Requirements

Installation

1. Install prerequisites

Debian based distributions

Update the system:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

Install prerequisites:

sudo apt-get install \
  libtool autoconf automake make pkg-config liburcu-dev libgnutls28-dev libedit-dev liblmdb-dev

Install optional packages:

sudo apt-get install \
  libcap-ng-dev libsystemd-dev libidn2-dev libprotobuf-c-dev protobuf-c-compiler libfstrm-dev libmaxminddb-dev libnghttp2-dev libbpf-dev libxdp-dev libmnl-dev python3-sphinx python3-sphinx-panels softhsm2

Fedora like distributions

Update the system:

dnf upgrade

Install basic development tools:

dnf install @buildsys-build

Install prerequisites:

dnf install \
  libtool autoconf automake pkgconfig userspace-rcu-devel gnutls-devel libedit-devel lmdb-devel

Install optional packages:

dnf install \
  libcap-ng-devel systemd-devel libidn2-devel protobuf-c-devel fstrm-devel libmaxminddb-devel libnghttp2-devel libbpf-devel libxdp-devel libmnl-devel python-sphinx python-sphinx-panels softhsm

When compiling on RHEL based system, the Fedora EPEL repository has to be
enabled.

2. Install Knot DNS

Get the source code:

git clone https://gitlab.nic.cz/knot/knot-dns.git

Or extract source package to knot-dns directory.

Compile the source code:

cd knot-dns
autoreconf -if
./configure
make

Install Knot DNS into system:

sudo make install
sudo ldconfig

Running

1. Ensure some configuration

doc/configuration.rst

Please see samples/knot.sample.conf,
project documentation,
or man 5 knot.conf for more details. Basically the configuration should specify:

network interfaces
served zones

E.g. use the default configuration file:

cd /etc/knot
mv knot.sample.conf knot.conf

Modify the configuration file:

editor knot.conf

2. Prepare working directory

mv example.com.zone /var/lib/knot/

3. Start the server

doc/operation.rst

This can be done by running the knotd command. Alternatively, your distribution
should have an init script available, if you installed Knot DNS from a binary package.

Start the server in foreground to see if it runs:

knotd -c /etc/knot/knot.conf