README.md

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
      --recaxfr                   Perform recursive AXFR
  -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
      --question                  Show question section
      --opt                       Show OPT records
      --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)
      --pmtud                     PMTU discovery (default: true)
      --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, 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
• GitHub releases
• q-dns-git in the AUR
• go install github.com/natesales/q@latest
• docker run --rm -it ghcr.io/natesales/q

To install 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:

1. @server argument (e.g. @9.9.9.9 or @https://dns.google/dns-query)
2. Q_DEFAULT_SERVER environment variable
3. /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	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
QUIC ALPN Tokens	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
QUIC toggle PMTU discovery	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
QUIC timeouts (dial and idle)	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
TLS handshake timeout	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