KNOTD(8) Knot DNS KNOTD(8)

knotd - Knot DNS server daemon

knotd [config_option] [options]

Knot DNS is a high-performance authoritative DNS server. The knotd program is the DNS server daemon.

Use a textual configuration file (default is /etc/knot/knot.conf).
Use a binary configuration database directory (default is /var/lib/knot/confdb). The default configuration database, if exists, has a preference to the default configuration file.

Set maximum size of the configuration database (default is 500 MiB, maximum 10000 MiB).
Use a remote control UNIX socket path (default is /run/knot/knot.sock).
Run the server as a daemon. New root directory may be specified (default is /).
Enable debug output.
Print the program help.
Print the program version. The option -VV makes the program print the compile time configuration summary.

The knotd process handles the following signals:

  • SIGINT – Stop the process.
  • SIGHUP – Reload the server configuration and reopen configured log files.
  • SIGUSR1 – Reload all configured zones (not recommended with catalog zones).

Exit status of 0 means successful operation. Any other exit status indicates an error.

knot.conf(5), knotc(8), keymgr(8), kjournalprint(8).

CZ.NIC, z.s.p.o. and contributors https://www.knot-dns.cz/

Copyright (C) CZ.NIC, z.s.p.o. and contributors

2026-01-16 3.5.3