PKDNS: Public Key DNS Server

PKDNS is a DNS server that enables self-sovereign and censorship-resistant domain names by resolving PKARR (Public Key Addressable Resource Records) hosted on the Mainline DHT. It bridges the gap between traditional DNS infrastructure and public key-based domains, allowing anyone to access the decentralized web using standard DNS protocols.

Overview

PKDNS makes public key domains accessible to everyone by acting as a DNS resolver that understands both traditional ICANN domains and PKARR-based public key domains. When you query a public key domain (52-character base32 encoded public key), PKDNS fetches the signed DNS records from the Mainline DHT, verifies the signature, and returns them to your browser or application—just like traditional DNS.

Key Innovation

Instead of relying on ICANN registrars and centralized name servers, PKDNS enables:

Self-sovereign domains: Your Ed25519 public key IS your domain
Censorship resistance: Records are distributed across ~10 million DHT nodes
No registration fees: Publish records directly to the DHT
Cryptographic verification: All records are signed and verifiable
ICANN fallback: Still resolves traditional domains seamlessly

How It Works

Resolution Flow

User queries domain: Browser or app requests 7fmjpcuuzf54hw18bsgi3zihzyh4awseeuq5tmojefaezjbd64cy
PKDNS recognizes format: Identifies 52-character base32 as a public key domain
DHT lookup: Queries the Mainline DHT for PKARR records associated with that public key
Signature verification: Validates that records were signed by the private key holder
Cache and return: Caches the verified records and returns DNS response to client
ICANN fallback: For traditional domains like example.com, forwards to upstream DNS (default: 8.8.8.8)

Public Key Domain Format

Public key domains use base32-encoded Ed25519 public keys:

Length: 52 characters (z-base-32 encoding)
Example: 7fmjpcuuzf54hw18bsgi3zihzyh4awseeuq5tmojefaezjbd64cy
Subdomains: Support standard subdomain syntax (e.g., blog.7fmjpcuuzf54hw18bsgi3zihzyh4awseeuq5tmojefaezjbd64cy)

Supported Record Types

PKDNS currently supports the most common DNS record types:

A: IPv4 addresses
AAAA: IPv6 addresses
TXT: Text records
CNAME: Canonical name records
MX: Mail exchange records

For other record types, use bind9 or similar full-featured DNS servers.

Features

DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH)

PKDNS supports DNS-over-HTTPS, enabling encrypted DNS queries from browsers:

Configure browser to use a PKDNS DoH endpoint
All DNS queries encrypted over HTTPS
Prevents ISP snooping on DNS traffic
Public DoH endpoints available in servers.txt

Caching

Multi-layer caching for optimal performance:

Response cache: Caches DNS responses to reduce DHT queries
PKARR cache: Stores verified PKARR records from DHT
Configurable TTL: Respects DNS TTL values from records

Rate Limiting

Built-in protection against abuse:

Per-IP rate limiting to prevent DoS attacks
Configurable thresholds and timeouts
Protects both the server and the DHT network

Dynamic DNS (DynDNS)

Support for dynamic IP updates:

CLI tool for publishing updated A/AAAA records
Automated IP detection from multiple providers
Periodic republishing to keep records alive on DHT
Perfect for home servers and dynamic IP addresses

Hybrid Resolution

Seamlessly resolves both public key domains and traditional domains:

Public key domains (52 chars) → DHT lookup
ICANN domains → Upstream DNS fallback
Configurable upstream DNS server
No special client configuration needed

Getting Started

Using Public Hosted Servers

The easiest way to try PKDNS:

Choose a public server: Check servers.txt for available DNS-over-HTTPS endpoints
Configure your browser:
- Firefox: Settings → Network Settings → Enable DNS over HTTPS → Custom → Enter DoH URL
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Security → Use secure DNS → Custom → Enter DoH URL
- Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Security → Use secure DNS → Choose provider
Test it works: Visit http://7fmjpcuuzf54hw18bsgi3zihzyh4awseeuq5tmojefaezjbd64cy/

