---
name: "adnshost"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "adns-tools"
version: "1.6.1-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/adnshost"
---

# adnshost(1)

Asynchronous-capable DNS client utilities

## NAME

adnshost - Asynchronous-capable DNS client utilities

## DESCRIPTION

usage: adnshost \[global-opts\] \[query-opts\] query-domain

-

  \[\[query-opts\] query-domain ...\]

-

  adnshost \[global-opts\] \[query-opts\] **-f**\|--pipe

### global binary options:

- \+e **--no-env**

  Do not look at environment variables at all

- **-f** **--pipe**

  Read queries on stdin instead of using args

- **-a** **--asynch**

  Allow answers to be reordered

### answer/error output format and destination (see below):

- **-Fs** **--fmt-simple**

  Answers to stdout, errors as messages to stderr (default)

- **-Fi** **--fmt-inline**

  Answers and errors both to stdout in parseable format

- **-Fa** **--fmt-asynch**

  Fully-parseable output format (default for **--asynch**)

### global verbosity level:

- **-Vq** **--quiet**

  Do not print anything to stderr

- **-Vn** **--no-quiet**

  Report unexpected kinds of problem only  (default)

- **-Vd** **--debug**

  Debugging mode

- **--no-checkc**

  Do not do for-developer consistency checks

- **--checkc**

  Do for-developer consistency checks

- **--checkc-freq**

  Do for-developer consistency checks very often

### other global options:

- **--config** \<\<config-text\>\>

  Configuration to use instead of */etc/resolv.conf*

- **--version**

  Print version number

- **--help**

  Print usage information

### per-query options:

- **-t**\<type\> / **--type** \<type\>

  Query type (see below)

- **-i**\<addr\> / **--ptr** \<addr\>

  Do reverse query (address -\> name lookup)

- **--reverse** \<addr\> \<zone\>

  Lookup in in-addr-like \`zone' (eg MAPS RBL)

### per-query binary options:

- **-s** **--search**

  Use the search list

- **-Qq** **--qc-query**

  Let query domains contain quote-requiring chars

- **-Qa** **--qc-anshost**

  Let hostnames in answers contain ...

- \+Qc **--no-qc-cname**

  Prevent CNAME target domains from containing ...

- **-u** **--tcp**

  Force use of a virtual circuit

- \+Do **--no-show-owner**

  Do not display owner name in output

- \+Dt **--no-show-type**

  Do not display RR type in output

- \+Dc **--no-show-cname**

  Do not display CNAME target in output

### per-query TTL mode (NB TTL is minimum across all info in reply):

- **-Tt** **--ttl-ttl**

  Show the TTL as a TTL

- **-Ta** **--ttl-abs**

  Show the TTL as a time\_t when the data might expire

- **-Tn** **--no-ttl**

  Do not show the TTL (default)

### per-query address family options (for \`addr' etc.):

- **-A4** **----addr-ipv4-only**

  Only return IPv4 addresses

- **-A6** **----addr-ipv6-only**

  Only return IPv6 addresses

- **-Aa** **----addr-all**

  Return all available addresses (default)

- **-Am** **----addr-ipv6-mapped**

  Return IPv4 addresses as IPv6-mapped

### per-query CNAME handling mode:

- **-Cf** **--cname-reject**

  Call it an error if a CNAME is found

- **-Cl** **--cname-loose**

  Allow references to CNAMEs in other RRs

- **-Cs** **--cname-ok**

  CNAME ok for query domain, but not in RRs (default)

### asynchronous/pipe mode options:

- **--asynch-id** \<id\>

  Set \<id\>, default is decimal sequence starting 0

- **--cancel-id** \<id\>

  Cancel the query with id \<id\> (no error if not found)

### Escaping domains which might start with \`-':

- \- \<domain\>

  Next argument is a domain, but more options may follow

Query domains should always be quoted according to master file format.

For binary options, **--FOO** and **--no-FOO** are opposites, as are **-X** and +X.  In each case the default is the one not listed. Per query options stay set a particular way until they are reset, whether they appear on the command line or on stdin. All global options must preceed the first query domain.

With **-f**, the input should be lines with either an option, possibly with a value argument (separated from the option by a space if it's a long option), or a domain (possibly preceded by a hyphen and a space to distinguish it from an option).

### Output format is master file format without class or TTL by default:

-

  \[\<owner\>\] \[\<ttl\>\] \[\<type\>\] \<data\>

or if the \<owner\> domain refers to a CNAME and **--show-cname** is on

-

  \[\<owner\>\] \[\<ttl\>\] CNAME \<cname\> \[\<cname\>\] \[\<ttl\>\] \<type\> \<data\>

When a query fails you get an error message to stderr (with **--fmt-simple**). Specify **--fmt-inline** for lines like this (broken here for readability):

-

  ; failed \<statustype\> \<statusnum\> \<statusabbrev\> \\

-

  \[\<owner\>\] \[\<ttl\>\] \[\<cname\>\] "\<status string\>"

If you use **--fmt-asynch**, which is the default for **--asynch**, each answer (success or failure) is preceded by a line

-

  \<id\> \<nrrs\> \<statustype\> \<statusnum\> \<statusabbrev\> \\

-

  \[\<owner\>\] \[\<ttl\>\] \[\<cname\>\] "\<status string\>"

where \<nrrs\> is the number of RRs that follow and \<cname\> will be \`$' or the CNAME target; the CNAME indirection and error formats above are not used.

### Exit status:

- 0

  all went well

- 1-6

  at least one query failed with statustype:

- 1

  localfail   )

- 2

  remotefail  ) temporary errors

- 3

  tempfail  \_\_)\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

- 4

  misconfig   )

- 5

  misquery    ) permanent errors

- 6

  permfail    )

- 10

  system trouble

- 11

  usage problems

### Query types (see adns.h; default is addr):

- ns

  soa  ptr  mx  rp  srv  addr           - enhanced versions

- cname

  hinfo  txt                         - types with only one version

- a

  aaaa  ns-  soa-  ptr-  mx-  rp-  srv-  - \_raw versions

- type\<number\>

  \- \`unknown' type, RFC3597

Default is addr, or ptr for **-i**/--ptr queries

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright Ian Jackson and contributors\
 This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.