How to Install Knot DNS on FreeBSD

Knot DNS is an open-source DNS server software that provides a high-performance and secure DNS server. In this tutorial, we will explain how to install Knot DNS on FreeBSD.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation, make sure your system is up to date by running the following commands:

sudo pkg update
sudo pkg upgrade

Step 1: Install Required Packages

Knot DNS requires some dependencies to be installed on your system. Run the following command to install all the required packages:

sudo pkg install gcc python3 python37-matplotlib python3-pip python3-pycodestyle python3-pyflakes python3-pytest python3-setuptools python3-sphinx python37-cython python37-lxml

Step 2: Download and Compile Knot DNS

To download and compile Knot DNS, follow these steps:

1. First, download the latest Knot DNS source code from the official website using the following command:

   wget https://www.knot-dns.cz/download/source/knot-3.0.6.tar.xz
   

2. Extract the tarball using the following command:

   tar -xf knot-3.0.6.tar.xz
   

3. Change the directory to the extracted source code:

   cd knot-3.0.6
   

4. Now, compile and install Knot DNS using the following commands:

   ./configure
   make
   sudo make install
   

Step 3: Configure Knot DNS

After installing Knot DNS, you need to configure it according to your requirements.

1. First, create a new configuration file for Knot DNS:

   sudo cp /usr/local/etc/knot/knot.conf.sample /usr/local/etc/knot/knot.conf
   

2. Edit the configuration file using your favorite text editor:

   sudo vi /usr/local/etc/knot/knot.conf
   

3. Add your DNS zones to the configuration file. Here is an example:

   # My DNS zone example.com
   zone:
     name: example.com
     file: /usr/local/etc/knot/zones/example.com.zone
   

4. Create a new directory for the zone file:

   sudo mkdir /usr/local/etc/knot/zones
   

5. Create a new zone file for your domain:

   sudo vi /usr/local/etc/knot/zones/example.com.zone
   

6. Add your DNS records to the zone file. Here is an example:

   $ORIGIN example.com.
   $TTL 1h
   @      IN      SOA    ns1.example.com. admin.example.com. (
                        2021100501 ; serial
                        1d         ; refresh
                        1h         ; retry
                        1w         ; expire
                        1h         ; minimum
                        )
   
   @      IN      NS     ns1.example.com.
   @      IN      NS     ns2.example.com.
   ns1    IN      A      192.168.1.100
   ns2    IN      A      192.168.1.101
   www    IN      A      192.168.1.102
   

7. Save and exit the file.

Step 4: Start Knot DNS

After configuring Knot DNS, start the Knot DNS service using the following command:

sudo service knot start

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to install and configure Knot DNS on FreeBSD. If you face any issues during the installation or configuration, feel free to ask for our assistance through the comments section below.

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!