cdns

README

change DNS servers effortlessly via terminal

Usage | Report Bugs | Releases | Contributing

CDNS (change DNS) is a dead-simple terminal tool that handles the messy details of systemd-resolved and NetworkManager for you, so you can swap DNS providers in seconds without the headache.

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Why CDNS?

• 🔐 Privacy in a click: Easily switch to trusted providers like Quad9, Cloudflare, or AdGuard for a more secure browsing experience.
• ✨ Terminal-first: A clean, reactive TUI that makes managing network settings actually enjoyable.
• 🧠 Zero-config discovery: It just works. Whether you're on NetworkManager, systemd-resolved, or a plain old resolv.conf, CDNS finds it and handles the heavy lifting.
• 🚑 Fail-safe: Messed something up? Roll back to your previous configuration instantly with zero stress.

Compatibility

While CDNS is designed to work across various operating systems, here is the current status:

Operating System	Distribution	Status
Linux	Ubuntu	✅ Verified
Linux	Debian	⚠️ Untested
Linux	Fedora	⚠️ Untested
Linux	Arch Linux	⚠️ Untested
Linux	Manjaro	⚠️ Untested
Linux	Pop!_OS	⚠️ Untested
Linux	Linux Mint	⚠️ Untested
Linux	openSUSE	⚠️ Untested
Linux	NixOS	⚠️ Untested
Linux	CentOS	⚠️ Untested
Linux	Kali Linux	⚠️ Untested
macOS	Darwin	🏗️ WIP
Windows	Windows 10+	🏗️ WIP

If it works for you on an untested distro, please let us know!

Installation

Option 1: Install Script (Recommended)

The easiest way to install the latest release is via our installer script:

curl -sfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junevm/cdns/main/install.sh | sh

Option 2: Go Install

If you have Go installed:

go install github.com/junevm/cdns@latest

Option 3: Homebrew (Linux)

brew tap junevm/homebrew-tap
brew install cdns

Option 4: Manual Download

Download the latest binary for your architecture from the Releases page.

Usage

CDNS works in two ways: through a friendly Interactive TUI (best for discovery) or via Quick Commands (best for automation and power users).

🖥️ Interactive Mode (Recommended)

Just run cdns without any arguments to open the main menu. From here, you can navigate through all features using your arrow keys.

cdns

⚡ Quick Commands

For those who prefer the speed of the command line, CDNS provides a set of intuitive subcommands.

1. Set your DNS

The set command is the heart of CDNS. You can use it with a preset name, custom IPs, or even target specific interfaces.

Note: Changing system DNS settings typically requires sudo privileges.

# Apply a preset (e.g., Cloudflare, Google, AdGuard, Yandex)
sudo cdns set cloudflare

# Use custom IP addresses
sudo cdns set 1.1.1.1 8.8.8.8

# Target a specific network interface
sudo cdns set google --interface eth0

Helpful Flags for set:

• --dry-run: See what would happen without making any actual changes.
• --interface or -i: Manually specify which interfaces to modify.
• --yes: Skip confirmation prompts (perfect for scripts).

2. Explore Presets

Not sure which provider to use? List all available presets to see names and IP addresses.

cdns list

3. Check Current Status

Verify your active DNS configuration and see which backend (NetworkManager, systemd-resolved, etc.) is being used.

cdns status

# Pro tip: Use --json for machine-readable output
cdns status --json

4. Instant Reset

If you need to roll back to your previous configuration, the reset command has your back.

sudo cdns reset

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on how to contribute to this project.

License

See LICENSE for details.