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25.Dd December 23, 2016
26.Dt RESOLVCONF 8
27.Os
28.Sh NAME
29.Nm resolvconf
30.Nd a framework for managing multiple DNS configurations
31.Sh SYNOPSIS
32.Nm
33.Fl I
34.Nm
35.Op Fl m Ar metric
36.Op Fl p
37.Op Fl x
38.Fl a Ar interface Ns Op Ar .protocol
39.No < Ns Pa file
40.Nm
41.Fl C Ar pattern
42.Nm
43.Fl c Ar pattern
44.Nm
45.Op Fl f
46.Fl d Ar interface Ns Op Ar .protocol
47.Nm
48.Op Fl x
49.Fl il Ar pattern
50.Nm
51.Fl u
52.Nm
53.Fl Fl version
54.Sh DESCRIPTION
55.Nm
56manages
57.Xr resolv.conf 5
58files from multiple sources, such as DHCP and VPN clients.
59Traditionally, the host runs just one client and that updates
60.Pa /etc/resolv.conf .
61More modern systems frequently have wired and wireless interfaces and there is
62no guarantee both are on the same network.
63With the advent of VPN and other
64types of networking daemons, many things now contend for the contents of
65.Pa /etc/resolv.conf .
66.Pp
67.Nm
68solves this by letting the daemon send their
69.Xr resolv.conf 5
70file to
71.Nm
72via
73.Xr stdin 4
74with the argument
75.Fl a Ar interface Ns Op Ar .protocol
76instead of the filesystem.
77.Nm
78then updates
79.Pa /etc/resolv.conf
80as it thinks best.
81When a local resolver other than libc is installed, such as
82.Xr dnsmasq 8
83or
84.Xr named 8 ,
85then
86.Nm
87will supply files that the resolver should be configured to include.
88.Pp
89.Nm
90assumes it has a job to do.
91In some situations
92.Nm
93needs to act as a deterrent to writing to
94.Pa /etc/resolv.conf .
95Where this file cannot be made immutable or you just need to toggle this
96behaviour,
97.Nm
98can be disabled by adding
99.Sy resolvconf Ns = Ns NO
100to
101.Xr resolvconf.conf 5 .
102.Pp
103.Nm
104can mark an interfaces
105.Pa resolv.conf
106as private.
107This means that the name servers listed in that
108.Pa resolv.conf
109are only used for queries against the domain/search listed in the same file.
110This only works when a local resolver other than libc is installed.
111See
112.Xr resolvconf.conf 5
113for how to configure
114.Nm
115to use a local name server and how to remove the private marking.
116.Pp
117.Nm
118can mark an interfaces
119.Pa resolv.conf
120as exclusive.
121Only the latest exclusive interface is used for processing, otherwise all are.
122.Pp
123When an interface goes down, it should then call
124.Nm
125with
126.Fl d Ar interface.*
127arguments to delete the
128.Pa resolv.conf
129file(s) for all the
130.Ar protocols
131on the
132.Ar interface .
133For systems that support the concept of persisting configuration when
134the carrier goes down, then it should instead call
135.Nm
136with
137.Fl C Ar interface.*
138arguments to deprecate the matching interfaces and
139.Fl c Ar interface.*
140to activate the matching interfaces when the carrier comes up.
141This only affects the order in which interfaces are processed.
142.Pp
143Here are some options for the above commands:-
144.Bl -tag -width pattern_opt
145.It Fl f
146Ignore non existent interfaces.
147Only really useful for deleting interfaces.
148.It Fl m Ar metric
149Set the metric of the interface when adding it, default of 0.
150Lower metrics take precedence.
151This affects the default order of interfaces when listed.
152.It Fl p
153Marks the interface
154.Pa resolv.conf
155as private.
156.It Fl x
157Mark the interface
158.Pa resolv.conf
159as exclusive when adding, otherwise only use the latest exclusive interface.
160.El
161.Pp
162.Nm
163has some more commands for general usage:-
164.Bl -tag -width pattern_opt
165.It Fl i Ar pattern
166List the interfaces and protocols, optionally matching
167.Ar pattern ,
168we have
169.Pa resolv.conf
170files for.
171.It Fl l Ar pattern
172List the
173.Pa resolv.conf
174files we have.
175If
176.Ar pattern
177is specified then we list the files for the interfaces and protocols
178that match it.
179.It Fl u
180Force
181.Nm
182to update all its subscribers.
183.Nm
184does not update the subscribers when adding a resolv.conf that matches
185what it already has for that interface.
