bind9_viewer.php

Overview

bind9_viewer.php is a PHP script that parses BIND9 DNS zone files and generates styled HTML output for A and CNAME records. It supports both CLI usage and web usage via a zone URL parameter that points to a readable zone file on the server.

Features

• Parses A and CNAME records from BIND9 zone files
• Preserves $ORIGIN and $TTL directives
• Supports implicit hostnames and @ origin references
• Parses inline comments and displays them in the output
• Detects port:XXXX values in comments for custom HTTP/HTTPS links
• Recognizes protocol lists in comments using proto=[protocol1,protocol2]
• Adds clickable HTTP, HTTPS, and Visit buttons for each record
• Adds protocol-specific links for supported protocols
• Recognizes area separator blocks using ; --- START / ; --- END
• Renders a responsive, styled HTML dashboard using external CSS from bind9_viewer.css
• NEW: List mode with table layout (list=true parameter)
• NEW: Section delimiters displayed as table headers in list mode

Requirements

• PHP 7.4+ (or compatible PHP build)
• Read access to the target BIND9 zone file
• Web server for web usage or CLI access for static HTML generation

Supported Zone File Syntax

The script handles common BIND9 zone syntax, including:

• $ORIGIN and $TTL directives
• A records: host IN A 192.168.0.1
• CNAME records: alias IN CNAME target
• Inline comments after records using ;
• Area separators using comment blocks:
  • ; --- START
  • ; Comment for Area
  • ; --- END
• Implicit record names when the name is omitted
• @ origin substitution
• Multi-line parenthetical sections are ignored during record parsing

Comment and Port Support

Inline record comments are preserved and shown in the output. If a record comment includes a port:XXXX directive, that port is used for HTTP/HTTPS access links.

Example:

webserver IN A 192.168.0.10 ; port:8080 Web server

This creates:

• http://webserver.example.com:8080
• https://webserver.example.com:8080

Protocol Support

Comments can include protocol hints using proto=[protocol1,protocol2]. The script adds clickable links for supported protocols using standard default ports.

Supported protocols:

• ssh: 22
• telnet: 23
• http: 80
• https: 443
• ftp: 21
• sftp: 22
• smtp: 25
• pop3: 110
• imap: 143
• rdp: 3389
• vnc: 5900

Example:

server IN A 192.168.0.10 ; proto=[ssh,telnet,rdp] Remote access server

This creates links for:

• ssh:server.example.com:22
• telnet:server.example.com:23
• rdp:server.example.com:3389

The proto=[...] directive is removed from the displayed comment text.

If a custom port:XXXX value is present, it is used for HTTP/HTTPS links. Other protocols use their standard default ports.

Usage

CLI Mode

Generate a static HTML file from a zone file:

php bind9_viewer.php /path/to/zone-file [origin]

Example:

php bind9_viewer.php /etc/bind/db.example.com example.com

The script writes output to PATH_FILENAME.html, for example db.example.html. Use list=true to generate the compact table view.

Web Mode

Use the zone URL parameter to point to a readable zone file on the server. Optionally provide origin if the file does not define $ORIGIN.

Example:

http://your-server/bind9_viewer.php?zone=/etc/bind/db.example.com&origin=example.com

List Mode

For a compact table view instead of the card layout, add the list=true parameter in web mode or as the third CLI argument:

http://your-server/bind9_viewer.php?zone=/etc/bind/db.example.com&origin=example.com&list=true

php bind9_viewer.php /etc/bind/db.example.com example.com list=true

The list mode displays records in a table format with columns for Type, Name, Value, Links, and Comment. Section delimiters from the zone file are shown as highlighted table rows spanning all columns. The generated HTML references bind9_viewer.css for styling.

Output

Card Mode (Default)

The generated HTML includes:

• A header showing the zone origin
• Statistics for A and CNAME records
• Record cards with hostname, type, value, comments, and links
• Protocol-specific links for supported protocols
• HTTP, HTTPS, and Visit buttons on each record card
• Area separator cards for named comment blocks
• Responsive styling for desktop and mobile

List Mode (list=true)

The list mode provides a compact table view:

• Table with columns: Type, Name, Value, Links, Comment
• Section delimiters displayed as highlighted full-width rows
• All protocol and port links preserved
• Comments shown in dedicated column
• Clean, minimal styling optimized for quick scanning

Notes

• The script focuses on A and CNAME records only.
• Multi-line SOA and other parenthetical records are ignored during parsing.
• Custom ports are parsed only from inline comments in the form port:9999.
• Protocol hints use proto=[protocol1,protocol2] and are stripped from displayed comments.
• The Visit button prefers HTTPS first and falls back to HTTP after a timeout.
• Web mode requires the PHP process to have read access to the provided zone file path.