---
name: "nsd-checkconf"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "nsd"
version: "4.15.3-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/nsd-checkconf"
---

# nsd-checkconf(8)

NSD configuration file checker.

## NAME

**nsd-checkconf** - NSD configuration file checker.

## SYNOPSIS

**nsd-checkconf** \[**-v**\] \[**-f**\] \[**-h**\] \[**-o** *option*\] \[**-z** *zonename*\] \[**-p** *pattern*\] \[**-s** *keyname*\] \[**-t** *tlsauthname*\] *configfile*

## DESCRIPTION

**nsd-checkconf** reads a configuration file. It prints parse errors to standard  error, and performs additional checks on the contents. The  configfile format is described in [nsd.conf(5)](/nsd.conf/5.md).

The utility of this program is to check a config file for errors before using it in [nsd(8)](/nsd/8.md). This program can also be used for shell scripts to access the nsd config file, using the -o and -z options.

## OPTIONS

- **-v**

  After reading print the options to standard output in configfile  format. Without this option, only success or parse errors are  reported.

- **-f**

  Print full pathname when used with files, like with -o pidfile. This includes the chroot in the way it is applied to the pidfile.

- **-h**

  Print usage help information and exit.

- **-o *option***

  Return only this option from the config file. This option can be used in conjunction with the  **-z** and the **-p** option, or without them to query the server: section. The special value  *zones* prints out a list of configured zones. The special value *patterns* prints out a list of configured patterns.

  This option can be used to parse the config file from the shell. If the **-z** option is given, but the  **-o** option is not given, nothing is printed.

- **-s *keyname***

  Prints the key secret (base64 blob) configured for this key in the  config file. Used to help shell scripts parse the config file.

- **-t *tls-auth***

  Prints the authentication domain name configured for this tls-auth clause in the config file. Used to help shell scripts parse the config file.

- **-p *pattern***

  Return the option specified with  **-o** for the given pattern name.

- **-z *zonename***

  Return the option specified with  **-o** for zone 'zonename'.

  If this option is not given, the server section of the config file is used.

  The -o, -s and -z option print configfile options to standard output.

## FILES

- //etc/nsd/nsd.conf

  default **NSD** configuration file

## SEE ALSO

[*nsd*(8)](/nsd/8.md), [*nsd.conf*(5)](/nsd.conf/5.md), [*nsd-control*(8)](/nsd-control/8.md)

## AUTHORS

**NSD** was written by NLnet Labs and RIPE NCC joint team. Please see CREDITS file in the distribution for further details.