The dig (Domain Information Groper) command helps developers check DNS records and troubleshoot domain resolution on Linux. It is one of the first tools to reach for when a domain isn't behaving the way you expect.
1. Install dig
On Debian/Ubuntu-based systems, dig ships in the dnsutils package:
sudo apt update sudo apt install dnsutils 2. Find a Domain's IP Address
dig safal.me +short The +short flag trims the output down to just the IP addresses found in the DNS response.
3. Check DNS Records
Pass a record type after the domain name:
dig safal.me A dig safal.me AAAA dig safal.me MX dig safal.me NS dig safal.me TXT | Record | Purpose |
|---|---|
A | IPv4 address |
AAAA | IPv6 address |
MX | Mail servers |
NS | Name servers |
TXT | Text records (SPF, domain verification, etc.) |
4. Query a Specific DNS Server
dig @8.8.8.8 safal.me This sends the query to Google's public DNS resolver instead of your system default, which is handy for checking whether a problem is local to your resolver.
5. Trace DNS Resolution
dig safal.me +trace This shows the delegation process step by step, from the root servers down to the domain's authoritative name servers.
Conclusion
The dig command is a useful tool for developers and DevOps engineers troubleshooting DNS issues. Once you know these few flags, most DNS debugging becomes quick and predictable.
Next: Linux nslookup Command: Simple Examples.
About Me
I'm Safal Bhattarai, a Tech Lead, Full Stack Developer, and DevOps Engineer.
