Does this address belong to linode?

There is no "A" record for 167.39.162.139.in-addr.arpa, that's why

host 167.39.162.139.in-addr.arpa

returns nothing.

There is, however, a "PTR" record, which is why

host -t ptr 167.39.162.139.in-addr.arpa 

returns li1452-167.members.linode.com, so yes, the address 139.162.39.167 belongs to Linode.

I wonder, however, why don't you just do this:

host 139.162.39.167

to get the same result. You don't have to reverse the IP, append .in-addr.arpa and look for a PTR record, the host command does it for you.

A PTR record pointing to members.linode.com does not necessarily mean that an IP address is assigned to Linode. PTR records can be set to whatever you want, so somebody could easily set a record to look like a Linode IP address when it's really not. The definitive way to find out what organization is assigned the IP address is WHOIS:

$ whois 139.162.39.167

 <snipped>inetnum:        139.162.0.0 - 139.162.255.255
netname:        EU-LINODE-20141229
descr:          139.162.0.0/16
org:            ORG-LL198-RIPE
country:        US
admin-c:        TA2589-RIPE
tech-c:         TA2589-RIPE
tech-c:         LA538-RIPE
status:         LEGACY
remarks:        For information on "status:" attribute read https://www.ripe.net/data-tools/db/faq/faq-status-values-legacy-resources
remarks:        Please send abuse reports to abuse@linode.com
mnt-by:         linode-leg-mnt
created:        2004-02-02T16:20:09Z
last-modified:  2015-05-05T01:52:02Z
source:         RIPE

organisation:   ORG-LL198-RIPE
org-name:       Linode, LLC
org-type:       OTHER
address:        329 E. Jimmie Leeds Road, Suite A, Galloway, NJ 08205
abuse-c:        AR31889-RIPE
abuse-mailbox:  abuse@linode.com
mnt-ref:        linode-leg-mnt
mnt-by:         linode-leg-mnt
created:        2015-04-20T03:09:43Z
last-modified:  2015-04-20T03:18:36Z
source:         RIPE # Filtered</snipped> 

I pasted the most relevant section of the output above, which shows that indeed the IP address is assigned to Linode.

You are right, of course, whois is the definitive way to check for that.

In fact, Linode customers who configure their PTR records properly will probably make those records to point to their own domains, which usually have anything to do with linode.com.

Just where in the DNS Manager does one set the domain to be used by whois?

@ingber:

Just where in the DNS Manager does one set the domain to be used by whois?

Huh? DNS and WHOIS have no relation, other than WHOIS records for domain names frequently list the authoritative nameservers for the domain. If you mean setting the reverse DNS, you do that from the Remote Access tab of the Linode, not the DNS Manager.

Well, I looked at the Reverse DNS tab as well. I do not see where to set PTR records that will show up in whois linode_static_ip to reflect my own domain's Linode VPS instead of Linode.com:

"In fact, Linode customers who configure their PTR records properly will probably make those records to point to their own domains, which usually have anything to do with linode.com."

You cannot affect the output of 'whois YOURLINODEIP' in any way. PTR records only affect DNS.

OK. That's what I thought. I was confused by the comment "The definitive way to find out what organization is assigned the IP address is WHOIS" in the context of this forum conversation.

Thanks.