Provided by: libgetdns-dev_1.6.0-3build2_amd64 bug

NAME

       libgetdns  --  an  implementation  of a modern asynchronous DNS API by and for application
       developers

LIBRARY

       DNS Resolver library (libgetdns, -lgetdns)

SYNOPSIS

       libgetdns

       This man page describes the getdns library, the general concepts behind the API  and  some
       of  the  common elements of the public interface to the library.  Each of the public entry
       points and more complex data types are captured in separate man pages.

DESCRIPTION

       getdns is modern asynchronous DNS API intended to be useful to application developers  and
       operating  system  distributors  as  a  way  of making all types of DNS information easily
       available in many types of programs. The major features of this new API are:

              Full support for event-driven programming
              Supports DNSSEC in multiple ways
              Mirroring of the resolution in getaddrinfo()
              Easily supports all RRtypes, even those yet to be defined

       Each of the entry points is offered with both  asynchronous  and  synchronous  signatures.
       The  asynchronous  functions  rely on event handling and callback via libevent.  Functions
       are thread safe.

       A context structure maintains DNS query and response data and is used  to  maintain  state
       during calls to the public entry points.

       The project page for this implementation is at

              http://getdnsapi.net

       The specification is maintained at

              http://getdnsapi.net/spec

       The git repository for this implementation is at

              http://github.com/getdnsapi/getdns

DATA STRUCTURES

       The API uses a few data structures to pass data into and return data from the public entry
       points.

       list   an ordered list, the members of the list can be any of the four data types.

       dict   a name-value pair. The name is a string literal, and the value can be  any  of  the
              four data types. The order of the name-value pairs in a dict is not important.

       int    an integer compatible with uint32_t.

       bindata
              a  struct used to hold binary data defined as { size_t size; uint8_t *binary_stuff;
              }.

ASYNCHRONOUS USE

       The getdns specification  emphasizes  the  asynchronous  nature  of  the  API  and  allows
       implementations  to  define  their own approach. This page documents this implementation's
       decisions and facilities provided to the developer.

       This implementation provides asynchronous support via the following mechanisms:

          File Descriptor Polling
          Event Loop Integrations:
             libevent
             libuv
             libev
          Custom Event Loop Integrations

       All functions and types discussed in this page are declared in getdns_extra.h

   Build-in Event loop
       The library has an built in event loop that can be used if  none  of  the  extensions  for
       external  event  loops  are used. The library will execute requests and dispatch callbacks
       with a call to getdns_context_run().  If an event loop extension is used,  this  will  run
       the extension's eventloop.

       void getdns_context_run(getdns_context *context)

          Run the context's event loop until nothing more to do.

       uint32_t  getdns_context_get_num_pending_requests(getdns_context* context, struct timeval*
          next_timeout)

          Get the number of outstanding asynchronous requests for a given context as well as  the
          the  amount  of  time until the next timeout.  The next_timeout struct can be NULL.  If
          supplied and the number of outstanding requests is > 0, then the timeout represents the
          relative time until the next timeout.

       getdns_return_t getdns_context_process_async(getdns_context* context)

          Inform  the  context  to process its outstanding requests.  Users should call this when
          either a timeout has occurred or the file descriptor signals that it  is  ready.   User
          callbacks are fired during this call.

   Included Event Loop Integrations
       A   number  of  applications  achieve  asynchronous  behavior  by  leveraging  event  loop
       abstraction libraries. If the build system discovers a supported  event  loop,  the  event
       loop  extension  is  built  in  addition to the getdns library. Extensions are built as an
       additional shared library. The following event loop libraries are supported:

       libevent1 and libevent2

       The libevent extension allows a context to attach to a event_base. The event loop is  then
       run  like  any other application using libevent via event_base_dispatch or event_base_loop
       and expect getdns callbacks to fire.

       Note that if both libevent1 and libevent2 reside on system, the extension uses libevent2.

