PDNS\_SERVER(1) PowerDNS Authoritative Server PDNS\_SERVER(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

pdns\_server - The PowerDNS Authoritative Nameserver

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**pdns\_server** \[*OPTION*]

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

The PowerDNS Authoritative Server is a versatile nameserver which supports a large number of backends. These backends can either be plain zone files or be more dynamic in nature. Please see the online documentation for more information.

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

See the online documentation for all options. The most important ones are:

[**--daemon**](#daemon)

Indicate if the server should run in the background as a real daemon, or in the foreground.

[**--guardian**](#guardian)

Run **pdns\_server** inside a guardian. This guardian monitors the performance of the inner **pdns\_server** instance. It is also this guardian that **pdns\_control** talks to.

[**--control-console**](#control)

Run the server in a special monitor mode. This enables detailed logging and exposes the raw control socket.

[**--loglevel=**<LEVEL>****](#loglevel)

Set the logging level.

[**--config**](#config)

Show the current configuration. There are three optional values:

**--config=**default****

show the default configuration.

**--config=**diff****

show modified options in the current configuration.

**--config=**check****

parse the current configuration, with error checking.

[**--help**](#help)

Display the list of all the available options.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[pdns\_control(1)](/man/enterprise-packages/pdns-auth-doc-5.0/pdns_control.1), [pdnsutil(1)](/man/enterprise-packages/pdns-auth-doc-5.0/pdnsutil.1), *https://doc.powerdns.com/*

# [AUTHOR](#AUTHOR)

PowerDNS.COM BV

# [COPYRIGHT](#COPYRIGHT)

PowerDNS.COM BV

October 21, 2026

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Document: pdns_server(1) from pdns-auth-doc-5.0 5.0.8-r0 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/PowerDNS/pdns