[clug] Debconf or dpkg problem

[Mike Carden]

Here's hoping the collected CLUG brains trust can shine some light on
debconf for me. Can someone point me to a nice explanation of how
debconf works and how it's related to dpkg please? So far, man pages
and Google haven't lifted the veil from my eyes.

At least I *think* it's debconf that I need to know about. Here's the problem.

I have noticed that when installing various different deb packages,
the initial set of configuration questions asked after a:

dpkg -i <package.deb>

or an

apt-get install <package>

is incomplete. Often so incomplete that there's no way that the
package could work.

The usual fix is (after answering the first lot of questions) to immediately:

dpkg-reconfigure <package>

upon which the full set of config options becomes available, and the
thing can usually be made to work.

My reading so far seems to indicate that there is something called
Priority that's somehow associated either with debconf or with
dpkg-reconfigure or maybe with both, and perhaps it's not set properly
for the systems I use, but I can't figure out just what or where it
is.

So any pointers to useful documentation on this will be greatly
appreciated. Thanks.

-- 
MC