Self-Hosting PKDNS

Pre-Built Binaries

# Download latest release for your platform
wget https://github.com/pubky/pkdns/releases/latest/download/pkdns-linux-x64.tar.gz
 
# Extract
tar -xzf pkdns-linux-x64.tar.gz
 
# Run (requires port 53 access)
sudo ./pkdns --verbose

Build from Source

# Install Rust toolchain
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
 
# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/pubky/pkdns.git
cd pkdns
cargo build --release
 
# Run
sudo ./target/release/pkdns --verbose

Docker Deployment

# Using Docker Compose
git clone https://github.com/pubky/pkdns.git
cd pkdns
docker compose up -d
 
# Or pull directly
docker pull synonymsoft/pkdns
docker run -p 53:53/udp -p 53:53/tcp synonymsoft/pkdns

Configuration

Command-Line Options

pkdns [OPTIONS]
 
Options:
  -f, --forward <FORWARD>      # ICANN fallback DNS server [default: 8.8.8.8:53]
  -v, --verbose                # Show verbose output [default: false]
  -c, --config <CONFIG>        # Path to config file
  -p, --pkdns-dir <PKDNS_DIR>  # Base directory for data [default: ~/.pkdns]
  -h, --help                   # Print help
  -V, --version                # Print version

Configuration File

Location: ~/.pkdns/pkdns.toml

Example configuration:

# Upstream DNS for ICANN domains
fallback_dns = "8.8.8.8:53"
 
# Enable DNS-over-HTTPS
[doh]
enabled = true
port = 443
cert_path = "/path/to/cert.pem"
key_path = "/path/to/key.pem"
 
# Rate limiting
[rate_limit]
requests_per_minute = 100
burst_size = 20
 
# Caching
[cache]
max_entries = 10000
ttl_seconds = 300

See sample-config.toml for full options.

Verification

Test that PKDNS is working correctly:

Verify Public Key Domain Resolution

# Replace SERVER_IP with your PKDNS server IP (127.0.0.1 for local)
nslookup 7fmjpcuuzf54hw18bsgi3zihzyh4awseeuq5tmojefaezjbd64cy SERVER_IP

Expected output: IP address(es) for the public key domain

Verify ICANN Domain Fallback

nslookup example.com SERVER_IP

Expected output: Standard DNS response for example.com

Browser Test

Navigate to: http://7fmjpcuuzf54hw18bsgi3zihzyh4awseeuq5tmojefaezjbd64cy/

Expected: Website loads successfully

Tip: Always add ./ at the end of public key domain URLs, otherwise browsers may search instead of resolve.

Publishing Your Own Public Key Domain

To publish a website on a public key domain:

Generate Key Pair

# Using pkdns CLI
pkdns-cli generate
 
# Outputs:
# Public key: 7fmjpcuuzf54hw18bsgi3zihzyh4awseeuq5tmojefaezjbd64cy
# Private key (seed): <52-character secret>

⚠️ Security: Store your private key securely. Anyone with the private key can publish records for your domain.

Create DNS Zone File

Create a standard DNS zone file with your records:

@ 3600 IN A 203.0.113.42
@ 3600 IN AAAA 2001:db8::1
www 3600 IN CNAME @

Publish to DHT

# Using pkdns CLI
pkdns-cli publish --seed <your-private-key> --zone-file records.zone
 
# Or with dynamic IP detection
pkdns-cli publish --seed <your-private-key> --zone-file records.zone --detect-ip

Keep Records Alive

DHT records expire after a few hours. For persistent domains:

# Manual republishing
while true; do
  pkdns-cli publish --seed <your-private-key> --zone-file records.zone
  sleep 3600  # Republish every hour
done
 
# Or use DynDNS features for automation

See the publishing guide for detailed instructions.

