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5 - Copyright (C) 2004-2008 Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
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21 <!-- $Id: named.docbook,v 1.7.18.14 2008/08/21 23:46:01 tbox Exp $ -->
22 <refentry id="man.named">
24 <date>June 30, 2000</date>
28 <refentrytitle><application>named</application></refentrytitle>
29 <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
30 <refmiscinfo>BIND9</refmiscinfo>
34 <refname><application>named</application></refname>
35 <refpurpose>Internet domain name server</refpurpose>
45 <holder>Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")</holder>
51 <holder>Internet Software Consortium.</holder>
57 <command>named</command>
58 <arg><option>-4</option></arg>
59 <arg><option>-6</option></arg>
60 <arg><option>-c <replaceable class="parameter">config-file</replaceable></option></arg>
61 <arg><option>-d <replaceable class="parameter">debug-level</replaceable></option></arg>
62 <arg><option>-f</option></arg>
63 <arg><option>-g</option></arg>
64 <arg><option>-m <replaceable class="parameter">flag</replaceable></option></arg>
65 <arg><option>-n <replaceable class="parameter">#cpus</replaceable></option></arg>
66 <arg><option>-p <replaceable class="parameter">port</replaceable></option></arg>
67 <arg><option>-s</option></arg>
68 <arg><option>-S <replaceable class="parameter">#max-socks</replaceable></option></arg>
69 <arg><option>-t <replaceable class="parameter">directory</replaceable></option></arg>
70 <arg><option>-u <replaceable class="parameter">user</replaceable></option></arg>
71 <arg><option>-v</option></arg>
72 <arg><option>-x <replaceable class="parameter">cache-file</replaceable></option></arg>
77 <title>DESCRIPTION</title>
78 <para><command>named</command>
79 is a Domain Name System (DNS) server,
80 part of the BIND 9 distribution from ISC. For more
81 information on the DNS, see RFCs 1033, 1034, and 1035.
84 When invoked without arguments, <command>named</command>
86 read the default configuration file
87 <filename>/etc/named.conf</filename>, read any initial
88 data, and listen for queries.
93 <title>OPTIONS</title>
100 Use IPv4 only even if the host machine is capable of IPv6.
101 <option>-4</option> and <option>-6</option> are mutually
111 Use IPv6 only even if the host machine is capable of IPv4.
112 <option>-4</option> and <option>-6</option> are mutually
118 <term>-c <replaceable class="parameter">config-file</replaceable></term>
121 Use <replaceable class="parameter">config-file</replaceable> as the
122 configuration file instead of the default,
123 <filename>/etc/named.conf</filename>. To
124 ensure that reloading the configuration file continues
125 to work after the server has changed its working
126 directory due to to a possible
127 <option>directory</option> option in the configuration
128 file, <replaceable class="parameter">config-file</replaceable> should be
129 an absolute pathname.
135 <term>-d <replaceable class="parameter">debug-level</replaceable></term>
138 Set the daemon's debug level to <replaceable class="parameter">debug-level</replaceable>.
139 Debugging traces from <command>named</command> become
140 more verbose as the debug level increases.
149 Run the server in the foreground (i.e. do not daemonize).
158 Run the server in the foreground and force all logging
159 to <filename>stderr</filename>.
165 <term>-m <replaceable class="parameter">flag</replaceable></term>
168 Turn on memory usage debugging flags. Possible flags are
169 <replaceable class="parameter">usage</replaceable>,
170 <replaceable class="parameter">trace</replaceable>,
171 <replaceable class="parameter">record</replaceable>,
172 <replaceable class="parameter">size</replaceable>, and
173 <replaceable class="parameter">mctx</replaceable>.
174 These correspond to the ISC_MEM_DEBUGXXXX flags described in
175 <filename><isc/mem.h></filename>.
181 <term>-n <replaceable class="parameter">#cpus</replaceable></term>
184 Create <replaceable class="parameter">#cpus</replaceable> worker threads
185 to take advantage of multiple CPUs. If not specified,
186 <command>named</command> will try to determine the
187 number of CPUs present and create one thread per CPU.
