# nxdns documentation

New to nxdns? Start with [Get started](tutorial/get-started.md). It runs nxdns from a scratch directory and blocks a real ad domain, and you can delete everything afterwards.

## Tutorial

- [Get started](tutorial/get-started.md) — download nxdns, resolve a name, add a blocklist and watch it block, then clean up.

## How-to guides

- [Verify a release](how-to/verify-a-release.md) — check the signature and checksums before you run anything.
- [Install with systemd](how-to/install-with-systemd.md) — a system service on Linux, including a Raspberry Pi.
- [Install with Docker](how-to/install-with-docker.md) — the published image with Docker Compose.
- [Install with Nix](how-to/install-with-nix.md) — the flake and its `services.nxdns` NixOS module.
- [Upgrade](how-to/upgrade.md) — move to a new release, and back if you must.
- [Enable DoH and DoT](how-to/enable-doh-and-dot.md) — serve encrypted DNS to your devices.
- [Set up admin authentication](how-to/set-up-admin-authentication.md) — put a password on the web interface.
- [Back up and restore](how-to/back-up-and-restore.md) — export the configuration and load it back.

## Reference

- [Configuration](reference/configuration.md) — every setting and list, with defaults and allowed values.
- [Command line](reference/cli.md) — every command, flag and exit code.
- [Files and directories](reference/files-and-directories.md) — what nxdns keeps where, and the query history database.

## Explanation

- [The configuration model](explanation/configuration-model.md) — database mode and file mode, and which to choose.