Use Cases

Self-Sovereign Web Publishing

Publish websites without:

Domain registrars (no annual fees)
DNS hosting services (no third-party control)
Renewal requirements (keys don’t expire)
Censorship risk (distributed across DHT)

Decentralized Applications

Enable dApps to use human-readable addresses:

No smart contract required for DNS
Cryptographic verification built-in
Works with existing web infrastructure
Low latency (~100ms typical resolution)

Development & Testing

Instant domain names for development:

Generate test domains in seconds
No registration or setup fees
Update records instantly
Perfect for CI/CD pipelines

Privacy-Focused Browsing

Access censorship-resistant content:

Records can’t be seized or altered
No central authority to pressure
Works through standard DNS protocols
Compatible with existing privacy tools

Personal Identity

Use your public key as your digital identity:

Single domain across all services
Provable ownership via signatures
No platform lock-in
Portable across applications

Architecture

Components

Server (pkdns): Main DNS server process

Listens on port 53 (UDP/TCP) for DNS queries
Optional DNS-over-HTTPS endpoint (port 443)
Multi-threaded request handling
Integration with Mainline DHT client

CLI Tool (pkdns-cli): Command-line utilities

Key generation and management
Record publishing and updates
Zone file parsing
Dynamic IP detection

PKARR Resolver: Core resolution logic

DHT query coordination
Signature verification
Record caching and TTL management
Bootstrap node management

Response Cache: Query optimization

In-memory cache of DNS responses
Configurable size and TTL
LRU eviction policy

Performance Characteristics

Resolution time: ~100-300ms for cold cache (DHT lookup)
Cached resolution: <1ms (memory lookup)
Throughput: Thousands of queries per second (cached)
Memory footprint: ~50MB base + cache size
DHT network: ~10 million nodes, high availability

Security Model

Cryptographic verification: All PKARR records are Ed25519-signed
No trust required: Clients verify signatures independently
Censorship resistance: Distributed storage across massive DHT
DoS protection: Rate limiting and query validation
Privacy: DoH encryption for DNS queries

Limitations & Considerations

Port 53 Requirement

DNS servers traditionally require port 53, which needs root/admin privileges:

Linux: Use sudo or configure capabilities
macOS: System services may occupy port 53 (Docker Desktop)
Windows: May conflict with other DNS services
Workaround: Use DNS-over-HTTPS only (doesn’t require port 53)

DHT Ephemeral Storage

Records expire after a few hours and must be republished:

Active domains: Need periodic republishing (~hourly)
Automated solutions: DynDNS features handle this
Trade-off: Prevents DHT pollution but requires maintenance

Record Size Limit

PKARR packets must be ≤1000 bytes:

Limits number of records per domain
Use CNAME indirection for complex setups
Consider multiple public keys if needed

Limited Record Type Support

Currently supports only: A, AAAA, TXT, CNAME, MX

Use bind9 for advanced record types (SRV, CAA, etc.)
May expand in future versions

Browser Trailing Slash

Browsers may search instead of resolve domains:

Always append ./ to public key domains in URL bar
Example: http://7fmjpcuuzf54hw18bsgi3zihzyh4awseeuq5tmojefaezjbd64cy./
Not needed for bookmarks or links

Troubleshooting

”Address already in use” Error

Problem: Port 53 is occupied by another service

Solutions:

Docker Desktop (macOS): Disable DNS proxy in Docker settings
systemd-resolved (Ubuntu): Disable or reconfigure
Alternative: Run only DoH server (doesn’t need port 53)

PKDNS Domains Don’t Resolve

Check:

Server running: ps aux | grep pkdns
Port accessible: nc -zvu 127.0.0.1 53
DHT connectivity: Check verbose logs for bootstrap
Firewall rules: Allow UDP/TCP port 53

ICANN Domains Don’t Resolve

Problem: Upstream DNS not configured correctly

Solution:

# Use reliable upstream DNS
pkdns -f 8.8.8.8:53  # Google DNS
pkdns -f 1.1.1.1:53  # Cloudflare DNS

Slow Resolution Times

Causes:

Cold cache (first query to DHT is slower)
DHT connectivity issues
Network latency