/usr/bin/host --help — Chainguard OS Manuals

From bind-tools 9.20.30-r1 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running host --help (exit 1). permalink

/usr/bin/host: illegal option -- -
Usage: host [-aCdilrTvVw] [-c class] [-N ndots] [-t type] [-W time]
            [-R number] [-m flag] [-p port] hostname [server]
       -a is equivalent to -v -t ANY
       -A is like -a but omits RRSIG, NSEC, NSEC3
       -c specifies query class for non-IN data
       -C compares SOA records on authoritative nameservers
       -d is equivalent to -v
       -l lists all hosts in a domain, using AXFR
       -m set memory debugging flag (trace|record|usage)
       -N changes the number of dots allowed before root lookup is done
       -p specifies the port on the server to query
       -r disables recursive processing
       -R specifies number of retries for UDP packets
       -s a SERVFAIL response should stop query
       -t specifies the query type
       -T enables TCP/IP mode
       -U enables UDP mode
       -v enables verbose output
       -V print version number and exit
       -w specifies to wait forever for a reply
       -W specifies how long to wait for a reply
       -4 use IPv4 query transport only
       -6 use IPv6 query transport only

Options (20)

Option	Description	Source
`-4`	This option specifies that only IPv4 should be used for query transport.	man
`-6`	This option specifies that only IPv6 should be used for query transport.	man
`-a`	The -a ("all") option is normally equivalent to -v -t ANY.	man
`-A`	The -A ("almost all") option is equivalent to -a, except that RRSIG, NSEC, and NSEC3 records are omitted from the output.	man
`-c` class	This option specifies the query class, which can be used to lookup HS (Hesiod) or CH (Chaosnet) class resource records.	man
`-C`	This option indicates that named <#std-iscman-named> should check consistency, meaning that host queries the SOA records for zone name from all the listed authoritative name servers for that zone.	man
`-d`	This option prints debugging traces, and is equivalent to the -v verbose option.	man
`-l`	This option tells named <#std-iscman-named> to list the zone, meaning the host command performs a zone transfer of zone name and prints out the NS, PTR, and address records (A/AAAA).	man
`-N` ndots	This option specifies the number of dots (ndots) that have to be in name for it to be considered absolute.	man
`-p` port	This option specifies the port to query on the server.	man
`-r`	This option specifies a non-recursive query;	man
`-R` number	This option specifies the number of retries for UDP queries.	man
`-s`	This option tells named <#std-iscman-named> not to send the query to the next nameserver if any server responds with a SERVFAIL response, which is the reverse of normal stub resolver behavior.	man
`-t` type	This option specifies the query type.	man
`-T, -U`	This option specifies TCP or UDP.	man
`-m` flag	This option sets memory usage debugging: the flag can be record, usage, or trace.	man
`-v`	This option sets verbose output, and is equivalent to the -d debug option.	man
`-V`	This option prints the version number and exits.	man
`-w`	This option sets "wait forever": the query timeout is set to the maximum possible.	man
`-W` wait	This options sets the length of the wait timeout, indicating that named <#std-iscman-named> should wait for up to wait seconds for a reply.	man

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