          Extension library: libgetdns_ext_event.[shared_lib_ext]
          Extension header: getdns/getdns_ext_libevent.h

       libuv

       The libuv extension allows a context to attach to a uv_loop_s. The event loop can then  be
       run like any other application using libuv via uv_run and expect getdns callbacks to fire.

          Extension library: libgetdns_ext_uv.[shared_lib_ext]
          Extension header: getdns_ext_libuv.h

       libev

       The  libev  extension  allows a context to attach to a ev_loop. The event loop can then be
       run like any other application using libev via ev_run and expect getdns callbacks to fire.

          Extension library: libgetdns_ext_ev.[shared_lib_ext]
          Extension header: getdns_ext_libev.h

   getdns_context event loop extension functions
       The following are functions used by the extension entry point to attach  to  a  particular
       context.

       The application sets an event loop extension on a context.  The extension_data is optional
       data that is passed into the extension methods.  If an event loop  is  already  set  on  a
       context then it is cleaned up.  All outstanding requests are also canceled.

              getdns_return_t   getdns_extension_set_eventloop(struct   getdns_context*  context,
              getdns_eventloop_extension* extension, void* extension_data);

       The application gets the extension data associated with a context.

              void* getdns_context_get_extension_data(struct getdns_context* context);

       When no more work must be done the application detaches an event loop from a context

              getdns_return_t getdns_extension_detach_eventloop(struct getdns_context* context);

SYNCHRONOUS USE

       There are four synchronous functions parallel to the four getdns async  functions,  except
       that  there  is  no callback parameter. When an application calls one of these synchronous
       functions, the API gathers all the required information and then returns the  result.  The
       value  returned  is  exactly  the same as the response returned in the callback if you had
       used the async version of the function.

       When you are done with the data in the response, call  getdns_free_sync_request_memory  so
       that the API can free the memory from its internal pool.

EXTENSIONS

       Applications  may  populate an extension dictionary when making a call to the public entry
       points.  To use an extension add it to the extension dictionary prior to making  the  call
       to  the  public entry point and set the value depending on the behavior you expect.  These
       extensions include:

       "dnssec_return_status" (int)

          Set to GETDNS_EXTENSION_TRUE to include the DNSSEC status for each DNS  record  in  the
          replies_tree

       "dnssec_return_only_secure" (int)

          Set  to GETDNS_EXTENSION_TRUE to cause only records that the API can validate as secure
          with DNSSEC to be returned in the replies_tree and replies_full lists

       "dnssec_return_validation_chain" (int)

          Set to GETDNS_EXTENSION_TRUE to cause the  set  of  additional  DNSSEC-related  records
          needed  for  validation  to  be  returned  in  the  response  object  as the list named
          additional_dnssec at the top level of the response object

       "return_both_v4_and_v6" (int)

          Set to GETDNS_EXTENSION_TRUE to cause the results of both A and AAAA  records  for  the
          queried name to be included in the response object.

       "add_opt_parameters" (dict)

          TBD (complicated)

       "add_warning_for_bad_dns"

          Set  to  GETDNS_EXTENSION_TRUE  to  cause  each reply in the replies_tree to contain an
          additional name whose data type is a list, bad_dns which contains  zero  or  more  ints
          that indicate the types of bad DNS found in the reply.
             GETDNS_BAD_DNS_CNAME_IN_TARGET: query type does not allow a CNAME pointed to a CNAME
             GETDNS_BAD_DNS_ALL_NUMERIC_LABEL: one or more labels is all numeric
             GETDNS_BAD_DNS_CNAME_RETURNED_FOR_OTHER_TYPE:   query  type  for  other  than  CNAME
             returned a CNAME

       "specify_class" (int)

          Set to the DNS class number (other than Internet (IN) class desired in query.

