Querying a domain

To query a domain name on Linux, dig can be used:

$ dig bbc.co.uk

; <<>> DiG 9.9.4-RedHat-9.9.4-61.el7 <<>> bbc.co.uk
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 6288
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 4, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 65494
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;bbc.co.uk.            IN    A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
bbc.co.uk.        227    IN    A    151.101.0.81
bbc.co.uk.        227    IN    A    151.101.64.81
bbc.co.uk.        227    IN    A    151.101.128.81
bbc.co.uk.        227    IN    A    151.101.192.81

;; Query time: 24 msec
;; SERVER: 10.0.2.3#53(10.0.2.3)
;; WHEN: Sun Aug 12 14:20:28 UTC 2018
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 102

Here, we can see that the server being used for domain resolution (emboldened) is 10.0.2.3, which just so happens to be VirtualBox providing a resolution service.

We also see the ANSWER SECTION which, as the name might suggest, is the answer to our query. We can reach bbc.co.uk at any of those addresses (currently).