188 If it is unable to determine the number of CPUs, a
189 single worker thread will be created.
195 <term>-p <replaceable class="parameter">port</replaceable></term>
198 Listen for queries on port <replaceable class="parameter">port</replaceable>. If not
199 specified, the default is port 53.
208 Write memory usage statistics to <filename>stdout</filename> on exit.
212 This option is mainly of interest to BIND 9 developers
213 and may be removed or changed in a future release.
220 <term>-S <replaceable class="parameter">#max-socks</replaceable></term>
223 Allow <command>named</command> to use up to
224 <replaceable class="parameter">#max-socks</replaceable> sockets.
228 This option should be unnecessary for the vast majority
230 The use of this option could even be harmful because the
231 specified value may exceed the limitation of the
232 underlying system API.
233 It is therefore set only when the default configuration
234 causes exhaustion of file descriptors and the
235 operational environment is known to support the
236 specified number of sockets.
237 Note also that the actual maximum number is normally a little
238 fewer than the specified value because
239 <command>named</command> reserves some file descriptors
240 for its internal use.
247 <term>-t <replaceable class="parameter">directory</replaceable></term>
250 to <replaceable class="parameter">directory</replaceable> after
251 processing the command line arguments, but before
252 reading the configuration file.
256 This option should be used in conjunction with the
257 <option>-u</option> option, as chrooting a process
258 running as root doesn't enhance security on most
259 systems; the way <function>chroot(2)</function> is
260 defined allows a process with root privileges to
261 escape a chroot jail.
268 <term>-u <replaceable class="parameter">user</replaceable></term>
271 to <replaceable class="parameter">user</replaceable> after completing
272 privileged operations, such as creating sockets that
273 listen on privileged ports.
277 On Linux, <command>named</command> uses the kernel's
278 capability mechanism to drop all root privileges
279 except the ability to <function>bind(2)</function> to
281 privileged port and set process resource limits.
282 Unfortunately, this means that the <option>-u</option>
283 option only works when <command>named</command> is
285 on kernel 2.2.18 or later, or kernel 2.3.99-pre3 or
286 later, since previous kernels did not allow privileges
287 to be retained after <function>setuid(2)</function>.
297 Report the version number and exit.
303 <term>-x <replaceable class="parameter">cache-file</replaceable></term>
306 Load data from <replaceable class="parameter">cache-file</replaceable> into the
307 cache of the default view.
311 This option must not be used. It is only of interest
312 to BIND 9 developers and may be removed or changed in a
324 <title>SIGNALS</title>
326 In routine operation, signals should not be used to control
327 the nameserver; <command>rndc</command> should be used
337 Force a reload of the server.
343 <term>SIGINT, SIGTERM</term>
346 Shut down the server.
354 The result of sending any other signals to the server is undefined.
360 <title>CONFIGURATION</title>
362 The <command>named</command> configuration file is too complex
363 to describe in detail here. A complete description is provided
365 <citetitle>BIND 9 Administrator Reference Manual</citetitle>.
375 <term><filename>/etc/named.conf</filename></term>
378 The default configuration file.
384 <term><filename>/var/run/named.pid</filename></term>
387 The default process-id file.
397 <title>SEE ALSO</title>
398 <para><citetitle>RFC 1033</citetitle>,
399 <citetitle>RFC 1034</citetitle>,
400 <citetitle>RFC 1035</citetitle>,
402 <refentrytitle>named-checkconf</refentrytitle>
403 <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
406 <refentrytitle>named-checkzone</refentrytitle>
407 <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
410 <refentrytitle>rndc</refentrytitle>
411 <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
414 <refentrytitle>lwresd</refentrytitle>
415 <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
418 <refentrytitle>named.conf</refentrytitle>
419 <manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
421 <citetitle>BIND 9 Administrator Reference Manual</citetitle>.
426 <title>AUTHOR</title>
427 <para><corpauthor>Internet Systems Consortium</corpauthor>