       "return_call_reporting" (int)

          Set to GETDNS_EXTENSION_TRUE to add the name call_reporting (list) to the top level  of
          the  response  object  that  includes  a dict for each call made to the API.  TBD: more
          detail

       This implementation of the getdns API is licensed under the BSD license.

DNSSEC

       If an application wants the API to do DNSSEC validation for a request, it must set one  or
       more  DNSSEC-related  extensions. Note that the default is for none of these extensions to
       be set and the API will not perform DNSSEC. Note that  getting  DNSSEC  results  can  take
       longer in a few circumstances.

       To  return  the  DNSSEC  status  for  each  DNS  record  in the replies_tree list, use the
       dnssec_return_status   extension.   The   extension's   value   (an   int)   is   set   to
       GETDNS_EXTENSION_TRUE to cause the returned status to have the name dnssec_status (an int)
       added to the other names in the record's dict  ("header",  "question",  and  so  on).  The
       values     for     that     name     are     GETDNS_DNSSEC_SECURE,    GETDNS_DNSSEC_BOGUS,
       GETDNS_DNSSEC_INDETERMINATE, and GETDNS_DNSSEC_INSECURE.  Thus, a reply might look like:

       {     # This is the first reply
             "dnssec_status": GETDNS_DNSSEC_INDETERMINATE,
             "header": { "id": 23456, "qr": 1, "opcode": 0, ... },
             . . .

       If instead of returning the  status,  you  want  to  only  see  secure  results,  use  the
       dnssec_return_only_secure   extension.   The   extension's   value  (an  int)  is  set  to
       GETDNS_EXTENSION_TRUE to cause only records that the  API  can  validate  as  secure  with
       DNSSEC to be returned in the replies_tree and replies_full lists.  No additional names are
       added to the dict of the record; the change is that some records might not appear  in  the
       results.  When  this  context  option is set, if the API receives DNS replies but none are
       determined to be secure, the error code at  the  top  level  of  the  response  object  is
       GETDNS_RESPSTATUS_NO_SECURE_ANSWERS.

       Applications  that  want  to  do their own validation will want to have the DNSSEC-related
       records for a particular response. Use the dnssec_return_validation_chain  extension.  The
       extension's  value  (an  int) is set to GETDNS_EXTENSION_TRUE to cause a set of additional
       DNSSEC-related records needed for validation to be returned in the response  object.  This
       set  comes as validation_chain (a list) at the top level of the response object. This list
       includes all resource record dicts for all the resource  records  (DS,  DNSKEY  and  their
       RRSIGs)  that  are  needed to perform the validation from the root up. Thus, a reply might
       look like:

       {     # This is the response object
           "validation_chain":
           [ { "name": <bindata for .>,
           "type": GETDNS_RRTYPE_DNSKEY,
           "rdata": { "flags": 256, . . . },
             . . .
           },
           { "name": <bindata for .>,
             "type": GETDNS_RRTYPE_DNSKEY,
             "rdata": { "flags": 257, . . . },
             . . .
           },
           { "name": <bindata for .>,
             "type": GETDNS_RRTYPE_RRSIG,
             "rdata": { "signers_name": <bindata for .>,
                        "type_covered": GETDNS_RRTYPE_DNSKEY,
                        . . .
                      },
           },
           { "name": <bindata for com.>,
             "type": GETDNS_RRTYPE_DS,
             . . .
           },
           { "name": <bindata for com.>,
             "type": GETDNS_RRTYPE_RRSIG
             "rdata": { "signers_name": <bindata for .>,
                        "type_covered": GETDNS_RRTYPE_DS,
                        . . .
                      },
             . . .
           },
           { "name": <bindata for com.>,
             "type": GETDNS_RRTYPE_DNSKEY
             "rdata": { "flags": 256, . . . },
             . . .
           },
           { "name": <bindata for com.>,
             "type": GETDNS_RRTYPE_DNSKEY
             "rdata": { "flags": 257, . . . },
             . . .
           },
           { "name": <bindata for com.>,
             "type": GETDNS_RRTYPE_RRSIG
             "rdata": { "signers_name": <bindata for com.>,
                        "type_covered": GETDNS_RRTYPE_DNSKEY,
                        . . .
                      },
             . . .
           },
           { "name": <bindata for example.com.>,
             "type": GETDNS_RRTYPE_DS,
             . . .
           },
           { "name": <bindata for example.com.>,
             "type": GETDNS_RRTYPE_RRSIG
             "rdata": { "signers_name": <bindata for com.>,
                        "type_covered": GETDNS_RRTYPE_DS,
                        . . .
                      },
             . . .
           },
           { "name": <bindata for example.com.>,
             "type": GETDNS_RRTYPE_DNSKEY
             "rdata": { "flags": 257, ... },
             . . .
           },
           . . .
         ]
         "replies_tree":
         [
         . . .

