dq(1)

✨ dq(1) — the manual page, but make it make sense ✨

okay bestie, pull up a chair, we're learning dq 💅

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🌸 NAME 🌸

dq — DNS/DNSCurve query tool. that's it, that's the whole vibe. it asks DNS servers questions and you get answers. iconic behavior honestly 🦋

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

dq [ options ] type fqdn [ host ]

dq -a  [ options ] type fqdn host

so two whole shapes. one is the chill recursive one, one is the bossy authoritative one with -a and you gotta give it a host for that one, no skipping 🫶

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

dq is a commandline tool that's derived from dnsq / dnsqr — the origin story is right here: https://cr.yp.to/djbdns/debugging.html ✨

dq asks for records of type type under the domain name fqdn. that's the whole thing. it goes and gets them.

and then dq -a sends a non-recursive DNS/DNSCurve query to the DNS/DNSCurve server host for records of type type under the domain name fqdn. like, it goes straight to the source instead of asking the middleman. main character energy, no cap 👑

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💅 OPTIONS 💅

• -v — print extra information. she's chatty, we love her 💬
• -r — send recursive query. this is the default, it's just built different 🌀
• -a — send authoritative query. the non-recursive, go-directly-to-jail-do-not-pass-go one 👑
• -u — use UDP. also the default, ngl she's the low-effort queen ✨
• -t — use TCP. when you need the reliable one 🧚
• -s — send DNSCurve query in streamlined format (default), and heads up: this is ignored for regular DNS queries. so if you're not doing DNSCurve it literally does nothing, don't stress 🍓
• -S suffix — send DNSCurve query in TXT format using suffix suffix, also ignored for regular DNS queries. same deal, only matters for DNSCurve 🎀
• -T timeout — give up on the DNS/DNSCurve query attempt after timeout seconds, range <1-60>, default 60. so when the server's ghosting you, you get to leave after a minute max 😭
• -p port — send query to port port, default 53. the classic ✨
• -k key — send DNSCurve query and use servers public-key key 🔑

and the positional args, bestie:

• type — DNS query type. your options are A, NS, MX, ANY, PTR, TXT, SOA, SRV, AAAA, AXFR, CNAME, or a numeric type. so many choices, pick your fighter 🌈
• fqdn — fully qualified domain name. yes fully. no shortcuts 💖
• host — DNS server, as a hostname or IP address 🖥️

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🌈 ENVIRONMENT 🌈

these are the env vars that change how dq behaves, and yes they override stuff:

• DNSCACHEIP — use IP address $DNSCACHEIP instead of the nameserver lines from /etc/resolv.conf. you're basically saying "not that one, this one" 💅
• LOCALDOMAIN — use space separated names from $LOCALDOMAIN instead of the search line from /etc/resolv.conf 🔍
• DNSREWRITEFILE — use the $DNSREWRITEFILE file instead of /etc/dnsrewrite 📄

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🦋 NOTES 🦋

okay this part is lowkey the coolest: dq rewrites IP addresses to *.in-addr.arpa or *.ip6.arpa for PTR queries. so you don't have to do it yourself, she does it for you 🧚

e.g.:

127.0.0.1 -> 1.0.0.127.in-addr.arpa
::1 -> 1.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.ip6.arpa

look at that ipv6 one. absolutely unhinged length. she ate tho 💀✨

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⭐ RECURSIVE EXAMPLES ⭐

the chill ones, no -a in sight:

dq any dnscurve.cz
dq any dnscurve.cz 8.8.8.8
env DNSCACHEIP=8.8.8.8 dq any dnscurve.cz
dq ptr 1.0.0.127.in-addr.arpa
dq ptr 127.0.0.1
dq ptr ::1
dq ptr 1.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.ip6.arpa

copy these, run these, become the DNS girlie you were always meant to be 💖

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👑 AUTHORITATIVE EXAMPLES 👑

now we're doing -a, we're going straight to the server, we're that girl:

dq -a any dnscurve.cz uz5mj60yr9tnudkkpcglw1y0w6dlh78j1l4gk4z7t8bsf1u4d48wlq.ns.dnscurve.cz
dq -a -S cz any dnscurve.cz uz5mj60yr9tnudkkpcglw1y0w6dlh78j1l4gk4z7t8bsf1u4d48wlq.ns.dnscurve.cz
dq -a -k uz5mj60yr9tnudkkpcglw1y0w6dlh78j1l4gk4z7t8bsf1u4d48wlq any dnscurve.cz 2a02:2b88:2:1::127d:1

that key is long, yes, do not try to type it from memory, copy paste is self care fr fr 🫶

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💜 SEE ALSO 💜

go read these next, bestie, they're the extended universe:

• dnsq(1), dnsqr(1), dqcache(8)

and the links, in their full glory:

https://mojzis.com/software/dq
https://dnscurve.org/
https://cr.yp.to/djbdns/debugging.html

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and that's a wrap on the dq(1) page from the General Commands Manual — you made it to the very end, which means you now know more about DNS/DNSCurve querying than like 90% of the people you know. periodt. go query something 💅✨🌸