[Dnsmasq-discuss] How to add local configuration to Network Manager initiated dnsmasq in Ubuntu 12.04

[Chris Green]

On Mon, Oct 08, 2012 at 06:49:38PM -0400, Jay Imerman wrote:
> On Oct 8, 2012, at 14:04, Chris Green <cl at isbd.net> wrote:
> 
> > I have run dnsmasq with local configuration for quite a while now to
> > provide local DNS services on my home LAN.
> >
> > I am now upgrading my machines to [xl]ubuntu 12.04 and in this version
> > dnsmasq is run automatically by Network Manager.  A default installation
> > just puts the following in resolv.conf:-
> >
> >    # Dynamic resolv.conf(5) file for glibc resolver(3) generated by resolvconf(8)
> >    #     DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN
> >    nameserver 127.0.0.1
> >
> > How can I customize the dnsmasq configuration in a way that won't get
> > broken by future upgrades?  The NM dnsmasq runs as follows:-
> >
> >    chris$ ps -ef | grep dnsmasq
> >    nobody    1341  1090  0 17:40 ?        00:00:00 /usr/sbin/dnsmasq --no-resolv --keep-in-foreground --no-hosts --bind-interfaces --pid-file=/var/run/sendsigs.omit.d/network-manager.dnsmasq.pid --listen-address=127.0.0.1 --conf-file=/var/run/nm-dns-dnsmasq.conf --cache-size=0 --proxy-dnssec
> >
> > Since the config file is specified as "--conf-file=/var/run/nm-dns-dnsmasq.conf"
> > it's difficult to do anything that won't get lost at upgrade time.
> >
> Did you edit /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf?  The line should
> say dns=dnsmasq
> 

*I* didn't edit that line, the upgrade to Ubuntu 12.04 (well xubuntu
actually but that's of no import) did it.

What I want to know is what is the 'right' way to add local
configuration to the dnsmasq that Ubuntu 12.04 has added to my system. 
I didn't used to run dnsmasq on this system at all, I run it on a
separate server system.  However, now that dnsmasq is being run for me
on my desktop it seems to make sense to me to use it there rather than
trying to maintain a separate configuration elsewhere.

-- 
Chris Green