I'm excited to share a comprehensive example repository that demonstrates the complete workflow from DNSControl JavaScript configurations to a production-ready containerized DNS server:
🔗 Repository: https://github.com/fini-net/fini-coredns-example
{{< github_repo owner=fini-net repo=fini-coredns-example >}}
What This Provides
This repository showcases a real-world implementation of:
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JavaScript DNS Configuration: Clean, maintainable DNS record definitions using DNSControl syntax - DNSControl → CoreDNS Integration: Many don't realize that DNSControl's BIND provider generates zone files that CoreDNS can serve directly! - Automated BIND Zone Generation:
dnscontrol pushconverts JS configs to standard BIND zone files - Containerized DNS Server: CoreDNS container serving the generated zones (available in GHCR) - Comprehensive Testing: Go test suite validating DNS responses for A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT, NS, and MX records - Complete Development Workflow:justcommand recipes for the entire build → test → deploy cycle
Key Features
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Two Example Domains:
example.com(traditional setup) andexample.org(Google Workspace integration) - RFC Compliance: Uses reserved domains (RFC2606) and private IP ranges (RFC1918/RFC4193) - Automated Testing: 10+ specific DNS record validations with detailed test output - Container Registry: Pre-built images available atghcr.io/fini-net/fini-coredns-example- Documentation: Complete setup instructions and usage examples
Quick Demo
bash git clone https://github.com/fini-net/fini-coredns-example cd fini-coredns-example just push # Generate BIND files from JavaScript (optional, already in the container) just build_con # Build CoreDNS container (optional, container is in GHCR) just run_con # Start DNS server on port 1029 just test_quick # Run quick test (just a dig) just test_dns # Run automated test suite (written in Golang)
Why This Matters
If you're already using DNSControl to manage your DNS configurations, you've probably wondered about the next step: how do you actually serve those zones reliably? This repository addresses common sysadmin challenges:
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"How do I test my DNS changes before they go live?" - Automated Go tests validate actual DNS responses, not just config syntax 2. "Can I run my own authoritative DNS without BIND complexity?" - CoreDNS provides a simpler, container-native alternative that directly consumes DNSControl's BIND output 3. "How do I integrate DNS deployment into modern infrastructure?" - Complete containerization with pre-built GHCR images and
justworkflow automation 4. "What's the path from DNSControl development to production DNS service?" - End-to-end example from JavaScript configs to running DNS server
The testing component is particularly valuable for sysadmins - it validates not just that your DNSControl configs compile, but that they actually resolve correctly when served to clients. No more deploying DNS changes and hoping they work!
Use Cases
- Learning DNSControl: See practical JavaScript DNS configurations in action - Container Deployment: Reference implementation for containerized DNS services - Testing Patterns: Example of automated DNS validation - CI/CD Integration: Templates for automated DNS deployment workflows
I hope this helps teams looking to implement robust DNS management workflows. The repository includes comprehensive documentation and follows DNS best practices throughout.
Feedback and contributions are very welcome!