# 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 ```sh sudo av install brew:zns ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install zns ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install zns ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: net/zns/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:zns - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.4.0 - **Source summary:** CLI tool for querying DNS records with readable, colored output - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - zns (cli) - zns (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.4.0 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/znscli/zns - Upstream latest detected: v0.4.0 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## 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. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** zns - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - MacPorts - zns: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: net/zns/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [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. - [Language runtime packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/language-runtime-packages/) - Matched language runtime, compiler, or interpreter metadata. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [dnsx](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dnsx/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, 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. - [coredns](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/coredns/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, go, networking. - [ddclient](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ddclient/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [doggo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/doggo/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, go, networking. - [dug](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dug/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, dns, networking. - [lexicon](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lexicon/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, dns, networking, records. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/zns.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/zns.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - 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