I'm putting a DNS server together with Ubuntu, but I can't seem to find where the zone files are supposed to be put. Normally, they'd be in /var/named, but there is no directory there. I checked online, and they said to make a chroot environment under /var/cache/named/ (I think). I tried that too, but it can't seem to resolve any names. I can dig my DNS name and it comes up with a SOA record, but even that doesn't have a hostname or an IP associated with it.

Maybe I've got my zone file screwed up. However, I can't get to it right now, so if that's the case could someone give me a really good example (with MX, NS, A, and CNAME's if possible)?

I think you're trying to work on different problems at the same time. It may be recommended to run BIND in a chroot but I think you should get a grip on basic BIND operation first.

Normally, they'd be in /var/named, but there is no directory there.
If your named.conf expects it there, but it wasn't made at package post-install, just make the dir.


I tried that too, but it can't seem to resolve any names. I can dig my DNS name and it comes up with a SOA record, but even that doesn't have a hostname or an IP associated with it.
After you set up named you might want to read some online book to quickly familiarise yourself with BIND like this one. Test some stuff, make it log in verbose mode and when you can't make it work right please post your named.conf and *exact* error messages.