install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install dnstracer

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install dnstracer

MacPorts ports tree · net/dnstracer/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add dnstracer

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dnstracer · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install dnstracer

Debian stable package indexes · dnstracer · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install dnstracer

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dnstracer · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#dnstracer

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/dn/dnstracer/package.nix · source: api.github.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install dnstracer

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · dnstracer · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Trace a chain of DNS servers to the source

Project links

Commands and aliases

dnstracer

history

Project history and usage

dnstracer is a small DNS troubleshooting tool that follows the delegation chain for a name back toward authoritative servers. Its history is thinly documented, but the official pages show an early-2000s Unix utility aimed at explaining how DNS answers are reached.

Project history

The Mavetju project page explains dnstracer as a tool that determines where a DNS server gets information from and follows the chain of DNS servers back to the servers that know the data. The page revision marker is from November 2002, and the man-page source marker is from January 2002.

The manual page, dated July 8, 2004, documents the classic behavior: send non-recursive queries, follow authority records, detect lame servers, and stop after all name servers are queried. The official 1.9 source tarball was still being served by the Mavetju site with a 2008 last-modified timestamp.

Adoption history

dnstracer's adoption is mostly as a packaged Unix DNS diagnostic, not as an actively branded upstream project. Homebrew and other Unix package managers keep it available because it does one old-school job that overlaps with, but is not identical to, dig +trace.

How it is used

Users run dnstracer with a domain name and optional query type or starting server. It is useful for visualizing referrals, cached answers, authoritative answers, missing glue, lame servers, and PTR/SOA/MX tracing paths.

Why package nerds care

dnstracer is package-nerd significant as a fossil utility that still earns a slot in package managers: no service, no config, no credentials, just a compact DNS delegation tracer whose behavior is easy to compare across Unix systems.

Timeline

2002: Mavetju dnstracer project and man-page revision markers appear on the official pages.
2004: Manual page dated July 8, 2004.
2008: Official dnstracer 1.9 source tarball served with a February 10 last-modified timestamp.
2026: Homebrew still carries dnstracer as a packaged DNS diagnostic.

Related projects

dig +trace is the common modern comparison point for DNS delegation tracing. traceroute is the conceptual naming relative, but dnstracer traces DNS authority paths rather than network hops.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

text:server

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`dnstracer`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version1.9

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

http://www.mavetju.org/unix/dnstracer.php

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.http://www.mavetju.org/unix/dnstracer.phpnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:dnstracer
Version	1.9
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/dnstracer
Homepage	http://www.mavetju.org/unix/dnstracer.php
Upstream docs	https://www.mavetju.org/unix/dnstracer-man.php
License	BSD-2-Clause
Source archive	https://deb.debian.org/debian/pool/main/d/dnstracer/dnstracer_1.9.orig.tar.gz
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	dnstracer
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

dnstracer 1.9-8

trace DNS queries to the source

http://www.mavetju.org/unix/dnstracer.php

sudo apt install dnstracer

Section: net
Architecture: amd64
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dnstracer

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: dnstracer from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

dnstracer

nix profile install nixpkgs#dnstracer

normalized package name match
Matched by: Dnstracer

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/dn/dnstracer/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

dnstracer 1.9-8build1

trace DNS queries to the source

http://www.mavetju.org/unix/dnstracer.php

sudo apt install dnstracer

Section: net
Architecture: amd64
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dnstracer

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: dnstracer from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

apk95%

dnstracer 1.10-r3

Trace a chain of DNS servers to the source

http://www.mavetju.org/unix/dnstracer.php

sudo apk add dnstracer

License: BSD-2-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dnstracer
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dnstracer

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dnstracer from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

dnstracer-doc 1.10-r3

Trace a chain of DNS servers to the source (documentation)

http://www.mavetju.org/unix/dnstracer.php

sudo apk add dnstracer-doc

License: BSD-2-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dnstracer
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dnstracer

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dnstracer-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

dnf95%

dnstracer 1.10-11.fc44

Trace DNS queries to the source

http://www.mavetju.org/unix/dnstracer.php

sudo dnf install dnstracer

License: LicenseRef-Callaway-BSD
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dnstracer
2 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dnstracer

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: dnstracer from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

zypper95%

dnstracer 1.10-1.19

Trace a DNS record to its start of authority

https://www.mavetju.org/unix/dnstracer.php

sudo zypper install dnstracer

License: BSD-2-Clause
Category: Productivity/Networking/DNS/Utilities
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dnstracer
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dnstracer

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dnstracer from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

dnstracer

sudo port install dnstracer

normalized package name match
Matched by: Dnstracer

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: net/dnstracer/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/dnstracer.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install dnstracer with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

Risk level: blue

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources