Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install zns with Homebrew, MacPorts

CLI tool for querying DNS records with readable, colored output. Version 0.4.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install zns

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install zns

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

overview

Package summary

CLI tool for querying DNS records with readable, colored output

Commands and aliases

  • zns

history

Project history and usage

zns is a young Go DNS lookup CLI focused on making DNS records easier to scan than raw dig-style output. Its niche is not a new resolver protocol, but presentation: colored tabular output for humans plus JSON for scripts.

Project history

The public project presents itself as a small command-line utility for querying DNS records and printing type, name, TTL, and value in a readable format. Its release history shows a compact early series of releases, with later changes mostly around packaging, dependency updates, and record sorting rather than a broad platform expansion.

Adoption history

Public adoption evidence is modest. A Hacker News submission in 2025 drew light discussion from CLI users comparing it with other Go DNS tools, and the project added packaging instructions beyond Homebrew as it matured.

How it is used

zns is useful when checking how a domain is configured across common record types, especially when a person wants quick colored output at the terminal and a JSON form for follow-up automation. It can query a chosen DNS server, run concurrent lookups, and write results to a file.

Why package nerds care

For package nerds, zns is a good example of the modern small Go network utility: one binary, focused UX, JSON output, and overlap with older Unix staples rather than a replacement for DNS infrastructure itself.

Timeline

  • 2025: Public GitHub releases establish zns as a packaged DNS-record inspection CLI.
  • 2025: Community discussion compares zns with doggo, q, and dug, placing it in the newer wave of friendlier DNS terminal tools.

Related projects

  • dig: the classic DNS query tool that zns tries to make friendlier for common record inspection.
  • doggo, q, and dug: newer DNS CLIs with overlapping goals around readable output, JSON, and resolver testing.
  • miekg/dns: the Go DNS library ecosystem that underpins many small DNS tools.

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:record

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.
  • 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.

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
znscliglobal 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 version0.4.0
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv0.4.0

https://github.com/znscli/zns

  • infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:zns
Version0.4.0
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/zns
Homepagehttps://github.com/znscli/zns
Repositoryhttps://github.com/znscli/zns
Upstream docshttps://github.com/znscli/zns#readme
LicenseMIT
Source archivehttps://github.com/znscli/zns/archive/refs/tags/v0.4.0.tar.gz
Build dependenciesgo
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namezns
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • 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.

MacPorts95%

zns

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

  • goBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • dnsxShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, 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.
  • corednsShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, go, networking.
  • ddclientShares 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 package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment