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5.3.1. Configuring a Specific Program
When you want to configure an unknown package, you must proceed in stages. First, you should read what the package maintainer has documented. The /usr/share/doc/package/README. Debian file is a good place to start. This file will often contain information about the package, including pointers that may refer you to other documentation. You will often save yourself a lot of time, and avoid a lot of frustration, by reading this file first since it often details the most common errors and solutions to most common problems.
Next, you should look at the software’s official documentation. Refer to section 6.1, “Documen- tation Sources” [page 124] for tips on how to find various documentation sources. The dpkg -L package command gives a list of files included in the package; you can therefore quickly identify the available documentation (as well as the configuration files, located in /etc/). Also, dpkg -s package displays the package meta-data and shows any possible recommended or suggested pack- ages; in there, you can find documentation or perhaps a utility that will ease the configuration of the software.
Finally, the configuration files are often self-documented by many explanatory comments detail- ing the various possible values for each configuration setting. In some cases, you can get software up and running by uncommenting a single line in the configuration file. In other cases, examples of configuration files are provided in the /usr/share/doc/package/examples/ directory. They may serve as a basis for your own configuration file.