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Query Wikipedia via console over DNS

Terminal - Query Wikipedia via console over DNS
dig +short txt <keyword>.wp.dg.cx
2009-07-31 16:08:59
User: drizzt
Functions: dig
97
Up
Down
Query Wikipedia via console over DNS

Query Wikipedia by issuing a DNS query for a TXT record. The TXT record will also include a short URL to the complete corresponding Wikipedia entry.You can also write a little shell script like:

$ cat wikisole.sh

#!/bin/sh

dig +short txt ${1}.wp.dg.cx

and run it like

./wikisole.sh unix

were your first option ($1) will be used as search term.

Show sample output | Add to favourites | Report as malicious

Alternatives

There are 3 alternatives - vote for the best!

Terminal - Alternatives
mwiki () { blah=`echo $@ | sed -e 's/ /_/g'`; dig +short txt $blah.wp.dg.cx; }
2010-01-16 07:13:43
User: oshazard
Functions: dig sed
Tags: dig txt record wikipedia dns
5
Up
Down
Query Wikipedia via console over DNS
Comments (0) | Add to favourites | Report as malicious
mwiki() { dig +short txt "$*".wp.dg.cx; }
2010-03-27 17:54:36
User: dorin
Functions: dig
Tags: dig txt record wikipedia dns
2
Up
Down
Query Wikipedia via console over DNS

Shorter version, works with multiple words.

Show sample output | Comments (0) | Add to favourites | Report as malicious
nslookup -q=txt <topic>.wp.dg.cx
2010-05-02 21:37:51
User: bandie91
Functions: nslookup
Tags: dig txt record wikipedia dns
1
Up
Down
Query Wikipedia via console over DNS
Comments (0) | Add to favourites | Report as malicious

Know a better way?

If you can do better, submit your command here.

What others think

this is awesomely wacky

Comment by unixx 56 weeks and 5 days ago

Vote this up. One can feel the awesome behind this command :-)

Comment by Alanceil 56 weeks and 4 days ago

cute DNS abuse :)

Comment by penpen 56 weeks and 4 days ago

Very very cool.

Comment by qubyte 56 weeks and 4 days ago

We can add some GUI spice to teh absue :P , dep==> zenity

zenity --info --text="$(dig +short txt $(zenity --entry --title="Search wiki" --text="Enter your search word:").wp.dg.cx)"

Comment by hemanth 56 weeks and 4 days ago

This is simply awesome. In the shell script example, add quotes around the "${1}" and you can do multi-word searches using quotes in your arg, like:

./wikip.sh "gradient descent"
Comment by zombiedeity 56 weeks and 2 days ago

Script with prettified output:

cat wikisole.sh

#!/bin/sh

COLUMNS=`tput cols`

dig +short txt "${1}".wp.dg.cx | sed -e 's/" "//g' -e 's/^"//g' -e 's/"$//g' -e 's/ http:/\n\nhttp:/' | fmt -w $COLUMNS

Comment by philipsd6 56 weeks and 1 day ago

philipsd6's version as a function in bashrc:

function wiki () {

COLUMNS=`tput cols`

dig +short txt ${1}.wp.dg.cx | sed -e 's/" "//g' -e 's/^"//g' -e 's/"$//g' -e 's/ http:/\n\nhttp:/' | fmt -w $COLUMNS

}

Comment by bstaz 56 weeks and 1 day ago

You can also search for more than one word like this:

dig +short txt "multiple words".wp.dg.cx

I wrote a wrapper script that takes either 1 word or multiple words and formulates the syntax properly:

#!/bin/bash

function help {

echo -e "\n\tusage: $0 "

exit

}

if [ -z "$1" ]; then

help

fi

while [ "$1" != "" ]; do

if [ "$SEARCH" = "" ]; then

SEARCH="$1"

else

SEARCH="$SEARCH $1"

fi

shift

done

echo -e "\n\tLooking up $SEARCH\n"

dig +short txt "$SEARCH".wp.dg.cx

echo ""

Comment by omish_man 56 weeks and 1 day ago

I hate dig.

Why not use:

host -t txt linux.wp.dg.cx
Comment by vutcovici 56 weeks ago

Simpler multiple words fix:

dig +short txt "`echo $@`".wp.dg.cx

Comment by peter0081 51 weeks and 5 days ago
dig +short txt <keyword>.wp.dg.cx | espeak
Comment by matthewbauer 49 weeks and 4 days ago

I wonder if we can do that with French language ( fr.wikipedia.org )

Like with this example : fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tse

Comment by sputnick 35 weeks and 3 days ago

OOps, http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Services_de_terminal

Comment by sputnick 35 weeks and 3 days ago
mwiki () { echo $@ > foo; blah=`sed 's/ /_/g' foo`; dig +short txt $blah.wp.dg.cx; }

Sample output:

mwiki snow leopard

"The snow leopard (Uncia uncia or Panthera uncia), sometimes known as \"ounce,\" is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia. The classification of this species has been subject to change and its exact taxonomic position is still " "unclear.

Comment by oshazard 32 weeks and 6 days ago

#! /bin/bash

echo please input your subject

read SUBJECT

dig +short txt SUBJECT.wp.dg.cx

Comment by ethnopunk 23 weeks and 5 days ago

Shorter version, works with multiple words:

mwiki() { dig +short txt "$*".wp.dg.cx; }

Comment by dorin 22 weeks and 4 days ago

on windows:

nslookup -q=txt shit.wp.dg.cx
Comment by unixmonkey9108 22 weeks ago

"slookup -q=txt" does not appear to be valid (i have WinXP+SP3)...

Comment by bugmenot 2 weeks and 1 day ago

sorry, in mean "Nslookup -q=txt"...

Comment by bugmenot 2 weeks and 1 day ago

Your point of view

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