[Dnsmasq-discuss] Setting up dnsmasq on an [x]ubuntu machine - what's the 'right' way to do it?

[Chris Green]

I've been using dnsmasq for quite a while on a small server machine on
my home network but that machine is now redundant really and I'd like
to save the electricity it's using.

So I'm going to move dnsmasq to my desktop machine (which is also a
server and is powered up all the time).  My desktop machine runs
xubuntu 14.04 so has the default resolvconf setup where the resolver
runs a cut-down dnsmasq and /etc/resolv.conv just points to 127.0.0.1.

What's the 'right' way to install a full dnsmasq onto my system and
make it use /etc/dnsmasq.conf for configuration etc.?  I know I had a
fairly hard time sorting it out on the system where it is now and I
want to make the process as painless as possible! :-)

Obviously I need to give my machine a static IP on my Lan, that's easy
enough.

At present there is dnsmasq-base installed (used by resolvconf), if I
just install the dnsmasq package will it do the necessary so that 
it uses /etc/dnsmasq.conf etc.?

Where do I specify the upstream DNS servers that dnsmasq should use?

Can I get dnsmasq to hand out a secondary/backup DNS server to DHCP
clients so that if/when my desktop machine is turned off for upgrades
or reboots it doesn't totally disable the other machines on the LAN?

-- 
Chris Green