Bonjour (software)
Bonjour
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| Developer(s) | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Initial release | August 2002 |
| Stable release |
3.1.0.1 / October 31, 2016
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| Operating system | macOS, Microsoft Windows, Unix-like, iOS |
| Type | Zero-configuration networking |
| License | Apple Inc. – Proprietary Freeware; portions under the Apache license |
| Website | www |
| Website | developer |
|---|
Bonjour is Apple's implementation of zero-configuration networking (zeroconf), a group of technologies that includes service discovery, address assignment, and hostname resolution. Bonjour locates devices such as printers, other computers, and the services that those devices offer on a local network using multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) service records.
The software comes built-in with Apple's macOS and iOS operating systems. Bonjour can also be installed onto computers running Microsoft Windows. Bonjour components may also be included within other software such as iTunes and Safari.
After its introduction in 2002 with Mac OS X 10.2 as Rendezvous, the software was renamed in 2005 to Bonjour following an out-of-court trademark dispute settlement.
Bonjour provides a general method to discover services on a local area network. The software is widely used throughout macOS, and allows users to set up a network without any configuration. As of 2010[update] it is used to find printers and file-sharing servers. Examples of applications using Bonjour:
Software such as Bonjour Browser or iStumbler, both for macOS, or Zeroconf Neighborhood Explorer for Windows, can be used to view all services declared by these applications. Apple's "Remote" application for iPhone and iPod Touch also uses Bonjour to establish connection to iTunes libraries via Wi-Fi.
Bonjour only works within a single broadcast domain, which is usually a small area, without special DNS configuration. macOS, Bonjour for Windows and AirPort Base Stations may be configured to use Wide Area Bonjour which allows for wide area service discovery via an appropriately configured DNS server.
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