webmin-bind

A Docker image that combines Webmin and BIND 9 so a DNS server can be deployed and administered through the Webmin web interface.

This repository is the source for the published container image. The documentation below is focused on running and consuming the image, not rebuilding it locally.

What the image provides

• Webmin web administration on port 10000.
• BIND 9 DNS service on port 53 over both TCP and UDP.
• A simple BIND configuration layout using named.conf, named.conf.options, and named.conf.local.
• A sample authoritative zone that can be replaced with real zone data after deployment.

Exposed ports

Expose these ports when running the container:

• 53/tcp for DNS over TCP.
• 53/udp for standard DNS queries.
• 10000/tcp for Webmin.

Runtime layout

The image uses the following paths at runtime:

/etc/bind/
├── named.conf
├── named.conf.options
└── named.conf.local

/var/cache/bind/
└── db.home.test

/var/lib/bind/
/etc/webmin/

BIND files

• /etc/bind/named.conf is the top-level BIND configuration file.
• /etc/bind/named.conf.options contains global DNS settings such as listen addresses, recursion policy, and query controls.
• /etc/bind/named.conf.local contains local zone declarations.
• /var/cache/bind/ stores zone files, including the bundled sample zone.

Webmin files

• /etc/webmin/ stores Webmin configuration used by the web interface.

Included sample zone

The image includes a sample authoritative zone for testing:

• Zone name: home.test
• Zone file: /var/cache/bind/db.home.test

This sample is provided only as a starting point and should be replaced with real zone data for actual use.

Persistent data

If persistent configuration is desired, mount these container paths from the host:

• /etc/bind
• /var/cache/bind
• /var/lib/bind
• /etc/webmin (optional)

Example host-side layout:

data/
├── etc-bind/
├── cache-bind/
├── lib-bind/
└── etc-webmin/

When host bind mounts are used, the mounted directories override the files baked into the image at those same paths. [web:1592]

Example deployment

services:
  webmin-bind:
    image: kcancook/webmin-bind:latest
    container_name: webmin-bind
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "53:53/tcp"
      - "53:53/udp"
      - "10000:10000/tcp"
    environment:
      TZ: America/New_York
      ROOT_PASSWORD: change-me-now
    volumes:
      - ./data/etc-bind:/etc/bind
      - ./data/cache-bind:/var/cache/bind
      - ./data/lib-bind:/var/lib/bind

First access

After the container starts, open:

https://<server-ip>:10000

Then log in and use the BIND DNS Server module in Webmin to manage zones and records.

Post-deployment checks

Basic validation after starting the container:

• Confirm the container is running with docker compose ps.
• Open Webmin on port 10000.
• Query the sample zone with dig @<server-ip> home.test SOA.
• Replace the sample zone with your own zone files before production use.

Notes

• The sample home.test zone is meant only for initial validation.
• Firewalls must allow inbound DNS on port 53 over both TCP and UDP if other devices will query the server. [web:1576]
• Webmin requires port 10000 to be reachable from the client if remote administration is needed. [web:1389]
• On hosts without working IPv6 connectivity, BIND may log IPv6 reachability warnings while still working normally over IPv4. [web:1545][web:1552]