What is the best way to configure DNS for a local network?

[Freddy Groen]

Hi,
I want to use DNS instead of always editing the hosts file 
on my network.
My linux machine doesn't have an internet connection.
Is it possible to configure the DNS server that it won't try 
to contact the root dns servers outside ?
What is the best sollution for this?

thanks in avance,
Freddy Groen

ps: i'm using bind8 and it's working. But it still tries to 
resolve unknown names...