186.It Fl Fl version
187Echo the resolvconf version to
188.Em stdout .
189.El
190.Pp
191.Nm
192also has some commands designed to be used by its subscribers and
193system startup:-
194.Bl -tag -width pattern_opt
195.It Fl I
196Initialise the state directory
197.Pa @VARDIR@ .
198This only needs to be called if the initial system boot sequence does not
199automatically clean it out; for example the state directory is moved
200somewhere other than
201.Pa /var/run .
202If used, it should only be called once as early in the system boot sequence
203as possible and before
204.Nm
205is used to add interfaces.
206.It Fl R
207Echo the command used to restart a service.
208.It Fl r Ar service
209If the
210.Ar service
211is running then restart it.
212If the service does not exist or is not running then zero is returned,
213otherwise the result of restarting the service.
214.It Fl v
215Echo variables DOMAINS, SEARCH and NAMESERVERS so that the subscriber can
216configure the resolver easily.
217.It Fl V
218Same as
219.Fl v
220except that only the information configured in
221.Xr resolvconf.conf 5
222is set.
223.El
224.Sh INTERFACE ORDERING
225For
226.Nm
227to work effectively, it has to process the resolv.confs for the interfaces
228in the correct order.
229.Nm
230first processes interfaces from the
231.Sy interface_order
232list, then interfaces without a metric and that match the
233.Sy dynamic_order
234list, then interfaces with a metric in order and finally the rest in
235the operating systems lexical order.
236See
237.Xr resolvconf.conf 5
238for details on these lists.
239.Sh PROTOCOLS
240Here are some suggested protocol tags to use for each
241.Pa resolv.conf
242file registered on an
243.Ar interface Ns No :-
244.Bl -tag -width pattern_opt
245.It dhcp
246Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.
247Initial versions of
248.Nm
249did not recommend a
250.Ar protocol
251tag be appended to the
252.Ar interface
253name.
254When the protocol is absent, it is assumed to be the DHCP protocol.
255.It ppp
256Point-to-Point Protocol.
257.It ra
258IPv6 Router Advertisement.
259.It dhcp6
260Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, version 6.
261.El
262.Sh IMPLEMENTATION NOTES
263If a subscriber has the executable bit then it is executed otherwise it is
264assumed to be a shell script and sourced into the current environment in a
265subshell.
266This is done so that subscribers can remain fast, but are also not limited
267to the shell language.
268.Pp
269Portable subscribers should not use anything outside of
270.Pa /bin
271and
272.Pa /sbin
273because
274.Pa /usr
275and others may not be available when booting.
276Also, it would be unwise to assume any shell specific features.
277.Sh ENVIRONMENT
278.Bl -ohang
279.It Va IF_METRIC
280If the
281.Fl m
282option is not present then we use
283.Va IF_METRIC
284for the metric.
285.It Va IF_PRIVATE
286Marks the interface
287.Pa resolv.conf
288as private.
289.It Va IF_EXCLUSIVE
290Marks the interface
291.Pa resolv.conf
292as exclusive.
293.El
294.Sh FILES
295.Bl -ohang
296.It Pa /etc/resolv.conf.bak
297Backup file of the original resolv.conf.
298.It Pa @SYSCONFDIR@/resolvconf.conf
299Configuration file for
300.Nm .
301.It Pa @LIBEXECDIR@
302Directory of subscribers which are run every time
303.Nm
304adds, deletes or updates.
305.It Pa @LIBEXECDIR@/libc.d
306Directory of subscribers which are run after the libc subscriber is run.
307.It Pa @VARDIR@
308State directory for
309.Nm .
310.El
311.Sh SEE ALSO
312.Xr resolver 3 ,
313.Xr stdin 4 ,
314.Xr resolv.conf 5 ,
315.Xr resolvconf.conf 5
316.Sh HISTORY
317This implementation of
318.Nm
319is called openresolv and is fully command line compatible with Debian's
320resolvconf, as written by Thomas Hood.
321.Sh AUTHORS
322.An Roy Marples Aq Mt roy@marples.name
323.Sh BUGS
324Please report them to
325.Lk http://roy.marples.name/projects/openresolv
326.Pp
327.Nm
328does not validate any of the files given to it.
329.Pp
330When running a local resolver other than libc, you will need to configure it
331to include files that
332.Nm
333will generate.
334You should consult
335.Xr resolvconf.conf 5
336for instructions on how to configure your resolver.
337