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Linux nslookup Guide

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Mattscreative edited this page Dec 5, 2025 · 2 revisions

Linux nslookup Guide

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

Table of Contents

  1. nslookup Installation
  2. nslookup Basics
  3. DNS Queries
  4. Interactive Mode
  5. Troubleshooting

nslookup Installation

Install nslookup

Arch/CachyOS:

# Install bind-tools
sudo pacman -S bind

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install dnsutils

Fedora:

sudo dnf install bind-utils

nslookup Basics

Lookup Domain

Basic usage:

# Lookup domain
nslookup example.com

# Shows DNS information

Query IP

IP lookup:

# Lookup IP
nslookup 8.8.8.8

# Reverse DNS lookup

DNS Queries

Query Type

Specific type:

# Query MX records
nslookup -type=MX example.com

# Query AAAA records
nslookup -type=AAAA example.com

Custom DNS Server

Use server:

# Use specific DNS server
nslookup example.com 8.8.8.8

# Second argument = DNS server

Interactive Mode

Start Interactive

Interactive mode:

# Start interactive
nslookup

# Then type commands:
# > example.com
# > set type=MX
# > example.com
# > exit

Interactive Commands

Commands:

# In nslookup:
# > set type=MX
# > example.com
# > server 8.8.8.8
# > example.com

Troubleshooting

nslookup Not Found

Check installation:

# Check nslookup
which nslookup

# Install if missing
sudo pacman -S bind

Summary

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

Next Steps

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

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