# 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 ```sh sudo av install brew:nsd ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install nsd ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install nsd ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: net/nsd/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add nsd ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install nsd ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: nsd from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install nsd ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nsd from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#nsd ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ns/nsd/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S nsd ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: nsd from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install nsd ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: nsd from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:nsd - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 4.15.0 - **Source summary:** Name server daemon - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** BSD-3-Clause - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-07T10:11:56Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - nsd (cli) - nsd-checkconf (cli) - nsd-checkzone (cli) - nsd-control (cli) - nsd-control-setup (cli) - nsd (alias) - nsd-checkconf (alias) - nsd-checkzone (alias) - nsd-control (alias) - nsd-control-setup (alias) ## Dependencies - libevent - openssl@3 ## Build dependencies - pkgconf ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 4.15.0 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-07 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## 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. ### Sources - - - - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## 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 - Unix: /etc/nsd/nsd.conf, /etc/nsd/nsd-control.conf ## Credential files - Unix: /etc/nsd/nsd_control.key, /etc/nsd/nsd_server.key, /etc/nsd/nsd_control.pem, /etc/nsd/nsd_server.pem ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** nsd - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - nsd - 4.12.0-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: nsd from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | authoritative domain name server | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/about/ - Nix - nsd: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ns/nsd/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - nsd - 4.8.0-1build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: nsd from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | authoritative domain name server | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/about/ - apk - nsd - 4.14.2-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd - apk - nsd-bash-completion - 4.14.2-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Bash completions for nsd | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd - apk - nsd-dbg - 4.14.2-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-dbg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server (debug symbols) | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd - apk - nsd-doc - 4.14.2-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server (documentation) | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd - apk - nsd-openrc - 4.14.2-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-openrc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server (OpenRC init scripts) | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd - dnf - nsd - 4.14.2-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nsd from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Fast and lean authoritative DNS Name Server | http://www.nlnetlabs.nl/nsd/ - pacman - nsd - 4.14.2-2: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: nsd from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/nsd/ - zypper - nsd - 4.13.0-1.3: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: nsd from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | An authoritative-only domain name server | https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/about/ - MacPorts - nsd: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: net/nsd/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [libevent](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libevent/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [openssl@3](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/openssl-3/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [knot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/knot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: authoritative-dns, authoritative-server, cli, daemon, dns. - [ddclient](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ddclient/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, daemon, dns, networking. - [knot-resolver](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/knot-resolver/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, daemon, dns, networking. - [bind](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bind/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [c-ares](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/c-ares/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [chinadns-c](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chinadns-c/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [ctrld](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ctrld/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, daemon, dns, networking. - [dug](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dug/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [ldns](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ldns/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, dns, networking, openssl, openssl-3. - [pdns](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pdns/) - Local metadata places this package in an adjacent workflow. Shared terms: authoritative, authoritative-server, cli, control, dns. - [unbound](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/unbound/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: checkconf, cli, control, dns, libevent. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/nsd.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/nsd.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph