Shell Script To Create BIND Zone Files

First, you need to customize configuration file as follows.

Sample ns.profile.nixcraft.net configuration file

Define your default TTL, EMAIL ID and other stuff. Also, set your mail server and nameserver IPs using bash array. Save file as follows ns.profile.nixcraft.net:

# defaults profile for nameserver ns1.nixcraft.net
# 
TTL="3h"                      # Default TTL
ATTL="3600"		      # Default TTL for each DNS rec	
EMAILID="vivek.nixcraft.in." # hostmaster email
REFRESH="3h"                  # Refresh After 3 hours
RETRY="1h"                    # Retry Retry after 1 hour
EXPIER="1w"		      # Expire after 1 week
MAXNEGTIVE="1h"		      # Minimum negative caching of 1 hour	

# name server names FQDN 
NAMESERVERS=("ns1.nixcraft.net." "ns2.nixcraft.net." "ns3.nixcraft.net.")

# name server IPs, 
# leave it blank if you don't need them as follows
NAMESERVERSIP=()
#NAMESERVERSIP=("202.54.1.10" "203.54.1.10" "204.54.1.40")

# mail server names
# leave it blank if you don't need them
MAILSERVERS=("mail.nixcraft.net.")
#MAILSERVERS=("smtp1.nixcraft.net." "smtp2.nixcraft.net.")

################# add your own A recored here ##########################
# You can add additonal A recs using following function
function LoadCutomeARecords(){
echo >/dev/null # keep this line
# Uncomment or add A recoreds as per your requirments
# echo "ftp			$ATTL	IN	A	202.54.2.2"
# echo "webmail			$ATTL	IN	A	202.54.2.5"
# echo "ipv6host			$ATTL	IN	AAAA	2001:470:1f0e:c2::1"
}

# defaults profile for nameserver ns1.nixcraft.net

TTL="3h" # Default TTL

ATTL="3600" # Default TTL for each DNS rec

EMAILID="vivek.nixcraft.in." # hostmaster email

REFRESH="3h" # Refresh After 3 hours

RETRY="1h" # Retry Retry after 1 hour

EXPIER="1w" # Expire after 1 week

MAXNEGTIVE="1h" # Minimum negative caching of 1 hour

# name server names FQDN

NAMESERVERS=("ns1.nixcraft.net." "ns2.nixcraft.net." "ns3.nixcraft.net.")

# name server IPs,

# leave it blank if you don't need them as follows

NAMESERVERSIP=()

#NAMESERVERSIP=("202.54.1.10" "203.54.1.10" "204.54.1.40")

# mail server names

# leave it blank if you don't need them

MAILSERVERS=("mail.nixcraft.net.")

#MAILSERVERS=("smtp1.nixcraft.net." "smtp2.nixcraft.net.")

################# add your own A recored here ##########################

# You can add additonal A recs using following function

function LoadCutomeARecords(){

echo >/dev/null # keep this line

# Uncomment or add A recoreds as per your requirments

# echo "ftp $ATTL IN A 202.54.2.2"

# echo "webmail $ATTL IN A 202.54.2.5"

# echo "ipv6host $ATTL IN AAAA 2001:470:1f0e:c2::1"

}

Add additional records using LoadCutomeARecords(). You can create multiple nameserver configuration file and call it from mkzone.sh.

mkzone.sh: Shell script to create BIND zone file

#!/bin/bash
# A Bash shell script to create BIND ZONE FILE.
# Tested under BIND 8.x / 9.x, RHEL, DEBIAN, Fedora Linux.
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Copyright (c) 2002,2009 Vivek Gite <vivek@nixcraft.com>
# This script is licensed under GNU GPL version 2.0 or above
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
# This script is part of nixCraft shell script collection (NSSC)
# Visit http://bash.cyberciti.biz/ for more information.
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Examples:
# ./mkzone.sh example.com default-www-IP-address
# ./mkzone.sh cyberciti.biz 74.12.5.1
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Last updated on: Mar/24/2007 - Fixed a few bugs.
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOMAIN="$1"
WWWIP="$2"

if [ $# -le 1 ]
then
	echo "Syntax: $(basename $0) domainname www.domain.ip.address [profile]"
	echo "$(basename $0) example.com 1.2.3.4"
	exit 1
fi

# get profile
PROFILE="ns.profile.nixcraft.net"
[ "$3" != "" ] && PROFILE="$3"

SERIAL=$(date +"%Y%m%d")01                     # Serial yyyymmddnn

# load profile
source "$PROFILE"

# set default ns1
NS1=${NAMESERVERS[0]}

###### start SOA ######
echo "\$ORIGIN ${DOMAIN}."
echo "\$TTL ${TTL}"
echo "@	IN	SOA	${NS1}	${EMAILID}("
echo "			${SERIAL}	; Serial yyyymmddnn"
echo "			${REFRESH}		; Refresh After 3 hours"
echo "			${RETRY}		; Retry Retry after 1 hour"
echo "			${EXPIER}		; Expire after 1 week"
echo "			${MAXNEGTIVE})		; Minimum negative caching of 1 hour"
echo ""

###### start Name servers #######
# Get length of an array
tLen=${#NAMESERVERS[@]}

# use for loop read all nameservers
echo "; Name servers for $DOMAIN" 
for (( i=0; i<${tLen}; i++ ));
do
	echo "@			${ATTL}	IN	NS	${NAMESERVERS[$i]}"
done

###### start MX section #######
# get length of an array
tmLen=${#MAILSERVERS[@]}
 
# use for loop read all mailservers 
echo "; MX Records" 
for (( i=0; i<${tmLen}; i++ ));
do
	echo "@			${ATTL}	IN 	MX	$(( 10*${i} + 10 ))	${MAILSERVERS[$i]}"
done


###### start A pointers #######
# A Records - Default IP for domain 
echo '; A Records'
echo "@ 			${ATTL}	IN 	A	${WWWIP}"

# Default Nameserver IPs
# get length of an array
ttLen=${#NAMESERVERSIP[@]}

# make sure both nameserver and their IP match
if [ $tLen -eq $ttLen ]
then
# use for loop read all nameservers IPs
for (( i=0; i<${ttLen}; i++ ));
do
  	thisNs="$(echo ${NAMESERVERS[$i]} | cut -d'.' -f1)"
  	
	echo "${thisNs} 			${ATTL}	IN	A	${NAMESERVERSIP[$i]}"
done
else
	# if we are here means, our nameserver IPs are defined else where else...  do nothing
	:
fi

echo "; CNAME Records"
echo "www			${ATTL}	IN	CNAME	@"

LoadCutomeARecords

100

#!/bin/bash

# A Bash shell script to create BIND ZONE FILE.

# Tested under BIND 8.x / 9.x, RHEL, DEBIAN, Fedora Linux.

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------

# This script is licensed under GNU GPL version 2.0 or above

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------

# This script is part of nixCraft shell script collection (NSSC)

# Visit http://bash.cyberciti.biz/ for more information.

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Examples:

# ./mkzone.sh example.com default-www-IP-address

# ./mkzone.sh cyberciti.biz 74.12.5.1

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Last updated on: Mar/24/2007 - Fixed a few bugs.

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------

DOMAIN="$1"

WWWIP="$2"

if [ $# -le 1 ]

then

echo "Syntax: $(basename $0) domainname www.domain.ip.address [profile]"

echo "$(basename $0) example.com 1.2.3.4"

exit 1

# get profile

PROFILE="ns.profile.nixcraft.net"

[ "$3" != "" ] && PROFILE="$3"

SERIAL=$(date +"%Y%m%d")01 # Serial yyyymmddnn

# load profile

source "$PROFILE"

# set default ns1

NS1=${NAMESERVERS[0]}

###### start SOA ######

echo "\$ORIGIN ${DOMAIN}."

echo "\$TTL ${TTL}"

echo "@ IN SOA ${NS1} ${EMAILID}("

echo " ${SERIAL} ; Serial yyyymmddnn"

echo " ${REFRESH} ; Refresh After 3 hours"

echo " ${RETRY} ; Retry Retry after 1 hour"

echo " ${EXPIER} ; Expire after 1 week"

echo " ${MAXNEGTIVE}) ; Minimum negative caching of 1 hour"

echo ""

###### start Name servers #######

# Get length of an array

tLen=${#NAMESERVERS[@]}

# use for loop read all nameservers

echo "; Name servers for $DOMAIN"

for (( i=0; i<${tLen}; i++ ));

echo "@ ${ATTL} IN NS ${NAMESERVERS[$i]}"

done

###### start MX section #######

# get length of an array

tmLen=${#MAILSERVERS[@]}

# use for loop read all mailservers

echo "; MX Records"

for (( i=0; i<${tmLen}; i++ ));

echo "@ ${ATTL} IN MX $(( 10*${i} + 10 )) ${MAILSERVERS[$i]}"

done

###### start A pointers #######

# A Records - Default IP for domain

echo '; A Records'

echo "@ ${ATTL} IN A ${WWWIP}"

# Default Nameserver IPs

# get length of an array

ttLen=${#NAMESERVERSIP[@]}

# make sure both nameserver and their IP match

if [ $tLen -eq $ttLen ]

then

# use for loop read all nameservers IPs

for (( i=0; i<${ttLen}; i++ ));

thisNs="$(echo ${NAMESERVERS[$i]} | cut -d'.' -f1)"

echo "${thisNs} ${ATTL} IN A ${NAMESERVERSIP[$i]}"

done

else

# if we are here means, our nameserver IPs are defined else where else... do nothing

echo "; CNAME Records"

echo "www ${ATTL} IN CNAME @"

LoadCutomeARecords

How do I use this script?

