# Install nsd with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Name server daemon. Version 4.15.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-07. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install nsd. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:nsd ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install nsd ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install nsd ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: net/nsd/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add nsd ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install nsd ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: nsd from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install nsd ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nsd from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#nsd ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ns/nsd/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S nsd ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: nsd from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install nsd ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: nsd from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:nsd - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 4.15.0 - **Source summary:** Name server daemon - **Homepage:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-07T10:11:56Z - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - nsd (alias) - nsd-checkconf (alias) - nsd-checkzone (alias) - nsd-control (alias) - nsd-control-setup (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 4.15.0 ## Project history and usage NSD, the NLnet Labs Name Server Daemon, is an authoritative-only DNS server built for high-performance, reliable, secure authoritative service. It is intentionally not a recursive resolver; NLnet Labs points users needing recursive validating caching DNS to Unbound instead. ### Project history NSD was conceived around 2000 to add implementation diversity to DNS infrastructure that had converged heavily on BIND, especially around root and TLD name service. NLnet Labs and RIPE NCC built it from scratch as an authoritative server, and the NSD 3.0 release announcement on September 6, 2006 described it as RFC-compliant, authoritative-only, open source, and designed for speed, stability, and security. ### Adoption history NSD has real infrastructure adoption rather than hobby-only usage. NLnet Labs says it is suitable for TLD implementations and DNS root servers; its project page says three DNS root servers and many TLD registries use NSD as part of their server implementation. The 2006 NSD 3.0 announcement already named k.root-servers.net and several TLD registries as users. ### How it is used Administrators use NSD to serve authoritative zones from zone files and `nsd.conf`, validate configuration with `nsd-checkconf`, validate zones with `nsd-checkzone`, and manage the daemon with `nsd-control`. Its docs cover primary/secondary zones, TSIG, zone expiry, catalog zones, tuning, and XDP/AF_XDP sockets for high-throughput setups. ### Why package nerds care NSD is package-nerd significant because it is infrastructure software with a narrow, principled scope: authoritative DNS only. That makes it a common alternative or complement to BIND in environments where operational simplicity, codebase diversity, and high authoritative query rates matter. ### Timeline - 2000: conceived to improve DNS implementation diversity. - 2003-02-19: k.root-servers.net switched to NSD according to historical root-server references surfaced in NSD histories. - 2006-09-06: NSD 3.0 announced with IXFR, NOTIFY, DNAME, secondary-server improvements, and configuration-file support. - 2017-06-13: NLnetLabs/nsd GitHub repository created. - 2026-06-25: NSD 4.14.3 security release published. - 2026-06-30: NSD 4.15.0rc1 pre-release published with improved Prometheus metrics. ### Related projects - Unbound: NLnet Labs' validating recursive resolver, used when recursion/caching is needed instead of NSD's authoritative-only role. - simdzone: parser technology referenced by NLnet Labs for faster zone loading in NSD. ### Sources - - - - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: /etc/nsd/nsd.conf, /etc/nsd/nsd-control.conf ## Credential files - Unix: /etc/nsd/nsd_control.key, /etc/nsd/nsd_server.key, /etc/nsd/nsd_control.pem, /etc/nsd/nsd_server.pem ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - nsd - 4.12.0-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: nsd from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | authoritative domain name server | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/about/ - Nix - nsd: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ns/nsd/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - nsd - 4.8.0-1build3: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: nsd from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | authoritative domain name server | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/about/ - apk - nsd - 4.15.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd - apk - nsd-bash-completion - 4.15.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-bash-completion from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Bash completions for nsd | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd - apk - nsd-dbg - 4.15.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-dbg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server (debug symbols) | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd - apk - nsd-doc - 4.15.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server (documentation) | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd - apk - nsd-openrc - 4.15.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: nsd-openrc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server (OpenRC init scripts) | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd - dnf - nsd - 4.15.0-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: nsd from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Fast and lean authoritative DNS Name Server | http://www.nlnetlabs.nl/nsd/ - pacman - nsd - 4.15.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: nsd from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Authoritative only, high performance and simple DNS server | https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/nsd/ - zypper - nsd - 4.14.3-1.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: nsd from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | An authoritative-only domain name server | https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/nsd/about/ - MacPorts - nsd: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: net/nsd/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/nsd.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/nsd.yml) ## Sources - pkg.so package database - Geiger risk classifier - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph