information from the Linux terminal for domains and servers. It includes simple commands like “dig”, “nslookup”, and “host” that you can use to find IP addresses, DNS records, mail servers, and nameservers. It is also useful for checking and troubleshooting domain DNS settings quickly and easily.
Features of DNSUtils Package:
- Check IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
- View MX, NS, TXT, and SOA records.
- Perform reverse DNS lookups.
- Query a specific DNS server.
- Trace DNS resolution.
- Check DNSSEC information.
- Get quick DNS results from the terminal.
- Use
dig,nslookup, andhost.
What is DNSUtils?
DNSUtils is a collection of useful DNS commands available on Linux. It lets you look up domain names, IP addresses, DNS records, and name servers from the terminal. It includes commands like “dig”, “nslookup”, and “host” for different types of DNS queries.
- dig – Used for detailed DNS queries and DNS troubleshooting.
- nslookup – Used for simple domain and DNS record lookups.
- host – Used for quick DNS lookups and IP address checks.
DNSUtils Installation Command
Below are the simple commands to install DNSUtils on Debian and Ubuntu-based Linux systems.
First, Update packages.
apt update
Now install dnsutils using the apt package manager.
apt install dnsutils -y
Check if dig is installed.
dig -v
DNSUtils and its tools are now installed and ready to use.
Dnsutils Usage Commands
Below are some useful DNSUtils commands to check domain names, IP addresses, DNS records, and other DNS information from the Linux terminal.
Check the A record of a domain.
dig example.com
Show only the IP address.
dig example.com +short
Check the IPv6 address.
dig example.com AAAA
Check the MX records.
dig example.com MX
Check the NS records.
dig example.com NS
Check the TXT records.
dig example.com TXT
Check the SOA record.
dig example.com SOA
Perform a reverse DNS lookup.
dig -x 8.8.8.8
Use a specific DNS server.
dig @8.8.8.8 example.com
Check MX records using a specific DNS server.
dig @8.8.8.8 example.com MX
Show only the answer section.
dig example.com +noall +answer
Show DNS query statistics.
dig example.com +stats
Show the question and answer sections.
dig example.com +question +answer
Check DNSSEC information.
dig example.com +dnssec
Trace the DNS resolution.
dig example.com +trace
Force the query to use IPv4.
dig -4 example.com
Force the query to use IPv6.
dig -6 example.com
Use TCP for the DNS query.
dig +tcp example.com
Set the DNS query timeout to 10 seconds.
dig example.com +timeout=10
Set the number of DNS query attempts to 5.
dig example.com +tries=5
Show the output in YAML format.
dig example.com +yaml
Check the installed dig version.
dig -v
Show the dig help menu.
dig -h
nslookup Commands
Check the DNS information of a domain.
nslookup example.com
Use a specific DNS server for the lookup.
nslookup example.com 8.8.8.8
Start the interactive nslookup mode.
nslookup
Check the MX records.
nslookup -type=MX example.com
Check the NS records.
nslookup -type=NS example.com
Check the TXT records.
nslookup -type=TXT example.com
host Commands
Check the IP address of a domain.
host example.com
Show detailed DNS information.
host -a example.com
Check the A record.
host -t A example.com
Check the AAAA record.
host -t AAAA example.com
Check the MX records.
host -t MX example.com
Check the NS records.
host -t NS example.com
Check the TXT records.
host -t TXT example.com
Perform a reverse DNS lookup.
host 8.8.8.8
Using these commands, you can quickly check DNS records, find IP addresses, and troubleshoot common DNS issues.
Overview
DNSUtils provides simple command-line tools for checking and troubleshooting DNS information. dig is useful for detailed DNS queries, while nslookup and host are useful for quick DNS lookups. These commands are also useful for learning how domain names connect to IP addresses and other DNS services.
