GNU adns
Advanced, easy to use, asynchronous-capable DNS client library and
utilities.
adns is a resolver library for C (and C++) programs, and a collection
of useful DNS resolver utilities.
C library
In contrast with the standard interfaces, gethostbyname et al and
libresolv, it has the following features:
* It is reasonably easy to use for simple programs which just want to
translate names to addresses, look up MX records, etc.
* It can be used in an asynchronous, non-blocking, manner. Many
queries can be handled simultaneously.
* Responses are decoded automatically into a natural representation
for a C program - there is no need to deal with DNS packet and
RRDATA formats.
* Sanity checking (eg, name syntax checking, reverse/forward
correspondence, CNAME pointing to CNAME) is performed automatically
by default.
* Time-to-live, CNAME and other similar information is returned in an
easy-to-use form, without getting in the way.
* There is no global state in the library; resolver state is an
opaque data structure which the client creates explicitly. A
program can have several instances of the resolver.
* Errors are reported to the application in a way that distinguishes
the various causes of failure properly.
* adns understands conventional resolv.conf, but this can overridden
by environment variables.
* Flexibility. For example, the application can tell adns to: ignore
environment variables (for setuid programs), disable hostname
syntax sanity checks to return arbitrary data, override or ignore
resolv.conf in favour of supplied configuration, etc.
* Believed to be correct ! For example, will correctly back off to
TCP in case of long replies or queries, or to other nameservers if
several are available. It has sensible handling of bad responses
etc.
DNS utility programs
adns also comes with a number of utility programs for use from the
command line and in scripts:
* adnslogres is a much faster version of Apache's logresolv program.
* adnsresfilter is a filter which copies its input to its output,
replacing IP addresses by the corresponding names, without unduly
delaying the output. For example, you can usefully pipe the output
of netstat -n, tcpdump -ln, and the like, into it.
* adnshost is a general-purpose DNS lookup utility which can be used
easily in from the command line and from shell scripts to do simple
lookups. In a more advanced mode it can be used as a
general-purpose DNS helper program for scripting languages which
can invoke and communicate with subprocesses. See the [1]adnshost
usage message for a summary of its capabilities.
Documentation
I'm afraid there is no manual yet. However, competent C programmers
should be able to use the library based on the [2]commented adns.h
header file, and the usage messages for the programs should be
sufficient.
Feedback
I'd be pleased if you would let me know if you're using my library in
your project, and what you think of it.
Bug reports should be reported to the [3]GNU Debbugs. Send an email to
[email protected] and at the top of your email, in a paragraph of
its own, write the single line
Package: adns
Your bug report will be published via to the adns-discuss list.
Feedback and discussion takes place on the adns-discuss list. You can
mail me privately at [email protected].
Mailinglists
I have set up mailinglists adns-announce and adns-discuss. The
announcements list is moderated and will contain only announcements of
important bugs, new versions, etc.
There are [4]archives and subscription web pages, or you can subscribe
by sending mail containing the word `subscribe' to
[email protected] or
[email protected].
Documentation
* [5]adns.h API header file with documentation comments
* [6]usage message for adnshost
Download and source code
* The [7]current release as a gzipped tarfile.
* [8]Previous versions and other files (including OpenPGP
signatures).
* [9]master git (version control) repository browser.
adns is also available from the [10]GNU Project FTP servers and their
[11]mirrors.
Installation note
adns requires a real nameserver like BIND running on the same system or
a nearby one, which must be willing to provide `recursive service'.
I.e., adns is a `stub resolver'.
adns requires that your real nameserver is on the same machine, or
connected via a secure network, so that an attacker cannot fake the
replies to adns's queries.
References and related projects
* [12]Python bindings by Andy Dustman.
* [13]liboop event loop library has a built-in binding for adns.
* [14]port to MS Visual Studio 6 C++ by Jarle Aase.
Copyright and licensing
adns is Copyright 1997-2000,2003,2006,2014-2016 Ian Jackson, Copyright
2014 Mark Wooding, Copyright 1999-2000,2003,2006 Tony Finch, and
Copyright (C) 1991 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
adns is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at your
option) any later version.
This program and documentation is distributed in the hope that it will
be useful, but without any warranty; without even the implied warranty
of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. See the [15]GNU
General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
with adns, or one should be available above; if not, write to the
[16]Free Software Foundation or email [email protected].
__________________________________________________________________
Ian Jackson / [email protected].
[17]GNU home page; [18]chiark home page; [19]site or mirror home page
This web page is Copyright (C)1996-2005,2014-2016 Ian Jackson. See the
[20]Copyright/acknowledgements.
References
1. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/docs/adnshost.txt
2. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/docs/adns.h.txt
3. http://debbugs.gnu.org/
4. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/mailman/listinfo
5. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/docs/adns.h.txt
6. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/docs/adnshost.txt
7. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/adns.tar.gz
8. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/ftp/
9. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~ianmdlvl/git/adns.git/
10. http://www.gnu.org/
11. http://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html
12. http://code.google.com/p/adns-python
13. http://www.lysator.liu.se/liboop/
14. http://adns.jgaa.com/
15. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/docs/COPYING.txt
16. http://www.fsf.org/
17. http://www.gnu.org/
18. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/
19. file:///
20. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/sw-www-copy.html