Minimum configuration for a local DNS server to handle the top level domain [dev]

local_dns.txt

# Install bind.

sudo apt-get install bind9

# Add DNS servers to forward unknown queries to.
# These could be your router, ISP or other public DNS servers.
# /etc/bind/named.conf.options

forwarders {
    8.8.8.8;
};

# Add zone to 
# /etc/bind/named.conf.local

zone "dev" {
    type master;
    file "/etc/bind/db.dev";
};

# Create zone file 
# /etc/bind/db.dev

$TTL 1h        ; default expiration time of all resource records without their o
@ IN SOA ns email (
    201212120  ; serial number of this zone file
    1d         ; slave refresh (1 day)
    2h         ; slave retry time in case of a problem (2 hours)
    4w         ; slave expiration time (4 weeks)
    1h         ; maximum caching time in case of failed lookups (1 hour)
)
       NS ns        ; ns.dev
@      A  127.0.0.1 ; dev
*.dev. A  127.0.0.1 ; xxx.dev

# Restart bind.

sudo service bind9 restart
	
# Configure OS to use local DNS server.
# On Ubuntu with network configured using dhcp 
# /etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf

prepend domain-name-servers 127.0.0.1;

# And restart networking.

sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart