Getting PHP mail function to work on localhost (my computer)

I set up Apache and installed PHP 5 on my laptop computer running Linux/Ubuntu 10.10, but I couldn't get locally (localhost) run scripts to send emails. Following both the links below (bits from both) got things working. NOTE: for the root email I put my usually email, ie. smith@gmail.com.

http://www.davidhurst.co.uk/2007/06/19/php-mail-and-ssmtp-on-debian-linux/

http://tombuntu.com/index.php/2008/10/21/sending-email-from-your-system-with-ssmtp/