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Linux Setup Guide

Configure QuietNet DNS on your Linux system to block ads and trackers system-wide.

Using systemd-resolved (Ubuntu 18.04+, Fedora, etc.)

Many modern Linux distributions use systemd-resolved for DNS resolution.

Step 1: Get Your DNS Information

  1. Log in to your QuietNet dashboard
  2. Go to the Blocklists section
  3. In the "Your DNS Settings" card, note:
  4. DoT SNI: YOUR_API_TOKEN.quietnet.app
  5. IP Address: 103.107.50.10

Step 2: Configure systemd-resolved

  1. Check if systemd-resolved is running: 

    systemctl status systemd-resolved

  2. Edit the resolved configuration: 

    sudo nano /etc/systemd/resolved.conf

  3. Add or modify the following settings: 

    [Resolve]
DNS=103.107.50.10
DNSOverTLS=yes
DNSSEC=yes
Domains=~.

  4. Save the file and restart systemd-resolved: 

    sudo systemctl restart systemd-resolved

  5. Verify your settings: 

    resolvectl status

Look for "DNS over TLS: yes" in the output.

Using Cloudflared for DoH

For DNS over HTTPS on any Linux distribution:

Step 1: Install cloudflared

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y cloudflared

Fedora:

sudo dnf install cloudflared

Arch Linux:

yay -S cloudflared

Step 2: Configure cloudflared

  1. Create a configuration directory: 

    sudo mkdir -p /etc/cloudflared

  2. Create the configuration file: 

    sudo nano /etc/cloudflared/config.yml

  3. Add the following configuration: 

    proxy-dns: true
proxy-dns-port: 53
proxy-dns-upstream:
  - https://dns.quietnet.app/YOUR_API_TOKEN/dns-query

Replace YOUR_API_TOKEN with your actual API token.

  1. Install cloudflared as a service: 

    sudo cloudflared service install

  2. Start and enable the service: 

    sudo systemctl start cloudflared
sudo systemctl enable cloudflared

  3. Update your DNS settings to use the local proxy: 

    sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf

Make sure it contains: 

nameserver 127.0.0.1

Note: This may be overwritten by DHCP. To make it permanent, see the next step.

  1. Make the changes permanent (using one of these methods):

a. For NetworkManager: 

sudo nano /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/dns-settings.conf

Add: 

[main]
dns=none
systemd-resolved=false

b. Using resolvconf: 

sudo nano /etc/resolvconf/resolv.conf.d/head

Add: 

nameserver 127.0.0.1

Then update: 

sudo resolvconf -u

Using NetworkManager with DoT

If you're using NetworkManager (common on desktop distributions):

  1. Create a new connection configuration: 

    sudo nano /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/dns-over-tls.conf

  2. Add the following content: 

    [connection]
dns=default
dns-over-tls=yes

  3. For a specific connection, edit its configuration file (adapt the name to your connection): 

    sudo nano /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/your-connection-name.nmconnection

  4. Locate or add the [ipv4] section and modify it: 

    [ipv4]
dns=103.107.50.10;
dns-search=
method=auto

  5. Restart NetworkManager: 

    sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

Using DNSCrypt-Proxy

DNSCrypt-proxy is another option that supports DoH, DoT, and more:

  1. Install DNSCrypt-proxy (example for Debian/Ubuntu): 

    sudo apt update
sudo apt install dnscrypt-proxy

  2. Edit the configuration: 

    sudo nano /etc/dnscrypt-proxy/dnscrypt-proxy.toml

  3. Find and modify these settings: 

    server_names = ['quietnet']

[static.'quietnet']
stamp = 'sdns://AgcAAAAAAAAADDEwMy4xMDcuNTAuMTAAJ2Rucy5xdWlldG5ldC5hcHAvWU9VUl9BUElfVE9LRU4vZG5zLXF1ZXJ5'

Note: You'll need to create the proper stamp for your DoH URL.

  1. Restart DNSCrypt-proxy: 

    sudo systemctl restart dnscrypt-proxy

  2. Configure your system to use 127.0.0.1 as DNS server.

Verify Your Configuration

To verify that your DNS configuration is working:

  1. Test DNS resolution: 

    dig @127.0.0.1 example.com

  2. Check for encrypted connection (if using systemd-resolved): 

    resolvectl query example.com
    Look for "TLS: yes" in the output.

  3. Try visiting an ad-heavy website and see if ads are blocked.

  4. Check your QuietNet dashboard to see if DNS queries are being counted.

Troubleshooting

DNS Resolution Not Working

  • Check if the DNS service is running: 

    # For systemd-resolved
systemctl status systemd-resolved

# For cloudflared
systemctl status cloudflared

# For dnscrypt-proxy
systemctl status dnscrypt-proxy

  • Verify DNS settings: 

    cat /etc/resolv.conf

Changes Overwritten After Reboot

  • This is common with DHCP configurations. Make sure you've followed the steps to make changes permanent.
  • For NetworkManager users, create a dispatcher script: 
    sudo nano /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/99-dns

Add: 

#!/bin/bash
echo "nameserver 127.0.0.1" > /etc/resolv.conf

Make it executable: 

sudo chmod +x /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/99-dns

Limited Connectivity

  • Temporarily disable your DNS configuration to check if that's the issue
  • Try using the IP directly: 
    dig @103.107.50.10 example.com

Next Steps