Loop

Contents

• What is Loop?
• Why use Loop?
• Features
• Installation
• Documentation
• Support

What is Loop?

Loop is an enterprise-grade DNS software distribution. It is maintained as a DNS reference implementation by closely adhering to the DNS standards. Loop includes the following components:

DNS nameserver

• named — DNS nameserver daemon that implements authoritative server and recursive resolver features

DNS clients

• dig — DNS client with comprehensive DNS query capabilities
• host — Simple DNS lookup client
• mdig — DNS client that uses pipelining when sending multiple queries
• nsupdate — DNS client that submits dynamic DNS UPDATEs to a nameserver

DNS and Loop utilities

• arpaname — Translates an IP address to its corresponding reverse name in the in-addr.arpa. and ip6.arpa. domains
• ddns-confgen — Generates TSIG keys and configuration for use with nsupdate for dynamic DNS UPDATEs
• named-checkconf — Checks a named.conf config file for syntax and correctness
• named-checkzone — Checks a zone master file for syntax and correctness
• named-journalprint — Prints the contents of a zone journal file in a human-readable format
• named-rrchecker — Checks a single resource record for syntax and correctness
• nsec3hash — Generates an NSEC3 hash based on a set of NSEC3 parameters
• rndc — Utility to send control messages to a running named process
• rndc-confgen — Generates rndc keys and configuration to authenticate control messages

DNSSEC utilities

• dnssec-keygen — Generates DNSKEYs for DNSSEC, and KEYs for use with TSIG
• dnssec-signzone — Signs a DNS zone by generating RRSIG and NSEC/NSEC3 records
• dnssec-verify — Verifies that a zone is fully signed, and that its NSEC/NSEC3 chains are complete
• dnssec-dsfromkey — Generates DS and CDS resource records from DNSKEYs
• dnssec-importkey — Imports an externally created public DNSKEY so it can be used with Loop
• dnssec-keyfromlabel — Generates a DNSKEY keypair for a key object stored in a HSM so it can be used with Loop
• dnssec-revoke — Sets the REVOKE bit (RFC 5011) in the DNSKEY flags
• dnssec-settime — Sets DNSKEY timing metadata used in key scheduling
• delv — DNS client that performs DNSSEC lookups and validation

DNS performance testing utilities

• dnsperf — DNS client that measures DNS nameserver performance
• resperf — DNS client that measures DNS resolver performance
• resperf-report — Runs resperf and generates a HTML report with graphs

These programs implement various DNS protocols and features. Loop programs and their config files are extensively documented in the Loop User Manual and manpages.

Why use Loop?

Here are some reasons for using Loop:

• You want to serve your authoritative zones.
• You want to run a local caching resolver in your LAN for higher performance and better privacy.
• You would like to have control over your local network's DNS responses by running a local resolver that filters or rewrites queries to web domains.
• You want to use different DNS configurations that process DNS queries differently depending on their properties.
• You have a large number of authoritative zones or a large number of clients requiring large cache sizes, and want a DNS implementation that scales and performs well.
• You want a well-documented DNS product.
• You want to use DNS software packages where the very same binaries have been tested before being published.
• You like a distributed global DNS infrastructure that is not concentrated among some CDNs for a more healthy internet.

Loop features

This section is yet to be written.

Loop installation

Loop software packages are available for the following operating system platforms:

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (x86_64)
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (aarch64)
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (x86_64)
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (aarch64)
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (x86_64)
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (aarch64)
• Fedora Linux 42 (x86_64)
• Fedora Linux 42 (aarch64)
• Fedora Linux 41 (x86_64)
• Fedora Linux 41 (aarch64)

Users of Red Hat Enterprise Linux clones such as Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux can use the Red Hat Enterprise Linux packages of the corresponding distribution version and follow the corresponding installation instructions.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (x86_64)

To install Loop version 1.99.4 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (x86_64), follow these steps as the root user.

First, install the loop-release RPM package that will add the loop-epel and loop-epel-testing DNF repositories to your system, as well as associated GPG keys used to verify signed RPM packages from these repositories:

# dnf install https://download.banu.com/packages/loop/1.99/epel/testing/10/x86_64/loop-release-1.99.4.20250713141817.bfebf34e59-1.el10.noarch.rpm

Then, install the loop RPM package that will install the Loop software and documentation:

# dnf install loop

Then, if you wish to run the nameserver, configure named suitably by editing /etc/loop/named.conf, and then run it:

# systemctl enable --now named

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (aarch64)

To install Loop version 1.99.4 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (aarch64), follow these steps as the root user.

First, install the loop-release RPM package that will add the loop-epel and loop-epel-testing DNF repositories to your system, as well as associated GPG keys used to verify signed RPM packages from these repositories:

# dnf install https://download.banu.com/packages/loop/1.99/epel/testing/10/aarch64/loop-release-1.99.4.20250713141817.bfebf34e59-1.el10.noarch.rpm

Then, install the loop RPM package that will install the Loop software and documentation:

# dnf install loop

Then, if you wish to run the nameserver, configure named suitably by editing /etc/loop/named.conf, and then run it:

# systemctl enable --now named

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (x86_64)

To install Loop version 1.99.4 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (x86_64), follow these steps as the root user.

First, install the loop-release RPM package that will add the loop-epel and loop-epel-testing DNF repositories to your system, as well as associated GPG keys used to verify signed RPM packages from these repositories:

# dnf install https://download.banu.com/packages/loop/1.99/epel/testing/9/x86_64/loop-release-1.99.4.20250713141817.bfebf34e59-1.el9.noarch.rpm

Then, install the loop RPM package that will install the Loop software and documentation:

# dnf install loop

Then, if you wish to run the nameserver, configure named suitably by editing /etc/loop/named.conf, and then run it:

# systemctl enable --now named

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (aarch64)

To install Loop version 1.99.4 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (aarch64), follow these steps as the root user.