       If a request is using a context in which stub resolution is set, and that request also has
       any       of       the       dnssec_return_status,      dnssec_return_only_secure,      or
       dnssec_return_validation_chain extensions specified, the API will not perform the  request
       and will instead return an error of GETDNS_RETURN_DNSSEC_WITH_STUB_DISALLOWED.

OPT RESOURCE RECORDS

       For  lookups  that  need  an  OPT  resource record in the Additional Data section, use the
       add_opt_parameters extension. The extension's value  (a  dict)  contains  the  parameters;
       these are described in more detail in RFC 2671. They are:

       maximum_udp_payload_size  (an  int) between 512 and 65535; if not specified, this defaults
          to those from the DNS context

       extended_rcode (an int) between 0 and 255; if not specified, this defaults to  those  from
          the DNS context

       version (an int) between 0 and 255; if not specified, this defaults to 0

       do_bit  (an  int)  between  0 and 1; if not specified, this defaults to those from the DNS
          context

       options (a list) contains dicts for each option to be specified. Each list  time  contains
          two  names:  option_code  (an  int)  and option_data (a bindata). The API marshalls the
          entire set of options into a properly-formatted RDATA for the resource record.

       It  is  very  important  to  note  that  the  OPT  resource  record   specified   in   the
       add_opt_parameters  extension  might  not  be  the  same the one that the API sends in the
       query. For example, if the application also includes any of the DNSSEC extensions, the API
       will make sure that the OPT resource record sets the resource record appropriately, making
       the needed changes to the settings from the add_opt_parameters extension.

       The use of this extension can conflict with the values in the DNS  context.  For  example,
       the  default  for  an OS might be a maximum payload size of 65535, but the extension might
       specify 1550. In such a case, the API will honor the values stated in the  extension,  but
       will honor the values from the DNS context if values are not given in the extension.

RESPONSE DATA

       The callback function contains a pointer to a response object. A response object is always
       a dict. The response object always contains at least three names:  replies_full  (a  list)
       and  replies_tree  (a  list),  and status (an int).  replies_full is a list of DNS replies
       (each is bindata) as they appear on the wire. replies_tree is a list of DNS replies  (each
       is  a dict) with the various part of the reply parsed out. status is a status code for the
       query.

       Because the API might be extended in the future, a  response  object  might  also  contain
       names  other  than  replies_full,  replies_tree,  and  status. Similarly, any of the dicts
       described here might be extended in later versions of the API.  Thus, an application using
       the API must not assume that it knows all possible names in a dict.

       The  following  lists  the  status codes for response objects. Note that, if the status is
       that there are no responses for the query, the lists in replies_full and replies_tree will
       have zero length.

       GETDNS_RESPSTATUS_GOOD At least one response was returned

       GETDNS_RESPSTATUS_NO_NAME Queries for the name yielded all negative responses

       GETDNS_RESPSTATUS_ALL_TIMEOUT All queries for the name timed out

       GETDNS_RESPSTATUS_NO_SECURE_ANSWERS  The context setting for getting only secure responses
          was specified, and at least one DNS response was received,  but  no  DNS  response  was
          determined to be secure through DNSSEC.

       The  top  level of replies_tree can optionally have the following names: canonical_name (a
       bindata),   intermediate_aliases    (a    list),    answer_ipv4_address    (a    bindata),
       answer_ipv6_address (a bindata), and answer_type (an int).

       The  value  of  canonical_name is the name that the API used for its lookup. It is in FQDN
       presentation format.  The values in the intermediate_aliases list are  domain  names  from
       any  CNAME  or unsynthesized DNAME found when resolving the original query. The list might
       have zero entries if there were no CNAMEs in the path. These may be useful,  for  example,
       for   name   comparisons   when   following   the   rules  in  RFC  6125.   The  value  of
       answer_ipv4_address and answer_ipv6_address are the addresses of the server from which the
       answer  was received.  The value of answer_type is the type of name service that generated
       the response. The values are:

              GETDNS_NAMETYPE_DNS
              Normal DNS (RFC 1035)
              GETDNS_NAMETYPE_WINS
              The WINS name service (some reference needed)

       If the call was getdns_address or getdns_address_sync, the top level of  replies_tree  has
       an  additional name, just_address_answers (a list). The value of just_address_answers is a
       list that contains all of the A and AAAA records from the answer sections of  any  of  the
       replies,  in the order they appear in the replies. Each item in the list is a dict with at
       least two names: address_type (whose value is a bindata; it is currently either "IPv4"  or
       "IPv6")    and    address_data    (whose    value   is   a   bindata).   Note   that   the
       dnssec_return_only_secure extension affects what will appear in  the  just_address_answers
       list.  If  the  DNS  returns  other address types, those types will appear in this list as
       well.

       The API  can  make  service  discovery  through  SRV  records  easier.  If  the  call  was
       getdns_service  or  getdns_service_sync,  the  top level of replies_tree has an additional
       name, srv_addresses (a list). The list is ordered by priority  and  weight  based  on  the
       weighting  algorithm in RFC 2782, lowest priority value first. Each element of the list is
       dict has at least two names: port and domain_name. If the API was able  to  determine  the
       address  of  the target domain name (such as from its cache or from the Additional section
       of responses), the dict for an element will also contain address_type (whose  value  is  a
       bindata;  it  is  currently  either  "IPv4"  or "IPv6") and address_data (whose value is a
       bindata). Note that the dnssec_return_only_secure extension affects what  will  appear  in
       the srv_addresses list.

STRUCTURE OF DNS REPLIES_TREE

       The  names  in each entry in the the replies_tree list for DNS responses include header (a
       dict), question (a dict), answer (a list), authority (a list), and  additional  (a  list),
       corresponding  to  the  sections  in  the  DNS message format.  The answer, authority, and
       additional lists each contain zero or more dicts, with each dict in each list representing
       a resource record.

       The names in the header dict are all the fields from Section 4.1.1. of RFC 1035. They are:
       id, qr, opcode, aa, tc, rd, ra, z, rcode, qdcount, ancount, nscount, and arcount. All  are
       ints.

       The names in the question dict are the three fields from Section 4.1.2. of RFC 1035: qname
       (a bindata), qtype (an int), and qclass (an int).

       Resource records are a bit different than headers and question sections in that the  RDATA
       portion often has its own structure. The other names in the resource record dicts are name
       (a bindata), type (an int), class (an int), ttl (an int) and rdata (a dict); there  is  no
       name equivalent to the RDLENGTH field.

       The rdata dict has different names for each response type. There is a complete list of the
       types defined in the API. For names that end in "-obsolete" or "-unknown", the bindata  is
       the  entire RDATA field. For example, the rdata for an A record has a name ipv4_address (a
       bindata); the rdata for an SRV record has the names priority (an int),  weight  (an  int),
       port (an int), and target (a bindata).

