Can systemd-resolved replace Avahi? (asg2024)

Multicast DNS (mDNS) and DNS Service Discovery (DNS-SD), collectively know as zeroconf, are technologies used for devices to find each other and advertise services on the local network. There are two widely used FOSS implementations: mDNSResponder is used by Apple and Android, while Avahi is used by most GNU/Linux distributions. However, there is a third one in systemd-resolved -- widely installed but rarely used. In this talk, I will explain how mDNS and DNS-SD work individually and together, and explore how to use them with resolvectl. I'll also try to go over the deficiencies in the systemd-resolved and have a discussion about the ways that it can be improved to replace Avahi as the default implementation on GNU/Linux systems. Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/de/ about this event: https://cfp.all-systems-go.io/all-systems-go-2024/talk/C3DZDS/