First, install the loop-release RPM package that will add the loop-epel and loop-epel-testing DNF repositories to your system, as well as associated GPG keys used to verify signed RPM packages from these repositories:

# dnf install https://download.banu.com/packages/loop/1.99/epel/testing/9/aarch64/loop-release-1.99.4.20250713141817.bfebf34e59-1.el9.noarch.rpm

Then, install the loop RPM package that will install the Loop software and documentation:

# dnf install loop

Then, if you wish to run the nameserver, configure named suitably by editing /etc/loop/named.conf, and then run it:

# systemctl enable --now named

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (x86_64)

To install Loop version 1.99.4 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (x86_64), follow these steps as the root user.

First, install the loop-release RPM package that will add the loop-epel and loop-epel-testing DNF repositories to your system, as well as associated GPG keys used to verify signed RPM packages from these repositories:

# dnf install https://download.banu.com/packages/loop/1.99/epel/testing/8/x86_64/loop-release-1.99.4.20250713141817.bfebf34e59-1.el8.noarch.rpm

Then, install the loop RPM package that will install the Loop software and documentation:

# dnf install loop

Then, if you wish to run the nameserver, configure named suitably by editing /etc/loop/named.conf, and then run it:

# systemctl enable --now named

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (aarch64)

To install Loop version 1.99.4 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (aarch64), follow these steps as the root user.

First, install the loop-release RPM package that will add the loop-epel and loop-epel-testing DNF repositories to your system, as well as associated GPG keys used to verify signed RPM packages from these repositories:

# dnf install https://download.banu.com/packages/loop/1.99/epel/testing/8/aarch64/loop-release-1.99.4.20250713141817.bfebf34e59-1.el8.noarch.rpm

Then, install the loop RPM package that will install the Loop software and documentation:

# dnf install loop

Then, if you wish to run the nameserver, configure named suitably by editing /etc/loop/named.conf, and then run it:

# systemctl enable --now named

Fedora Linux 42 (x86_64)

To install Loop version 1.99.4 on Fedora Linux 42 (x86_64), follow these steps as the root user.

First, install the loop-release RPM package that will add the loop-fedora and loop-fedora-testing DNF repositories to your system, as well as associated GPG keys used to verify signed RPM packages from these repositories:

# dnf install https://download.banu.com/packages/loop/1.99/fedora/testing/42/x86_64/loop-release-1.99.4.20250713141817.bfebf34e59-1.fc42.noarch.rpm

Then, install the loop RPM package that will install the Loop software and documentation:

# dnf install loop

Then, if you wish to run the nameserver, configure named suitably by editing /etc/loop/named.conf, and then run it:

# systemctl enable --now named

Fedora Linux 42 (aarch64)

To install Loop version 1.99.4 on Fedora Linux 42 (aarch64), follow these steps as the root user.

First, install the loop-release RPM package that will add the loop-fedora and loop-fedora-testing DNF repositories to your system, as well as associated GPG keys used to verify signed RPM packages from these repositories:

# dnf install https://download.banu.com/packages/loop/1.99/fedora/testing/42/aarch64/loop-release-1.99.4.20250713141817.bfebf34e59-1.fc42.noarch.rpm

Then, install the loop RPM package that will install the Loop software and documentation:

# dnf install loop

Then, if you wish to run the nameserver, configure named suitably by editing /etc/loop/named.conf, and then run it:

# systemctl enable --now named

Fedora Linux 41 (x86_64)

To install Loop version 1.99.4 on Fedora Linux 41 (x86_64), follow these steps as the root user.

First, install the loop-release RPM package that will add the loop-fedora and loop-fedora-testing DNF repositories to your system, as well as associated GPG keys used to verify signed RPM packages from these repositories:

# dnf install https://download.banu.com/packages/loop/1.99/fedora/testing/41/x86_64/loop-release-1.99.4.20250713141817.bfebf34e59-1.fc41.noarch.rpm

Then, install the loop RPM package that will install the Loop software and documentation:

# dnf install loop

Then, if you wish to run the nameserver, configure named suitably by editing /etc/loop/named.conf, and then run it:

# systemctl enable --now named

Fedora Linux 41 (aarch64)

To install Loop version 1.99.4 on Fedora Linux 41 (aarch64), follow these steps as the root user.

First, install the loop-release RPM package that will add the loop-fedora and loop-fedora-testing DNF repositories to your system, as well as associated GPG keys used to verify signed RPM packages from these repositories:

# dnf install https://download.banu.com/packages/loop/1.99/fedora/testing/41/aarch64/loop-release-1.99.4.20250713141817.bfebf34e59-1.fc41.noarch.rpm

Then, install the loop RPM package that will install the Loop software and documentation:

# dnf install loop

Then, if you wish to run the nameserver, configure named suitably by editing /etc/loop/named.conf, and then run it:

# systemctl enable --now named

Loop documentation

Loop is documented in the Loop User Manual, and manpages are provided for the Loop programs and their config files. They are also installed as part of the software packages.

Loop support

• Personal users of Loop may email the public loop-list mailing list for support. To subscribe, please send email to <loop-list+subscribe@banu.com>. To post a question, please send email to <loop-list@banu.com>. Please note that this is a public discussions mailing list, and the email archive is available for viewing to the general public.
• Commercial users of Loop should follow the instructions provided to them for creating support tickets.