       Each  rdata  dict  also  has  a  rdata_raw field (a bindata). This is useful for types not
       defined in this version of the API. It also might be of value if a later  version  of  the
       API  allows  for  additional  parsers.  Thus, doing a query for types not known by the API
       still will return a result: an rdata with just a rdata_raw.

       It is expected that later extensions to the API will give some DNS types different  names.
       It  is also possible that later extensions will change the names for some of the DNS types
       listed above.

CALLBACK FUNCTIONS

       A call to the async getdns functions typically returns before  any  network  or  file  I/O
       occurs. After the API marshalls all the needed information, it calls the callback function
       that was passed by the application. The callback function might be  called  at  any  time,
       even  before  the calling function has returned. The API guarantees that the callback will
       be called exactly once unless the calling function returned an error, in  which  case  the
       callback function is never called.

       The getdns calling function calls the callback with the parameters defined as follows:

       typedef void (*getdns_callback_t)(
          getdns_context_t context,
          uint16_t callback_type,
          getdns_dict *response,
          void *userarg,
          getdns_transaction_t transaction_id)

       context see getdns_context (3)

       callback_type Supplies the reason for the callback.

          GETDNS_CALLBACK_COMPLETE The response has the requested data in it

          GETDNS_CALLBACK_CANCEL The calling program canceled the callback; response is NULL

          GETDNS_CALLBACK_TIMEOUT The requested action timed out; response is NULL

          GETDNS_CALLBACK_ERROR The requested action had an error; response is NULL

       response A response object with the response data. This is described in the section titled
          "RESPONSE DATA" elsewhere in this manual page. The response object is part of the API's
          memory space, and will be freed by the API with the callback returns.

       userarg Identical to the userarg passed to the calling function.

       transaction_id  The  transaction  identified  assigned  by  the  calling function, used to
          associate a DNS response to a specific DNS request.

       To cancel an outstanding callback, use the following function.

          getdns_return_t
          getdns_cancel_callback (getdns_context_t context, getdns_transaction_t transaction_id)

       This causes the API to call the callback with a callback_type of GETDNS_CALLBACK_CANCEL if
       the  callback  for  this transaction_id has not already been called. The callback code for
       cancellation should clean up any memory  related  to  the  identified  call,  such  as  to
       deallocate  the  memory  for the userarg. getdns_cancel_callback() may return immediately,
       even before the callback finishes its work and returns.  Calling  getdns_cancel_callback()
       with  a  transaction_id  of  a  callback  that  has  already  been  called  or  an unknown
       transaction_id        returns        GETDNS_RETURN_UNKNOWN_TRANSACTION;         otherwise,
       getdns_cancel_callback() returns GETDNS_RETURN_GOOD.

FILES

EXAMPLES

       TBD

DIAGNOSTICS

       TBD

SEE ALSO

       getdns_address(3),      getdns_bindata(3),      getdns_context(3),      getdns_convert(3),
       getdns_dict(3),       getdns_general(3),        getdns_hostname(3),        getdns_list(3),
       getdns_root_trust_anchor(3) getdns_service(3) getdns_validate_dnssec(3)

REPORTING PROBLEMS

       Bug reports should be sent to the getdns-bugs@getdns.net

AUTHORS

       The  getdns API was documented by Paul Hoffman.  This implementation of the getdns API was
       written by:

          Craig Despeaux, Verisign Inc.
          John Dickinson, Sinodun
          Sara Dickinson, Sinodun
          Neel Goyal, Verisign Inc.
          Shumon Huque, Verisign Labs
          Olaf Kolkman, NLnet Labs
          Allison Mankin, Verisign Inc. - Verisign Labs.
          Melinda Shore, No Mountain Software LLC
          Willem Toorop, NLnet Labs
          Gowri Visweswaran, Verisign Labs
          Wouter Wijngaards, NLnet Labs
          Glen Wiley, Verisign Inc.