Linux dig Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to dig on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including DNS queries, domain information, and network troubleshooting.

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Table of Contents

1. dig Installation
2. dig Basics
3. DNS Queries
4. Query Types
5. Troubleshooting

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dig Installation

Install dig

Arch/CachyOS:

# Install bind-tools
sudo pacman -S bind

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install dnsutils

Fedora:

sudo dnf install bind-utils

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dig Basics

Query Domain

Basic usage:

# Query domain
dig example.com

# Shows DNS information

Short Output

Brief output:

# Short output
dig +short example.com

# Shows only IP address

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DNS Queries

Query Type

Specific type:

# Query MX records
dig example.com MX

# Query AAAA records
dig example.com AAAA

# Query NS records
dig example.com NS

Custom DNS Server

Use server:

# Use specific DNS server
dig @8.8.8.8 example.com

# @ = DNS server

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Query Types

Reverse DNS

PTR lookup:

# Reverse DNS lookup
dig -x 8.8.8.8

# -x = reverse lookup

Trace Query

Trace resolution:

# Trace DNS resolution
dig +trace example.com

# Shows full resolution path

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Troubleshooting

dig Not Found

Check installation:

# Check dig
which dig

# Install if missing
sudo pacman -S bind

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Summary

This guide covered dig usage, DNS queries, and network troubleshooting for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• host Guide - DNS lookup
• nslookup Guide - DNS queries
• DNS Servers - DNS server setup
• dig Documentation: man dig

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.