chiark / gitweb /
src/types.c: Do not crash when one of several addr subqueries fails
[adns] / README
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2a9e6abd 1 GNU adns
95ecb688 2
1a0a5dbd 3 Advanced, easy to use, asynchronous-capable DNS client library and
4 utilities.
2a9e6abd 5
8e5a4960 6 adns is a resolver library for C (and C++) programs, and a collection
b6922f88 7 of useful DNS resolver utilities.
2a9e6abd 8
b6922f88 9C library
10
11 In contrast with the standard interfaces, gethostbyname et al and
12 libresolv, it has the following features:
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13 * It is reasonably easy to use for simple programs which just want to
14 translate names to addresses, look up MX records, etc.
95ecb688 15 * It can be used in an asynchronous, non-blocking, manner. Many
16 queries can be handled simultaneously.
17 * Responses are decoded automatically into a natural representation
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18 for a C program - there is no need to deal with DNS packet and
19 RRDATA formats.
95ecb688 20 * Sanity checking (eg, name syntax checking, reverse/forward
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21 correspondence, CNAME pointing to CNAME) is performed automatically
22 by default.
23 * Time-to-live, CNAME and other similar information is returned in an
24 easy-to-use form, without getting in the way.
95ecb688 25 * There is no global state in the library; resolver state is an
26 opaque data structure which the client creates explicitly. A
27 program can have several instances of the resolver.
28 * Errors are reported to the application in a way that distinguishes
29 the various causes of failure properly.
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30 * adns understands conventional resolv.conf, but this can overridden
31 by environment variables.
95ecb688 32 * Flexibility. For example, the application can tell adns to: ignore
8e5a4960 33 environment variables (for setuid programs), disable hostname
34 syntax sanity checks to return arbitrary data, override or ignore
35 resolv.conf in favour of supplied configuration, etc.
95ecb688 36 * Believed to be correct ! For example, will correctly back off to
37 TCP in case of long replies or queries, or to other nameservers if
38 several are available. It has sensible handling of bad responses
39 etc.
2a9e6abd 40
8e5a4960 41DNS utility programs
42
1a0a5dbd 43 adns also comes with a number of utility programs for use from the
44 command line and in scripts:
45 * adnslogres is a much faster version of Apache's logresolv program.
46 * adnsresfilter is a filter which copies its input to its output,
47 replacing IP addresses by the corresponding names, without unduly
48 delaying the output. For example, you can usefully pipe the output
49 of netstat -n, tcpdump -ln, and the like, into it.
50 * adnshost is a general-purpose DNS lookup utility which can be used
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51 easily in from the command line and from shell scripts to do simple
52 lookups. In a more advanced mode it can be used as a
8e5a4960 53 general-purpose DNS helper program for scripting languages which
6c55e47e 54 can invoke and communicate with subprocesses. See the [1]adnshost
55 usage message for a summary of its capabilities.
2a9e6abd 56
0db99d9c 57Documentation
58
59 I'm afraid there is no manual yet. However, competent C programmers
6c55e47e 60 should be able to use the library based on the [2]commented adns.h
8e5a4960 61 header file, and the usage messages for the programs should be
62 sufficient.
2a9e6abd 63
df1d1f3a 64Feedback
65
bd3fce65 66 I'd be pleased if you would let me know if you're using my library in
67 your project, and what you think of it.
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68
69 Bug reports should be reported to the [3]GNU Debbugs. Send an email to
70 submit@debbugs.gnu.org and at the top of your email, in a paragraph of
71 its own, write the single line
72Package: adns
73
74 Your bug report will be published via to the adns-discuss list.
75
76 Feedback and discussion takes place on the adns-discuss list. You can
77 mail me privately at ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk.
78
df1d1f3a 79Mailinglists
80
81 I have set up mailinglists adns-announce and adns-discuss. The
82 announcements list is moderated and will contain only announcements of
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83 important bugs, new versions, etc.
84
85 There are [4]archives and subscription web pages, or you can subscribe
df1d1f3a 86 by sending mail containing the word `subscribe' to
87 adns-announce-REQUEST@chiark.greenend.org.uk or
88 adns-discuss-REQUEST@chiark.greenend.org.uk.
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89
90Documentation
91
92 * [5]adns.h API header file with documentation comments
93 * [6]usage message for adnshost
94
95Download and source code
96
97 * The [7]current release as a gzipped tarfile.
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98 * [8]Previous versions and other files (including OpenPGP
99 signatures).
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100 * [9]master git (version control) repository browser.
101
102 adns is also available from the [10]GNU Project FTP servers and their
103 [11]mirrors.
104
105Installation note
106
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107 adns requires a real nameserver like BIND running on the same system or
108 a nearby one, which must be willing to provide `recursive service'.
109 I.e., adns is a `stub resolver'.
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110
111 adns requires that your real nameserver is on the same machine, or
112 connected via a secure network, so that an attacker cannot fake the
113 replies to adns's queries.
114
9b21b383 115References and related projects
116
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117 * [12]Python bindings by Andy Dustman.
118 * [13]liboop event loop library has a built-in binding for adns.
119 * [14]port to MS Visual Studio 6 C++ by Jarle Aase.
2a9e6abd 120
df1d1f3a 121Copyright and licensing
122
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123 adns is Copyright 1997-2000,2003,2006,2014 Ian Jackson, Copyright 2014
124 Mark Wooding, Copyright 1999-2000,2003,2006 Tony Finch, and Copyright
125 (C) 1991 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
126
df1d1f3a 127 adns is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
128 the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
2a9e6abd 129 Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at your
df1d1f3a 130 option) any later version.
2a9e6abd 131
df1d1f3a 132 This program and documentation is distributed in the hope that it will
133 be useful, but without any warranty; without even the implied warranty
5a111351 134 of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. See the [15]GNU
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135 General Public License for more details.
136
137 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
138 with adns, or one should be available above; if not, write to the
5a111351 139 [16]Free Software Foundation or email ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk.
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140 __________________________________________________________________
141
142 Ian Jackson / ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk.
143
5a111351 144 [17]GNU home page; [18]chiark home page; [19]site or mirror home page
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145
146 This web page is Copyright (C)1996-2005,2014 Ian Jackson. See the
5a111351 147 [20]Copyright/acknowledgements.
df1d1f3a 148
149References
150
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151 1. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/docs/adnshost.txt
152 2. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/docs/adns.h.txt
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153 3. http://debbugs.gnu.org/
154 4. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/mailman/listinfo
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155 5. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/docs/adns.h.txt
156 6. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/docs/adnshost.txt
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157 7. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/adns.tar.gz
158 8. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/ftp/
159 9. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~ianmdlvl/git/adns.git/
160 10. http://www.gnu.org/
161 11. http://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html
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162 12. http://code.google.com/p/adns-python
163 13. http://www.lysator.liu.se/liboop/
164 14. http://adns.jgaa.com/
165 15. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/docs/COPYING.txt
166 16. http://www.fsf.org/
167 17. http://www.gnu.org/
168 18. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/
169 19. file://localhost/
170 20. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/sw-www-copy.html