lib/3rdparty/adns/README

   1
   2                                    GNU adns
   3
   4    Advanced, easy to use, asynchronous-capable DNS client library and
   5    utilities.
   6
   7    adns is a resolver library for C (and C++) programs, and a collection
   8    of useful DNS resolver utilities.
   9
  10 C library
  11
  12    In contrast with the standard interfaces, gethostbyname et al and
  13    libresolv, it has the following features:
  14      * It is reasonably easy to use for simple programs which just want
  15        to translate names to addresses, look up MX records, etc.
  16      * It can be used in an asynchronous, non-blocking, manner. Many
  17        queries can be handled simultaneously.
  18      * Responses are decoded automatically into a natural representation
  19        for a C program - there is no need to deal with DNS packet
  20        formats.
  21      * Sanity checking (eg, name syntax checking, reverse/forward
  22        correspondence, CNAME pointing to CNAME) is performed
  23        automatically.
  24      * Time-to-live, CNAME and other similar information is returned in
  25        an easy-to-use form, without getting in the way.
  26      * There is no global state in the library; resolver state is an
  27        opaque data structure which the client creates explicitly. A
  28        program can have several instances of the resolver.
  29      * Errors are reported to the application in a way that distinguishes
  30        the various causes of failure properly.
  31      * Understands conventional resolv.conf, but this can overridden by
  32        environment variables.
  33      * Flexibility. For example, the application can tell adns to: ignore
  34        environment variables (for setuid programs), disable hostname
  35        syntax sanity checks to return arbitrary data, override or ignore
  36        resolv.conf in favour of supplied configuration, etc.
  37      * Believed to be correct ! For example, will correctly back off to
  38        TCP in case of long replies or queries, or to other nameservers if
  39        several are available. It has sensible handling of bad responses
  40        etc.
  41
  42 DNS utility programs
  43
  44    adns also comes with a number of utility programs for use from the
  45    command line and in scripts:
  46      * adnslogres is a much faster version of Apache's logresolv program.
  47      * adnsresfilter is a filter which copies its input to its output,
  48        replacing IP addresses by the corresponding names, without unduly
  49        delaying the output. For example, you can usefully pipe the output
  50        of netstat -n, tcpdump -ln, and the like, into it.
  51      * adnshost is a general-purpose DNS lookup utility which can be used
  52        easily in from the command line and from shell scripts to do
  53        simple lookups. In a more advanced mode it can be used as a
  54        general-purpose DNS helper program for scripting languages which
  55        can invoke and communicate with subprocesses. See the [1]adnshost
  56        usage message for a summary of its capabilities.
  57
  58 Documentation
  59
  60    I'm afraid there is no manual yet. However, competent C programmers
  61    should be able to use the library based on the [2]commented adns.h
  62    header file, and the usage messages for the programs should be
  63    sufficient.
  64
  65 Feedback
  66
  67    I'd be pleased if you would let me know if you're using my library in
  68    your project, and what you think of it.
  69
  70    If you are subscribed to adns-discuss please send feedback, including
  71    bug reports, there; otherwise send mail to
  72    adns-bugreports@chiark.greenend.org.uk. If you'd prefer that your
  73    message wasn't forwarded to the adns-bugreports list, send it to
  74    adns-maint@chiark.greenend.org.uk.
  75
  76 Mailinglists
  77
  78    I have set up mailinglists adns-announce and adns-discuss. The
  79    announcements list is moderated and will contain only announcements of
  80    important bugs, new versions, etc. The bug reports address mentioned
  81    above is also a mailing list; feel free to subscribe to it.
  82
  83    There are [3]archives and subscription web pages, or you can subscribe
  84    by sending mail containing the word `subscribe' to
  85    adns-announce-REQUEST@chiark.greenend.org.uk or
  86    adns-discuss-REQUEST@chiark.greenend.org.uk.
  87
  88 Download
  89
  90    Available for download from [4]chiark.greenend.org.uk are:
  91      * The [5]current release as a gzipped tarfile.
  92      * [6]adns.h API header file with comments, and [7]usage message for
  93        adnshost (currently there is no manual, sorry).
  94      * All versions released so far are also available via [8]anonymous
  95        FTP and [9]HTTP,
  96      * A mirror of my CVS repository is available via rsync from
  97        rsync.chiark.greenend.org.uk::ftp/users/ian/cvs-pub/adns (use FTP
  98        first to find your way around), or via [10]cvsweb.
  99
 100    adns is also available from the [11]GNU Project FTP servers and their
 101    [12]mirrors.
 102
 103 Technical note
 104
 105    adns requires a real nameserver like [13]BIND or [14]Dents running on
 106    the same system or a nearby one, which must be willing to provide
 107    `recursive service'. I.e., adns is a `stub resolver'. All properly
 108    configured UN*X and GNU systems will already have such nameserver(s);
 109    they are usually listed in /etc/resolv.conf.
 110
 111 Copyright and licensing
 112
 113    adns is Copyright 1997-2000 Ian Jackson, Copyright 1999-2000 Tony
 114    Finch, and Copyright (C) 1991 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
 115
 116    adns is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
 117    the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
 118    Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your
 119    option) any later version.
 120
 121    This program and documentation is distributed in the hope that it will
 122    be useful, but without any warranty; without even the implied warranty
 123    of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. See the
 124    [15]GNU General Public License for more details.
 125
 126    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 127    along with adns, or one should be available above; if not, write to
 128    the [16]Free Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston,
 129    MA 02111-1307, USA, or email adns-maint@chiark.greenend.org.uk.
 130      _________________________________________________________________
 131
 132    [17]Ian Jackson / [18]adns-maint@chiark.greenend.org.uk; more [19]free
 133    software by me.
 134
 135    [20]GNU home page; [21]chiark home page; [22]site or mirror home page
 136
 137    This web page is Copyright (C)1996-2000 Ian Jackson. See the
 138    [23]Copyright/acknowledgements.
 139
 140    Use any browser - [24]Campaign for a non-browser-specific WWW
 141
 142 References
 143
 144    1. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/adnshost.txt
 145    2. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/adns.h.txt
 146    3. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/mailman/listinfo
 147    4. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/
 148    5. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/adns.tar.gz
 149    6. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/adns.h.txt
 150    7. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/adnshost.txt
 151    8. ftp://ftp.chiark.greenend.org.uk/users/ian/adns/
 152    9. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/adns/ftp/
 153   10. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~ijackson/cvsweb/adns/
 154   11. http://www.gnu.org/
 155   12. http://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html
 156   13. http://www.isc.org/view.cgi?/products/BIND/index.phtml
 157   14. http://www.dents.org/
 158   15. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/COPYING.txt
 159   16. http://www.fsf.org/
 160   17. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/
 161   18. mailto:adns-maint@chiark.greenend.org.uk
 162   19. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/software/
 163   20. http://www.gnu.org/
 164   21. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/
 165   22. file://localhost/
 166   23. http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/sw-www-copy.html
 167   24. http://www.anybrowser.org/campaign/