[RndTbl] simple name service

[Dan Martin]

The network seems connected.  I'd like to be able to refer to the machines by their names.

I have up to 9 machines connected, each with a distinct manually set IP address (not counting some virtual machines in Parallels on the Mac). The machines have a variety of OSs.

I may get a registered domain name, but not for about a year from now.  For now I would like the simplest (read laziest) solution possible.  I am hoping that there is a very simple way to run a DNS service privately on the network as opposed to changing /etc/hosts on a number of machines.

Most of what I have seen makes this look more than trivial.  I am running Suse (I think Suse 10) on my gateway, but hoping I could follow directions for setting up on Ubuntu at 
http://lani78.wordpress.com/2008/08/09/setting-up-a-dns-for-the-local-network/

I don't want to do anything more complicated than that for the time being.

Suggestions?  is there a lazier way?

-Dan

Dan Martin
GP Hospital Practitioner
Computer Scientist
ummar143 at shaw.ca
(204) 831-1746
answering machine always on