freehostent - Linux

Overview

freehostent is a lightweight command-line tool that frees the DNS host entry cache on Linux systems. This cache stores information about previously resolved host names and their corresponding IP addresses, improving the efficiency of subsequent DNS lookups. However, the cache can grow large over time, potentially slowing down DNS lookups. freehostent clears this cache, providing a performance boost for DNS-related tasks.

Syntax

freehostent [OPTIONS]

Options/Flags

None.

Examples

Clear the DNS host entry cache:

freehostent

Common Issues

• No noticeable improvement: If the DNS host entry cache is not significantly large, you may not notice a noticeable performance improvement after running freehostent.
• Temporary performance gain: The DNS host entry cache automatically rebuilds over time, so the performance gain from clearing it is temporary.

Integration

• Combine with DNS tools: freehostent can be used in conjunction with other DNS tools, such as dig and nslookup.
• Automate with scripts: You can create scripts that periodically run freehostent to maintain optimal DNS performance.

Related Commands

• dig: Performs DNS lookups and displays detailed information about DNS records.
• nslookup: A command-line tool for querying DNS servers and retrieving information about hosts and domains.
• hostname: Displays the hostname of the current system.
• host: Looks up IP addresses or hostnames using DNS or other name resolution services.