Where can I find out which OS is used for the Internet root DNS servers?

Question

Is there anywhere on the Internet that tells you which OS is used by the Internet's root DNS servers?

I need to know this for an article I'm writing - I'm sure I've read somewhere before that they all run Linux but I cannot find a reference either way.

Answer 1

you can find most of the public information on a specific server by going to its website at http://a.root-servers.org/ (replace a with any letter from a to m) as well as their FAQ.

The most relevant part is "Q: Yes but what if there is a software bug?

A: There is significant software diversity across the root name servers. There are at least three major DNS implementations being used: bind8, bind9 and NSD. The servers also run on very diverse hardware and operating system platforms. Actually maintaining this diversity is a major part of the coordination going on between root name server operators. "

So no, chances are they don't all run linux, and certainly not the same distro