Step-by-Step DNS Server Configuration Using BIND on Linux
1. Install BIND DNS Software
For Debian/Ubuntu-based systems:
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sudo apt update
sudo apt install bind9 bind9utils bind9-doc
For CentOS/RHEL-based systems:
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sudo yum install bind bind-utils
2. Configure the BIND DNS Server
The main configuration file for BIND is typically located at /etc/bind/named.conf (on
Debian/Ubuntu) or /etc/named.conf (on CentOS/RHEL).
1. Edit the main configuration file:
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sudo nano /etc/bind/named.conf.options # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo nano /etc/named.conf # CentOS/RHEL
2. Set up the Options Block:
Within the configuration file, you can define options like DNS forwarding, directory, and
ACLs. Here’s an example of what this block may look like:
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options {
directory "/var/cache/bind";
allow-query { any; };
recursion yes;
forwarders {
8.8.8.8; # Google DNS
8.8.4.4;
};
};
3. Create DNS Zone Files:
DNS zones contain the mapping of IP addresses to domain names. You’ll need to set up
forward and reverse lookup zones.
o Forward Lookup Zone (maps domain name to IP):
In the named.conf.local file (or similar), add a new zone configuration:
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zone "example.com" {
type master;
file "/etc/bind/zones/db.example.com";
};
Then, create the file /etc/bind/zones/db.example.com with the following
content:
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$TTL 604800
@ IN SOA ns1.example.com. admin.example.com. (
3 ; Serial
604800 ; Refresh
86400 ; Retry
2419200 ; Expire
604800 ) ; Negative Cache TTL
; Name servers
@ IN NS ns1.example.com.
; A records for name servers
ns1 IN A 192.168.1.10
; A records for domain
@ IN A 192.168.1.10
www IN A 192.168.1.10
o Reverse Lookup Zone (maps IP to domain name):
For reverse DNS, add the following to named.conf.local:
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zone "1.168.192.in-addr.arpa" {
type master;
file "/etc/bind/zones/db.192.168.1";
};
Then create /etc/bind/zones/db.192.168.1:
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$TTL 604800
@ IN SOA ns1.example.com. admin.example.com. (
3 ; Serial
604800 ; Refresh
86400 ; Retry
2419200 ; Expire
604800 ) ; Negative Cache TTL
; Name servers
@ IN NS ns1.example.com.
; PTR records
10 IN PTR example.com.
4. Set Permissions and Restart BIND
1. Set correct permissions for the zone files:
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sudo chown bind:bind /etc/bind/zones/db.example.com
sudo chown bind:bind /etc/bind/zones/db.192.168.1
2. Restart the BIND service to apply changes:
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sudo systemctl restart bind9 # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo systemctl restart named # CentOS/RHEL
3. Enable BIND to start on boot:
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sudo systemctl enable bind9 # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo systemctl enable named # CentOS/RHEL
5. Testing the DNS Server
To test the DNS server, you can use dig or nslookup commands from a client computer:
For Forward Lookup:
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dig @your_server_ip example.com
For Reverse Lookup:
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dig @your_server_ip -x 192.168.1.10
Additional Notes
Firewall Rules: Ensure that port 53 (UDP/TCP) is open on your firewall.
Set Up Secondary DNS (Optional): For redundancy, set up a secondary DNS server that
pulls zone information from the primary server.
This setup should give you a functioning DNS server using BIND. Let me know if you need help
with specific aspects or advanced features!
