avahi-browse-domains

avahi-browse-domains [options]

-h, --help
    Show detailed help page.

-V, --version
    Display version information and exit.

-v, --verbose
    Increase output verbosity for more details.

-d, --debug
    Enable debug messages for troubleshooting.

-k, --cache
    Use only locally cached data; no network queries.

-t, --terminate
    Exit immediately after receiving first packet.

avahi-browse-domains is a command-line utility from the Avahi package, the leading Zeroconf (Zero Configuration Networking) implementation for Linux and Unix-like systems. It enables discovery of browsing domains advertised via Multicast DNS (mDNS) and DNS Service Discovery (DNS-SD) protocols on the local network.

This tool queries the running avahi-daemon to list all available domains where services are being published or browsed. Common domains include .local for link-local services, but it reveals custom or federated domains like .example.com if configured. Domains scope service discovery, allowing organized grouping of services beyond the default LAN scope.

By default, it continuously monitors multicast traffic, printing updates in real-time: = for established domains, + for newly advertised, and - for withdrawn ones. Each line shows the domain name and interface flags (e.g., eth0). This is invaluable for network administrators debugging service discovery, troubleshooting Avahi setups, or mapping Zeroconf topology in environments with IoT devices, printers, or shared services.

Output is color-coded in terminals supporting it, with green for additions, red for removals. The tool depends on avahi-daemon (8) being active and requires no root privileges for basic use. It's lightweight, non-interactive, and integrates well with scripts for automation.

Requires avahi-daemon(8) to be running; continuous output unless -t specified; may miss transient domains without persistent monitoring.
Local firewall must allow mDNS (UDP 5353).

Lines prefixed with = (established), + (new), - (gone); e.g., = eth0 IPv4 example.local.

avahi-browse-domains (continuous monitor)
avahi-browse-domains -t -k (cached snapshot only)

Introduced in Avahi 0.6 (2006) as part of the core client tools. Avahi project started in 2004 by Lennart Poettering to port Apple's Bonjour to Linux; avahi-browse-domains evolved for domain-level introspection in multi-domain setups.

avahi-browse(1), avahi-publish-domain(1), avahi-daemon(8), avahi-resolve(1)