Simply type the command as follows to create a zone file for cyberciti.com domain with 202.54.1.2 as default www IP:
# ./mkzone.sh cyberciti.com 202.54.1.2 ns.profile.nixcraft.net
Sample output:

$ORIGIN cyberciti.com.
$TTL 3h
@	IN	SOA	ns1.nixcraft.net.	vivek.nixcraft.in.(
			2009032401	; Serial yyyymmddnn
			3h		; Refresh After 3 hours
			1h		; Retry Retry after 1 hour
			1w		; Expire after 1 week
			1h)		; Minimum negative caching of 1 hour

; Name servers for cyberciti.com
@			3600	IN	NS	ns1.nixcraft.net.
@			3600	IN	NS	ns2.nixcraft.net.
@			3600	IN	NS	ns3.nixcraft.net.
; MX Records
@			3600	IN 	MX	10	mail.nixcraft.net.
; A Records
@ 			3600	IN 	A	202.54.1.2
; CNAME Records
www			3600	IN	CNAME	@

$ORIGIN cyberciti.com.

$TTL 3h

@ IN SOA ns1.nixcraft.net. vivek.nixcraft.in.(

2009032401 ; Serial yyyymmddnn

3h ; Refresh After 3 hours

1h ; Retry Retry after 1 hour

1w ; Expire after 1 week

1h) ; Minimum negative caching of 1 hour

; Name servers for cyberciti.com

@ 3600 IN NS ns1.nixcraft.net.

@ 3600 IN NS ns2.nixcraft.net.

@ 3600 IN NS ns3.nixcraft.net.

; MX Records

@ 3600 IN MX 10 mail.nixcraft.net.

; A Records

@ 3600 IN A 202.54.1.2

; CNAME Records

www 3600 IN CNAME @

To save output to a zone file called /var/named/chroot/etc/bind/master/c/cyberciti.com, type:
# ./mkzone.sh cyberciti.com 202.54.1.2 ns.profile.nixcraft.net > /var/named/chroot/etc/bind/master/c/cyberciti.com

7 comment

rodel@lsca.edu.ph says:
April 27, 2012 at 12:37 am
I am receiving error when i type the command
[root@lsca /]# ./mkzone.sh cyberciti.com 202.54.1.2 ns.profile.lsca.edu.ph
bash: ./mkzone.sh: Permission denied
1. Germano Pires Ferreira says:
  May 4, 2013 at 12:22 am
  sorry but… you try …
  # chmod 755 mkzone.sh before execute this script?
Rob says:
April 20, 2012 at 11:42 am
I’ve been working on a few scripts to enable adding and removal of records.
Don’t suppose anything exists already?

Hi,

I realize this post is several years old now, but I came across it looking to simplify my life. This script worked perfectly. In an effort to further simply my life however, I added your script to a simple launcher to make the db file, add the zone to named.conf.local, restart bind and run an nslookup on the newly created domain. If you or anyone else that finds this page are interested, I am pasting it below.

#!/bin/bash

echo -n "==> Enter a new domain name (domain.com): "
read DOMAIN
echo -n "==> Enter the IP Address (192.168.0.1): "
read WWWIP
echo "Setting up files for $DOMAIN at $WWWIP"

./mkzone.sh $DOMAIN $WWWIP > /etc/bind/zones/$DOMAIN.db

echo "Adding zone to named.conf.local"
echo -e "#Zone for $DOMAIN
zone 42$DOMAIN42 {
     type master;
     file 42/etc/bind/zones/$DOMAIN.db42;
};

" >> /etc/bind/named.conf.local

echo "Restarting Bind"
/etc/init.d/bind9 restart

echo "Running nslookup"
nslookup $DOMAIN

echo -n "==> Enter a new domain name (domain.com): "

read DOMAIN

echo -n "==> Enter the IP Address (192.168.0.1): "

read WWWIP

echo "Setting up files for $DOMAIN at $WWWIP"

./mkzone.sh $DOMAIN $WWWIP > /etc/bind/zones/$DOMAIN.db

echo "Adding zone to named.conf.local"

echo -e "#Zone for $DOMAIN

zone 42$DOMAIN42 {

type master;

file 42/etc/bind/zones/$DOMAIN.db42;

};

" >> /etc/bind/named.conf.local

echo "Restarting Bind"

/etc/init.d/bind9 restart

echo "Running nslookup"

nslookup $DOMAIN

Hello KIng SABRI says:
February 14, 2011 at 5:30 pm
I’m working on a same script i’m onthe satrt i got eveything copied but the editing part is where ibe stuck but i figure it out any way when i need help i ask youhere guys thanks
nice script any way
i migh use some of your ideas mr vivek
thanks
Xenwater says:
October 13, 2010 at 5:21 am
Hi very nice script,
thank you
KING SABRI says:
May 31, 2009 at 6:40 am
Great Mr.Vivek
I trying to make complete Bind Script (From A-Z)
– asking to Adding Static IP
– asking Adding Hostname of server
– Installing bind
– configure /etc/named.conf
– configure /var/named/myZone.zone
– configure /var/named/myZone.rr.zone
% I’m still beginner , but I’ll better %
thank you sir

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Sample ns.profile.nixcraft.net configuration file

mkzone.sh: Shell script to create BIND zone file

How do I use this script?

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7 comment