dig @server foobar +trace +recurse

[Anne Bennett]

Mark Andrews <marka at isc.org> responds to my suggestion:

>> [...] the "+trace"
>> option essentially overrides the @server specification, except for
>> the initial query for the root zone nameservers.  [...]
>> 
>> Is my understanding correct?
>> 
>> If it is, it might be helpful to add a quick note to the "dig"
>> manpage, perhaps under "SIMPLE USAGE", "server", something like:
[deleted]

> Given +trace isn't "simple usage" (dig @server name type), why would
> one say that in the simple usage section?

Fair enough, and well taken; I can modify my suggestion.

> +trace states that it is
> going to talk to each server in turn.

Very true, and very painfully obvious in retrospect, but
while I was in the throes of trying to figure out my problem,
this managed to somehow escape me for quite a while.  It would
still be nice to clarify it to avoid other people having the
same problem.

How about this:

>        +[no]trace
>            Toggle tracing of the delegation path from the root name servers
>            for the name being looked up. Tracing is disabled by default. When
>            tracing is enabled, dig makes iterative queries to resolve the name
>            being looked up. It will follow referrals from the root servers,
>            showing the answer from each server that was used to resolve the
>            lookup.

             If @server is also specified, it affects only the
             initial query for the root zone name servers.

>            +dnssec is also set when +trace is set to better emulate the
>            default queries from a nameserver.


Anne.
-- 
Ms. Anne Bennett, Senior Sysadmin, ENCS, Concordia University, Montreal H3G 1M8
anne at encs.concordia.ca                                    +1 514 848-2424 x2285