avahi-resolve

Resolve a local service to its IPv4

$ avahi-resolve -4 [[-n|--name]] [service.local]

$ avahi-resolve [[-v|--verbose]] [[-a|--address]] [IP]

avahi-resolve [options] <hostname or service name>

-4, --ipv4
    Forces the resolution to only look up IPv4 addresses.

-6, --ipv6
    Forces the resolution to only look up IPv6 addresses.

-n, --no-reverse
    Prevents the command from performing reverse lookups (PTR queries).

-v, --verbose
    Enables verbose output, providing more detailed information about the resolution process.

-h, --help
    Displays a brief help message and exits.

-V, --version
    Shows the version information of the avahi-resolve utility and exits.

avahi-resolve is a command-line utility part of the Avahi project, which provides a free software implementation of Zeroconf, also known as Bonjour or Rendezvous. Its primary function is to resolve .local hostnames and DNS-SD service names into their corresponding IP addresses or service details on a local network segment.

It leverages Multicast DNS (mDNS) and DNS Service Discovery (DNS-SD) to query the local network for devices and services advertised without the need for a central DNS server. This tool is invaluable for troubleshooting Avahi installations, verifying service advertisements, or integrating mDNS/DNS-SD resolution into scripts. It relies on the avahi-daemon running in the background to perform the actual network queries.

For avahi-resolve to function correctly, the Avahi daemon (avahi-daemon) must be running on the system. It only operates on the local link using mDNS/DNS-SD protocols, meaning it cannot resolve public internet hostnames. Network firewalls must allow UDP traffic on port 5353 for mDNS communication.

The command typically returns 0 on successful resolution and non-zero (e.g., 1) if an error occurs or the specified host/service cannot be resolved.

The Avahi project was initiated as a free and open-source implementation of Apple's Bonjour (Zeroconf) network discovery technology. It was primarily developed by Lennart Poettering and Trent Lloyd, with its first stable release around 2005. avahi-resolve is one of the foundational command-line utilities provided by the Avahi suite, offering basic resolution capabilities to test and interact with the mDNS/DNS-SD system.

avahi-browse(1), avahi-daemon(8), avahi-discover(1), dns-sd(1)