Geek Rewind

How to Flush or Clear DNS Cache on Ubuntu Linux

Richard

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Ubuntu’s DNS cache is a temporary database storing records of recent internet domain visits. If corrupted, it may hinder domain name resolution. Users can rectify this by clearing the cache using specific commands. Ubuntu uses systemd-resolved for network name resolution and caching. If internet connection issues or browser problems arise, users should consider clearing their…

Ubuntu DNS cache (resolver cache) is a temporary database that contains records of all the recent visits and attempted visits to websites and other internet domains.

If that happens, the DNS cache may become corrupt and prevent you from resolving websites and other internet domain names. When that happens, clearing the temporary cache database is the most common way of resolving the issues.

Ubuntu uses systemd-resolved, which provides network name resolution to local applications. In addition, it implements a caching and validating DNS/DNSSEC stub resolver and responder.

So, if you’re experiencing weird Internet connection issues or browsers not working opening some websites and domains, you may want to clear your DNS cache and your web browser stored caches.

Before flushing the Ubuntu DNS cache, you may want to run a report of the current cache size. To do that, run the commands below.

sudo systemd-resolve --statistics

That should display the DNS statistics showing you all the cache in its database.

DNSSEC supported by current servers: no

Transactions
Current Transactions: 0
  Total Transactions: 30

Cache
  Current Cache Size: 14
          Cache Hits: 16
        Cache Misses: 14

DNSSEC Verdicts
              Secure: 0
            Insecure: 0
               Bogus: 0
       Indeterminate: 0

Flushing Ubuntu DNS Cache

Now that you know the size of the DNS cache, run the commands below to clear or flush the cache.

sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches

If the above commands didn’t flush the DNS cache, you could also use the commands below. Or just all the commands listed here to perform a thorough cleanup.

sudo /etc/init.d/dns-clean restart
sudo /etc/init.d/networking force-reload

Now, test to see if your system DNS caches are gone.

Now, clear your browser cache to ensure you can access network domains and other websites.

I hope this post helped you clean your Ubuntu desktop DNS cache.

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Richard Avatar
Richard
Richard, the owner and lead writer at Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast passionate about simplifying complex IT topics. His years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations have honed his ability to provide practical insights and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He’s deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions. He enjoys watching football, cheering for the Minnesota Vikings, and spending time with his family when he’s not writing or managing Geek Rewind.

Comments

  1. Mario Avatar
    Mario

    root@si:~# systemd-resolve –flush-caches
    systemd-resolve: unrecognized option ‘–flush-caches’
    root@si:~# lsb_release -a
    No LSB modules are available.
    Distributor ID: Ubuntu
    Description: Ubuntu 16.04.6 LTS
    Release: 16.04
    Codename: xenial
    root@simon:~#

    Reply
    1. Arvind Subrmanian Avatar
      Arvind Subrmanian

      Getting same above error.
      systemd-resolve: unrecognized option ‘–flush-caches’

      Reply
  2. Mehonidas Avatar
    Mehonidas

    Yes same her for Ubuntu 16.04:
    systemd-resolve: unrecognized option ‘–flush-caches’

    Reply

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