chiark / gitweb /
On timeout with adnsresfilter in non-forever mode, resubmit queries.
[adns] / README
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95ecb688 1
d6e3e09b 2 GNU adns
df1d1f3a 3
95ecb688 4 Advanced, easy to use, asynchronous-capable DNS client library.
df1d1f3a 5
95ecb688 6 adns is a resolver library for C (and C++) programs. In contrast with
7 the existing interfaces, gethostbyname et al and libresolv, it has the
8 following features:
9 * It is reasonably easy to use for simple programs which just want
10 to translate names to addresses, look up MX records, etc.
11 * It can be used in an asynchronous, non-blocking, manner. Many
12 queries can be handled simultaneously.
13 * Responses are decoded automatically into a natural representation
14 for a C program - there is no need to deal with DNS packet
15 formats.
16 * Sanity checking (eg, name syntax checking, reverse/forward
17 correspondence, CNAME pointing to CNAME) is performed
18 automatically.
19 * Time-to-live, CNAME and other similar information is returned in
df1d1f3a 20 an easy-to-use form, without getting in the way.
95ecb688 21 * There is no global state in the library; resolver state is an
22 opaque data structure which the client creates explicitly. A
23 program can have several instances of the resolver.
24 * Errors are reported to the application in a way that distinguishes
25 the various causes of failure properly.
26 * Understands conventional resolv.conf, but this can overridden by
27 environment variables.
28 * Flexibility. For example, the application can tell adns to: ignore
29 environment variables (for setuid programs), disable sanity checks
30 eg to return arbitrary data, override or ignore resolv.conf in
df1d1f3a 31 favour of supplied configuration, etc.
95ecb688 32 * Believed to be correct ! For example, will correctly back off to
33 TCP in case of long replies or queries, or to other nameservers if
34 several are available. It has sensible handling of bad responses
35 etc.
df1d1f3a 36
95ecb688 37Forthcoming:
df1d1f3a 38
95ecb688 39 I hope that future versions may also have the following features:
bd3fce65 40 * The library should be useable by threads in a multithreaded
41 program in a natural way. It should multiplex many threads'
42 queries through a single query socket.
95ecb688 43 * IPv6 support.
bd3fce65 44 * Some kind of awareness of DNSSEC.
45 * Possibly some very limited caching behaviour.
df1d1f3a 46
d6e3e09b 47 (Technical note: adns requires a real nameserver like [1]BIND or
48 [2]Dents running on the same system or a nearby one, which must be
49 willing to provide `recursive service'. I.e., adns is a `stub
50 resolver'. All properly configured UN*X and GNU systems will already
51 have such nameserver(s); they are usually listed in /etc/resolv.conf.)
0db99d9c 52
53Documentation
54
55 I'm afraid there is no manual yet. However, competent C programmers
d6e3e09b 56 should be able to use the library based on the commented [3]adns.h
57 header file (from version 0.4).
df1d1f3a 58
59Feedback
60
bd3fce65 61 I'd be pleased if you would let me know if you're using my library in
62 your project, and what you think of it.
63
64 If you are subscribed to adns-discuss please send feedback, including
65 bug reports, there; otherwise send mail to
66 adns-bugreports@chiark.greenend.org.uk. If you'd prefer that your
67 message wasn't forwarded to the adns-bugreports list, send it to
68 adns-maint@chiark.greendend.org.uk.
df1d1f3a 69
70Mailinglists
71
72 I have set up mailinglists adns-announce and adns-discuss. The
73 announcements list is moderated and will contain only announcements of
74 important bugs, new versions, &c. The bug reports address mentioned
75 above is also a mailing list; feel free to subscribe to it.
76
d6e3e09b 77 There are [4]archives and subscription web pages, or you can subscribe
df1d1f3a 78 by sending mail containing the word `subscribe' to
79 adns-announce-REQUEST@chiark.greenend.org.uk or
80 adns-discuss-REQUEST@chiark.greenend.org.uk.
81
82Download
83
d6e3e09b 84 Available for download from [5]chiark.greenend.org.uk are:
85 * The [6]current pre-release version as a gzipped tarfile.
86 * [7]adns.h API header file with comments (currently there is no
0db99d9c 87 manual, sorry).
d6e3e09b 88 * All versions released so far are also available via [8]anonymous
0db99d9c 89 FTP.
d6e3e09b 90 * A mirror of my CVS repository is available via rsync from
91 rsync.chiark.greenend.org.uk::ftp/users/ian/cvs-pub/adns (use FTP
92 first to find your way around).
df1d1f3a 93
d6e3e09b 94 adns is also available from the [9]GNU Project FTP servers and their
95 [10]mirrors.
df1d1f3a 96
97Copyright and licensing
98
99 adns is Copyright 1997-1999 Ian Jackson.
100
101 adns is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
102 the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
103 Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your
104 option) any later version.
105
106 This program and documentation is distributed in the hope that it will
107 be useful, but without any warranty; without even the implied warranty
0db99d9c 108 of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. See the
d6e3e09b 109 [11]GNU General Public License for more details.
df1d1f3a 110
111 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
112 along with adns, or one should be available above; if not, write to
d6e3e09b 113 the [12]Free Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston,
df1d1f3a 114 MA 02111-1307, USA, or email adns-maint@chiark.greenend.org.uk.
115 _________________________________________________________________
116
d6e3e09b 117 [13]Ian Jackson / [14]adns-maint@chiark.greenend.org.uk; more [15]free
df1d1f3a 118 software by me.
119
d6e3e09b 120 [16]GNU home page; [17]chiark home page; [18]site or mirror home page
df1d1f3a 121
122 This web page is Copyright (C)1996-1999 Ian Jackson. See the
d6e3e09b 123 [19]Copyright/acknowledgements.
df1d1f3a 124
d6e3e09b 125 Use any browser - [20]Campaign for a non-browser-specific WWW
df1d1f3a 126
127References
128
d6e3e09b 129 1. http://www.isc.org/view.cgi?/products/BIND/index.phtml
130 2. http://www.dents.org/
131 3. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/adns.h.0.4.txt
132 4. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/mailman/listinfo
133 5. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/
134 6. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/adns.tar.gz
135 7. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/adns.h.0.5.txt
136 8. ftp://ftp.chiark.greenend.org.uk/users/ian/adns/
137 9. http://www.gnu.org/
138 10. http://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html
139 11. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/COPYING.txt
140 12. http://www.fsf.org/
141 13. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/
142 14. mailto:adns-maint@chiark.greenend.org.uk
143 15. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/software/
144 16. http://www.gnu.org/
0db99d9c 145 17. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/
d6e3e09b 146 18. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/
147 19. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/sw-www-copy.html
148 20. http://www.anybrowser.org/campaign/