q
A tiny and feature-rich command line DNS client with support for UDP, TCP, DoT, DoH, DoQ, and ODoH.
Examples
q example.com Lookup default records for a domain
q example.com MX SOA ...or specify a list of types
q example.com MX @9.9.9.9 Query a specific server
q example.com MX @https://dns.quad9.net ...over HTTPS (or TCP, TLS, QUIC, or ODoH)...
q @sdns://AgcAAAAAAAAAAAAHOS45LjkuOQA ...or from a DNS Stamp
q example.com MX --format=raw Output in raw (dig) format
q example.com MX --format=json ...or as JSON (or YAML)
Usage
Usage:
q [OPTIONS] [@server] [type...] [name]
All long form (--) flags can be toggled with the dig-standard +[no]flag notation.
Application Options:
-q, --qname= Query name
-s, --server= DNS server(s)
-t, --type= RR type (e.g. A, AAAA, MX, etc.) or type
integer
-x, --reverse Reverse lookup
-d, --dnssec Set the DO (DNSSEC OK) bit in the OPT record
-n, --nsid Set EDNS0 NSID opt
-N, --nsid-only Set EDNS0 NSID opt and query only for the NSID
--subnet= Set EDNS0 client subnet
-c, --chaos Use CHAOS query class
-C= Set query class (default: IN 0x01) (default:
1)
-p, --odoh-proxy= ODoH proxy
--timeout= Query timeout (default: 10s)
--pad Set EDNS0 padding
--http2 Use HTTP/2 for DoH
--http3 Use HTTP/3 for DoH
--id-check Check DNS response ID (default: true)
--reuse-conn Reuse connections across queries to the same
server (default: true)
--txtconcat Concatenate TXT responses
--qid= Set query ID (-1 for random) (default: -1)
-b, --bootstrap-server= DNS server to use for bootstrapping
--bootstrap-timeout= Bootstrapping timeout (default: 5s)
--cookie= EDNS0 cookie (auto-generated by default)
--no-cookie Disable EDNS0 cookie
--recaxfr Perform recursive AXFR
-g, --registry Resolve target via RDAP with WHOIS fallback
--registry-rdap Resolve target via RDAP only
--rdap-server= RDAP base URL override (skips bootstrap)
--rir= Force RIR for registry lookups: iana, arin,
ripe, apnic, lacnic, afrinic (default: iana)
--registry-whois Resolve target via port-43 WHOIS only
--whois-server= Port-43 WHOIS server override (host or
host:port)
-f, --format= Output format (pretty, column, json, yaml,
raw) (default: pretty)
--pretty-ttls Format TTLs in human readable format
(default: true)
--short-ttls Remove zero components of pretty TTLs.
(24h0m0s->24h) (default: true)
--color Enable color output
--unknown-format Show RDATA as RFC 3597 hex (\# len hex)
--question Show question section
--opt Show OPT records
--ede Show Extended DNS Errors (RFC 8914)
--answer Show answer section (default: true)
--authority Show authority section
--additional Show additional section
-S, --stats Show time statistics
--all Show all sections and statistics
-w Resolve ASN/ASName for A and AAAA records
-r, --short Show record values only
-R, --resolve-ips Resolve PTR records for IP addresses in A and
AAAA records
--round-ttls Round TTLs to the nearest minute
--aa Set AA (Authoritative Answer) flag in query
--ad Set AD (Authentic Data) flag in query
--cd Set CD (Checking Disabled) flag in query
--rd Set RD (Recursion Desired) flag in query
(default: true)
--ra Set RA (Recursion Available) flag in query
--z Set Z (Zero) flag in query
--t Set TC (Truncated) flag in query
-i, --tls-insecure-skip-verify Disable TLS certificate verification
--tls-server-name= TLS server name for host verification
--tls-min-version= Minimum TLS version to use (default: 1.0)
--tls-max-version= Maximum TLS version to use (default: 1.3)
--tls-next-protos= TLS next protocols for ALPN
--tls-cipher-suites= TLS cipher suites
--tls-curve-preferences= TLS curve preferences
--tls-client-cert= TLS client certificate file
--tls-client-key= TLS client key file
--tls-key-log-file= TLS key log file [$SSLKEYLOGFILE]
--http-user-agent= HTTP user agent
--http-method= HTTP method (default: GET)
--http-header= HTTP header in format 'Name: Value'
--pmtud PMTU discovery (default: true)
--edns Enable EDNS0 (default: true)
--tcp Use TCP for plain DNS (force TCP)
-4, --ipv4 Use IPv4 transport only
-6, --ipv6 Use IPv6 transport only
--quic-alpn-tokens= QUIC ALPN tokens (default: doq, doq-i11)
--quic-length-prefix Add RFC 9250 compliant length prefix
(default: true)
--dnscrypt-tcp Use TCP for DNSCrypt (default UDP)
--dnscrypt-udp-size= Maximum size of a DNS response this client
can sent or receive (default: 0)
--dnscrypt-key= DNSCrypt public key
--dnscrypt-provider= DNSCrypt provider name
--default-rr-types= Default record types (default: A, AAAA, NS,
MX, TXT, HTTPS, CNAME)
--udp-buffer= Set EDNS0 UDP size in query (default: 1232)
-v, --verbose Show verbose log messages
--trace Show trace log messages
-V, --version Show version and exit
Help Options:
-h, --help Show this help message
Demo
Protocol Support
- UDP/TCP DNS (RFC 1034)
- DNS over TLS (RFC 7858)
- DNS over HTTPS (RFC 8484)
- DNS over QUIC (RFC 9250)
- Oblivious DNS over HTTPS (RFC 9230)
- DNSCrypt v2 (draft-dennis-dprive-dnscrypt)
Installation
q is available from:
- apt/yum/brew from my package repositories
- Homebrew core repository
- GitHub releases
- q-dns-git in the AUR
go install github.com/natesales/q@latestdocker run --rm -it ghcr.io/natesales/q
q from source:
git clone https://github.com/natesales/q && cd q
go install
Without debug information
go install -ldflags="-s -w -X main.version=release"Server Selection
q will use a server from the following sources, in order:
@serverargument (e.g.@9.9.9.9or@https://dns.google/dns-query)Q_DEFAULT_SERVERenvironment variable/etc/resolv.conf
TLS Decryption
q supports TLS decryption through a key log file generated when
the SSLKEYLOGFILE environment variable is set to a file path.
Feature Comparison
| Protocol | q | doggo | dog | kdig | dig | drill | |:------------------------------|:-:|:-----:|:---:|:----:|:---:|:-----:| | Transport Protocols | | | | | | | | UDP/TCP | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | DNS over TLS | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | | DNS over HTTPS | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | | DNS over QUIC | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | Oblivious DNS over HTTPS | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | DNSCrypt v2 | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | Features | | | | | | | | Recursive AXFR | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | IP Whois | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | Resolve PTRs from A/AAAAs | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | Server from DNS Stamp | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | Output Formats | | | | | | | | Raw (dig-style) | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Pretty colors | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | JSON | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | YAML | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | | Output Control | | | | | | | | Toggle question section | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | | Toggle answer section | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | | Toggle authority section | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | | Toggle additional section | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | | Show query time | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | | Query Flags | | | | | | | | AA | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | AD | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | CD | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | RD | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Z | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | | DO | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | TC | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Protocol Tweaks | | | | | | | | HTTP Method | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | HTTP Headers | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | QUIC ALPN Tokens | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | QUIC toggle PMTU discovery | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | QUIC timeouts (dial and idle) | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | TLS handshake timeout | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |