Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install nsd with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Name server daemon. Version 4.15.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-07.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install nsd

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install nsd

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

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add nsd

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

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install nsd

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

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install nsd

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

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#nsd

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

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S nsd

Arch Linux sync databases · nsd · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install nsd

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

overview

Package summary

Name server daemon

Commands and aliases

  • nsd
  • nsd-checkconf
  • nsd-checkzone
  • nsd-control
  • nsd-control-setup

history

Project history and usage

NSD, the NLnet Labs Name Server Daemon, is an authoritative-only DNS server built for high-performance, reliable, secure authoritative service. It is intentionally not a recursive resolver; NLnet Labs points users needing recursive validating caching DNS to Unbound instead.

Project history

NSD was conceived around 2000 to add implementation diversity to DNS infrastructure that had converged heavily on BIND, especially around root and TLD name service. NLnet Labs and RIPE NCC built it from scratch as an authoritative server, and the NSD 3.0 release announcement on September 6, 2006 described it as RFC-compliant, authoritative-only, open source, and designed for speed, stability, and security.

Adoption history

NSD has real infrastructure adoption rather than hobby-only usage. NLnet Labs says it is suitable for TLD implementations and DNS root servers; its project page says three DNS root servers and many TLD registries use NSD as part of their server implementation. The 2006 NSD 3.0 announcement already named k.root-servers.net and several TLD registries as users.

How it is used

Administrators use NSD to serve authoritative zones from zone files and `nsd.conf`, validate configuration with `nsd-checkconf`, validate zones with `nsd-checkzone`, and manage the daemon with `nsd-control`. Its docs cover primary/secondary zones, TSIG, zone expiry, catalog zones, tuning, and XDP/AF_XDP sockets for high-throughput setups.

Why package nerds care

NSD is package-nerd significant because it is infrastructure software with a narrow, principled scope: authoritative DNS only. That makes it a common alternative or complement to BIND in environments where operational simplicity, codebase diversity, and high authoritative query rates matter.

Timeline

  • 2000: conceived to improve DNS implementation diversity.
  • 2003-02-19: k.root-servers.net switched to NSD according to historical root-server references surfaced in NSD histories.
  • 2006-09-06: NSD 3.0 announced with IXFR, NOTIFY, DNAME, secondary-server improvements, and configuration-file support.
  • 2017-06-13: NLnetLabs/nsd GitHub repository created.
  • 2026-06-25: NSD 4.14.3 security release published.
  • 2026-06-30: NSD 4.15.0rc1 pre-release published with improved Prometheus metrics.

Related projects

  • Unbound: NLnet Labs' validating recursive resolver, used when recursion/caching is needed instead of NSD's authoritative-only role.
  • simdzone: parser technology referenced by NLnet Labs for faster zone loading in NSD.

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 6 platform targets.
  • Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
  • Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

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

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix
/etc/nsd/nsd.conf/etc/nsd/nsd-control.conf

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix
/etc/nsd/nsd_control.key/etc/nsd/nsd_server.key/etc/nsd/nsd_control.pem/etc/nsd/nsd_server.pem

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
nsdcliglobal executable
nsd-checkconfcliglobal executable
nsd-checkzonecliglobal executable
nsd-controlcliglobal executable
nsd-control-setupcliglobal 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 version4.15.0
manager updated2026-07-07
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:nsd
Version4.15.0
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/nsd
Homepagehttps://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/
Repositoryhttps://github.com/NLnetLabs/nsd
Upstream docshttps://nsd.docs.nlnetlabs.nl/en/latest
LicenseBSD-3-Clause
Source archivehttps://www.nlnetlabs.nl/downloads/nsd/nsd-4.15.0.tar.gz
Last updated2026-07-07T10:11:56Z
Pulseupdated
Dependencieslibevent, openssl@3
Build dependenciespkgconf
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namensd
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
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%

nsd 4.12.0-1

authoritative domain name server

https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/about/

sudo apt install nsd
  • Section: net
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 8 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: nsd from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

nsd

nix profile install nixpkgs#nsd
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ns/nsd/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

nsd 4.8.0-1build3

authoritative domain name server

https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/about/

sudo apt install nsd
  • Section: universe/net
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 8 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: nsd from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

nsd 4.14.2-r0

Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server

https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd

sudo apk add nsd
  • License: BSD-3-Clause
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: nsd
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

nsd-bash-completion 4.14.2-r0

Bash completions for nsd

https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd

sudo apk add nsd-bash-completion
  • License: BSD-3-Clause
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: nsd
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

nsd-dbg 4.14.2-r0

Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server (debug symbols)

https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd

sudo apk add nsd-dbg
  • License: BSD-3-Clause
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: nsd
  • 1 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-dbg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

nsd-doc 4.14.2-r0

Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server (documentation)

https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd

sudo apk add nsd-doc
  • License: BSD-3-Clause
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: nsd
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

nsd-openrc 4.14.2-r0

Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server (OpenRC init scripts)

https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd

sudo apk add nsd-openrc
  • License: BSD-3-Clause
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: nsd
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-openrc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

nsd 4.14.2-1.fc45

Fast and lean authoritative DNS Name Server

http://www.nlnetlabs.nl/nsd/

sudo dnf install nsd
  • License: BSD-3-Clause
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: nsd
  • 12 dependencies
  • 4 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nsd from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

nsd 4.14.2-2

Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server

https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/nsd/

sudo pacman -S nsd
  • License: BSD
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 5 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: nsd from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

nsd 4.13.0-1.3

An authoritative-only domain name server

https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/about/

sudo zypper install nsd
  • License: BSD-3-Clause
  • Category: Productivity/Networking/DNS/Servers
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: nsd
  • 11 dependencies
  • 4 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: nsd from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

nsd

sudo port install nsd
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Nsd
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: net/nsd/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.

Related tools

  • libeventRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • openssl@3Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • pkgconfBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • knotShares av.db curated category or tags: authoritative-dns, authoritative-server, cli, daemon, dns.
  • ddclientShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, daemon, dns, networking.
  • knot-resolverShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, daemon, dns, networking.
  • bindShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking.
  • c-aresShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking.
  • chinadns-cShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking.

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.

Used sources

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