Re: dpkg-reconfigure

[Paul E Condon <pecondon@mesanetworks.net>]

On Sat, Jul 29, 2006 at 01:35:58PM +0000, s. keeling wrote:
> Paul E Condon <pecondon@mesanetworks.net>:
> >  On Wed, Jul 26, 2006 at 10:52:05AM +0200, Brent Clark wrote:
> > > 
> > > You know when you install debian and debconf a screen whereby you can add 
> > > more sources to the sources.list file etc.
> > > 
> > > Is there a dpkg-reconfigure option for that.
> 
> Try running "apt-spy"
> 
> > > also, apart from using dpkg -l to see what packages are installed. How 
> > > would I know what software / packages I can use dpkg-reconfigure with.
> > 
> >  dpkg-reconfigure is a program for re-running part of the installation
> >  of a package. You only use it when more direct methods are too messy.
> > 
> > > Is there a list somewhere or something
> 
> Someone recently told me you can use bash TAB completion to answer
> this, but it doesn't work for me:
> 
>     dokg-reconfigure<TAB>
> 
> This is a good question.  I've asked it before too, and I've yet to
> see a useful answer.
> 

I just a user, too. So, this may not be a useful answer, but...

I can't imagine why or how this could work. dpkg-reconfigure is an
executable program. It needs to be given the name of a package to work
on. Tab completion might tell it to work on no package, or it might
tell it to work on all installed packages. Neither is a useful action.

And, the details of how the bash shell processes command line type-in
make it impossible for the shell to get to the point of actually
invoking dpkg-reconfigure. Instead, it issues a beep, which is computer
speak for 'huh?' .

HTH
-- 
Paul E Condon           
pecondon@mesanetworks.net