X-Git-Url: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~mdw/git/adns/blobdiff_plain/bef232aebeabbef525faa7d7f5b08cf7a1427f95..8e5a4960dc66700c71644d188ff9aa4ec250782d:/README.html

diff --git a/README.html b/README.html
index 7d44601..d3af798 100644
--- a/README.html
+++ b/README.html
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 <html><head><title>adns - advanced, alternative, asynchronous resolver</title>
 <!--
-  Note to GNU webmasters and others who might edit this page: This
-  file is maintained in GNU CVS, and also served on the author's own
-  system, under the URL http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/adns/
-  Please ensure that all links continine to be correct both for
-  www.gnu.org and chiark.
+  Note: this file is maintained in Ian Jackson's private CVS.
 
-  If you check in a change, please inform
-  webmaster@chiark.greenend.org.uk.
+  It is served on the GNU site and also from my own system, under the
+  URL http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/adns/ Please ensure that all
+  links continine to be correct both for www.gnu.org and chiark.
 
   $Id$
   -->   
@@ -21,9 +18,10 @@ library and utilities.</strong>
 
 <p>
 
-adns is a resolver library for C (and C++) programs.  In contrast with
-the existing interfaces, gethostbyname et al and libresolv, it has the
-following features:
+adns is a resolver library for C (and C++) programs, and a collection
+of useful DNS resolver utilities.  In contrast with the existing
+interfaces, gethostbyname et al and libresolv, it has the following
+features:
 
 <ul>
 
@@ -53,9 +51,9 @@ the various causes of failure properly.
 environment variables.
 
 <li>Flexibility.  For example, the application can tell adns to:
-ignore environment variables (for setuid programs), disable sanity
-checks eg to return arbitrary data, override or ignore resolv.conf in
-favour of supplied configuration, etc.
+ignore environment variables (for setuid programs), disable hostname
+syntax sanity checks to return arbitrary data, override or ignore
+resolv.conf in favour of supplied configuration, etc.
 
 <li>Believed to be correct !  For example, will correctly back off to
 TCP in case of long replies or queries, or to other nameservers if
@@ -63,6 +61,8 @@ several are available.  It has sensible handling of bad responses etc.
 
 </ul>
 
+<h2>DNS utility programs</h2>
+
 adns also comes with a number of utility programs for use from the
 command line and in scripts:
 
@@ -77,50 +77,33 @@ unduly delaying the output.  For example, you can usefully pipe the
 output of netstat -n, tcpdump -ln, and the like, into it.
 
 <li><code>adnshost</code> is a general-purpose DNS lookup utility
-which can be used easily in shell scripts to do simple lookups.  In a
-more advanced mode it can be used as a general-purpose DNS helper
-program for scripting languages which can invoke and communicate with
-subprocesses.
+which can be used easily in from the command line and from shell
+scripts to do simple lookups.  In a more advanced mode it can be used
+as a general-purpose DNS helper program for scripting languages which
+can invoke and communicate with subprocesses.  See the
+<A href="http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/usage/adnsresfilter_usage.text">usage
+message</A> for a summary of its capabilities.
 
 </ul>
 
-<h2>Forthcoming:</h2>
-
-A native Perl interface is in the works, thanks to Tony Finch.
-
-<p>
-
-I hope that future versions may also have the following features:
-
-<ul>
-
-<li>The library should be useable by threads in a multithreaded
-program in a natural way.  It should multiplex many threads' queries
-through a single query socket.
-
-<li>IPv6 support.
-
-<li>Some kind of awareness of DNSSEC.
-
-<li>Possibly some very limited caching behaviour.
-
-</ul>
+<h2>Technical note</h2>
 
-(Technical note: adns requires a real nameserver like
+adns requires a real nameserver like
 <A href="http://www.isc.org/view.cgi?/products/BIND/index.phtml">BIND</A>
 or
 <A href="http://www.dents.org/">Dents</A> running on
 the same system or a nearby one, which must be willing to provide
 `recursive service'.  I.e., adns is a `stub resolver'.  All properly
 configured UN*X and GNU systems will already have such nameserver(s);
-they are usually listed in /etc/resolv.conf.)
+they are usually listed in /etc/resolv.conf.
 
 <h2>Documentation</h2>
 
 I'm afraid there is no manual yet.  However, competent C programmers
 should be able to use the library based on the
 <A href="http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/adns.h.txt">commented
-adns.h header file</A>.
+adns.h header file</A>, and the usage messages for the programs should
+be sufficient.
 
 <h2>Feedback</h2>
 
