General Confusion

Hi Everyone,

Although I've been involved in programming for many years I have always avoided anything web as it just seemed mired in standards / broken standards hell. With my purchase of a Linode, I've found myself thrust into topics that I just don't know much about. Following the various LAMP guides on the WIKI and the Library I have been able to expose my server to the outside world with, I think appropriately, a 3 line web page that declares "Hello World!"

The problem remaining is that I have no domain name. The following is my basic, and probably flawed, understanding of the system. There are root servers that control the top level domains (.com, .net, .name, etc) which no mere mortals have access to. From there are secondary domains which most anyone can use. You somehow* get your domain into a domain name server that will resolve your text into a machine IP address. Once your domain is into a DNS, over time that address translation is propagated to all the other DNS running world wide. Your local ISP runs its own DNS which eventually get the latest updates and everything goes as it should.

The "somehow*" is what I am stuck on. Having purchased my Linode I had assumed I would have to go with a domain registrar such as GoDaddy to do that dirty work for me. However I then see in my Linode members area this "DNS Manager" that lets me add zones to my IP. I don't quite see how this tool fits into the overall workings of the internet and if add my desired domain name with this tool and link it with my IP if it will then propagate to the rest of the internet. I actually did add it about 6 hours ago and have not been able to access my machine using my desired domain name in the interim.

There are obviously large gaps in my understanding here, and I'd appreciate it if anyone here could humble me.

Thanks!