Command Line – dpkg-reconfigure

Windows users are probably familiar with InstallShield Wizards that provide step-by-step guides to software installation. Linux users, however, may be surprised to learn that Debian and its derivatives have long had a command-line equivalent that can edit a package's setup after installation. Originally written by Debian pioneer Joey Hess, dpkg-reconfigure [1] has changed over the decades as Debian's subsystems have evolved, but its core functionality has remained the same. Today, dpkg-reconfigure continues to offer a choice of interfaces and customization that makes reconfiguration both convenient and efficient.

By default, dpkg-reconfigure is installed as a utility for debconf, which asks configuration questions during package installation. The Debian wiki describes debconf [2] as "one of the main advantages of Debian." During installation, debconf stores the answers in a database that package scripts use to create configuration files, as well as to set which servers to start and which dependencies to install. If difficulties arise during installation, where a package is unpacked but not installed, the problem can sometimes be solved by running dpkg with the following option:

dpkg --configure -a

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