This guide covers installing Knot DNS on various Linux distributions using package managers, compiling from source, and containerized deployment. All installations include systemd service management and verification steps for Linux DevOps environments.
Install Knot DNS using the distribution’s package manager:
# Update package index
sudo apt update
# Install Knot DNS and utilities
sudo apt install knot knot-dnsutils
# Verify installation
knotd -V
Install Knot DNS using DNF/YUM:
# Install Knot DNS
sudo dnf install knot knot-utils
# Verify installation
knotd -V
After installation, perform these essential steps:
sudo systemctl enable knot
sudo systemctl start knot
sudo systemctl status knot
# Check configuration
sudo knotc conf-check
# View server status
sudo knotc conf-show
After installation, Knot DNS creates the following structure:
/etc/knot/knot.conf - Main configuration file/var/lib/knot/ - Default zone data directory/var/log/knot/ - Log files (if configured)/usr/sbin/knotd - Main daemon executable/usr/bin/knotc - Control utilitysudo systemctl status knot
knotd -V
sudo knotc conf-check
sudo ss -tulnp | grep :53
sudo ss -tulnp | grep :53sudo knotc conf-checksudo journalctl -u knot -fid knotls -la /var/lib/knot/ls -la /etc/knot/knot.confFor the latest features or custom compilation:
# Install build dependencies (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt install build-essential autoconf automake libtool pkg-config \
libgnutls28-dev libsystemd-dev liblmdb-dev libfstrm-dev libmaxminddb-dev \
libprotobuf-c-dev liburcu-dev libidn2-0-dev
# Install build dependencies (RHEL/Fedora)
sudo dnf install gcc autoconf automake libtool pkg-config \
gnutls-devel systemd-devel lmdb-devel libfstrm-devel maxminddb-devel \
protobuf-c-devel userspace-rcu-devel libidn2-devel
# Download source code
wget https://secure.nic.cz/files/knot-dns/knot-3.5.3.tar.xz
tar -xf knot-3.5.3.tar.xz
cd knot-3.5.3
# Bootstrap (if compiling from git)
# autoreconf -i -f
# Configure and compile
./configure --prefix=/usr/local --with-systemd
make
sudo make install
# Create systemd service file
sudo cp contrib/systemd/knot.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
Some distributions may require additional repositories:
# Enable the official CZ.NIC COPR repository
sudo dnf copr enable @cznic/knot-dns-latest
# Install Knot DNS
sudo dnf install knot knot-utils
# Start, stop, restart, or check status
sudo systemctl start knot
sudo systemctl stop knot
sudo systemctl restart knot
sudo systemctl status knot
# Enable/disable auto-start at boot
sudo systemctl enable knot
sudo systemctl disable knot
# View logs
sudo journalctl -u knot -f
After making configuration changes:
sudo knotc conf-check
sudo knotc reload
sudo knotc zone-reload example.com
For automated deployments, consider:
Deploying authoritative DNS servers can be complex. We offer consulting services for:
Contact us at office@linux-server-admin.com or visit our contact page.