Host

Host is a powerful command-line tool for DNS queries and testing. It’s got a lot of the same features as other tools like nslookup and dig, but it also offers more extensive testing options and test automation. Plus, it sports a standard Unix-based command-line interface that many users appreciate.

Key Features of Host

Here are some key features of Host:

• Major overhaul of the entire code.


• Very strict error checking with detailed error messages.


• The zone listing section has been completely rewritten.


• You can now do recursive listings into delegated zones.


• Keep track of resource record statistics during zone listings.


• Count hosts during zone listings too!


• Check for various extra conditions during zone listings.


• Verify if domain names have any illegal characters.


• Make sure certain domain names are canonical host names.


• Check TTL consistency while listing zones.


• If you have multiple server addresses, exploit them!


• You can choose to only use the primary server for zone transfers.


• Avoid showing info from names not in a zone.


• Handle timeouts while connecting and reading data smoothly!


• You can write resource record output to an optional log file too!


• Special MB tracing by expanding MR and MG records recursively.


• A unique mode checks SOA records at each nameserver for a zone.


• An extra mode checks reverse mappings of host addresses as well!


• The extended syntax lets you use multiple arguments on the command line or stdin easily!


• You can configure default options using the HOST_DEFAULTS environment variable!


• This version has new resource record types based on RFCs 1183, 1348, 1664, 1712, 1876, and 1886!

The code is extensively documented too, making it easier to understand and work with.

What's New?

This release comes with some minor bug fixes. They cleaned up the address/hostname verification (host -A) code which makes things run smoother. You can check out more details here.