OS Manuals

/usr/bin/hickory-dns

A Rust based DNS client, server, and resolver

From hickory-dns 0.26.3-r3 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running hickory-dns --help (exit 0). permalink

Hickory DNS is a safe and secure DNS server with a variety of protocol features
(DNSSEC, TSIG, SIG(0), DoT, DoQ, DoH). It can be operated as an authoritative
DNS server, forwarding resolver, stub resolver, or a recursive resolver (experimental).
Zone data can be managed in-memory, with flat files, or with an SQLite database.


Usage:

Options:
      --validate
          Test validation of configuration files
      --workers <WORKERS>
          Number of runtime workers, defaults to the number of CPU cores
  -q, --quiet
          Disable INFO messages, WARN and ERROR will remain
  -d, --debug
          Turn on `DEBUG` messages (default is only `INFO`)
  -c, --config <NAME>
          Path to configuration file of named server [default: /etc/named.toml]
  -z, --zonedir <DIR>
          Path to the root directory for all zone files, see also config toml
  -p, --port <PORT>
          Listening port for DNS queries, overrides any value in config file
      --tls-port <TLS-PORT>
          Listening port for DNS over TLS queries, overrides any value in config file
      --https-port <HTTPS-PORT>
          Listening port for DNS over HTTPS queries, overrides any value in config file
      --quic-port <QUIC-PORT>
          Listening port for DNS over QUIC queries, overrides any value in config file
      --prometheus-listen-address <PROMETHEUS-LISTEN-ADDRESS>
          Listening socket for Prometheus metrics, for remote access configure socket as needed (e.g. 0.0.0.0:9000) overrides any value in config file
      --disable-tcp
          Disable TCP protocol, overrides any value in config file
      --disable-udp
          Disable UDP protocol, overrides any value in config file
      --disable-tls
          Disable TLS protocol, overrides any value in config file
      --disable-https
          Disable HTTPS protocol, overrides any value in config file
      --disable-quic
          Disable QUIC protocol, overrides any value in config file
      --disable-prometheus
          Disable Prometheus metrics, overrides any value in config file
      --nsid <NSID>
          Name server identifier (NSID) payload for EDNS responses. Use `0x` prefix for hex-encoded data. Mutually exclusive with --nsid-hostname
      --nsid-hostname
          Use the system hostname as the name server identifier (NSID) payload for EDNS responses. Mutually exclusive with --nsid
  -h, --help
          Print help
  -V, --version
          Print version
Options (21)
OptionDescriptionSource
--validateTest validation of configuration fileshelp
--workers WORKERSNumber of runtime workers, defaults to the number of CPU coreshelp
-q, --quietDisable INFO messages, WARN and ERROR will remainhelp
-d, --debugTurn on `DEBUG` messages (default is only `INFO`)help
-c, --config NAMEPath to configuration file of named server [default: /etc/named.toml]help
-z, --zonedir DIRPath to the root directory for all zone files, see also config tomlhelp
-p, --port PORTListening port for DNS queries, overrides any value in config filehelp
--tls-port TLS-PORTListening port for DNS over TLS queries, overrides any value in config filehelp
--https-port HTTPS-PORTListening port for DNS over HTTPS queries, overrides any value in config filehelp
--quic-port QUIC-PORTListening port for DNS over QUIC queries, overrides any value in config filehelp
--prometheus-listen-address PROMETHEUS-LISTEN-ADDRESSListening socket for Prometheus metrics, for remote access configure socket as needed (e.g. 0.0.0.0:9000) overrides any value in config filehelp
--disable-tcpDisable TCP protocol, overrides any value in config filehelp
--disable-udpDisable UDP protocol, overrides any value in config filehelp
--disable-tlsDisable TLS protocol, overrides any value in config filehelp
--disable-httpsDisable HTTPS protocol, overrides any value in config filehelp
--disable-quicDisable QUIC protocol, overrides any value in config filehelp
--disable-prometheusDisable Prometheus metrics, overrides any value in config filehelp
--nsid NSIDName server identifier (NSID) payload for EDNS responses.help
--nsid-hostnameUse the system hostname as the name server identifier (NSID) payload for EDNS responses.help
-h, --helpPrint helphelp
-V, --versionPrint versionhelp

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.