The internet uses numbers, not names, to find computers. Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet’s directory service: It takes a human readable name, like “www.linuxlinks.com”, and converts that name to a machine readable “IP” address that your computer can use to connect to www.linuxlinks.com.
Browsers then use those addresses to communicate with origin servers or CDN edge servers to access website information. This all happens thanks to DNS servers: machines dedicated to answering DNS queries.
DNS is one of these things many take for granted that is critical to using the internet. Without DNS, the internet breaks. It’s critical that a DNS server keeps the internet working in a secure and stable manner.
DNS clients, which are built into most modern desktop and mobile operating systems, enable web browsers to interact with DNS servers.
This roundup picks some useful DNS clients for Linux. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion here.
Click the links below to learn more about each tool.
| DNS Clients | |
|---|---|
| dog | Colourful output, understands normal command-line argument syntax |
| doggo | Command-line DNS client for humans |
| q | Tiny command line DNS client supporting UDP, TCP, DoT, DoH, DoQ and ODoH |
| ddclient | Update dynamic DNS entries |
| GoDNS | Dynamic DNS (DDNS) client tool |
| dig | DNS lookup utility |
| awl | DNS lookup tool |
| ZDNS | High-speed DNS resolver and command line utility |
| dnslookup | Make DNS lookups |
| dug | Global DNS propagation checker |
| drill | Perform DNS lookups |
| dness | Dynamic DNS client |
| zns | Fast DNS lookup tool with DNSSEC validation and delegation tracing |
| In-a-Dyn | Small and simple Dynamic DNS, DDNS, client |
| doh | Query multiple DNS-over-HTTPS resolvers with JSON output |
| dnsupdate | Modern and flexible dynamic DNS client |
| ch4 | Dig-compatible DNS client with UDP, TCP and EDNS support |
| wig | Simple and lightweight DNS client |
| dyndnsc | Dynamic DNS update client |
This article has been updated to reflect the changes outlined in our recent announcement.
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