# debconf, can't get it to conf

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/debconf-cant-get-it-to-conf/16183>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [September 11, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/debconf-cant-get-it-to-conf/16183 "2014-09-11T15:40:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Alain\_Kreienbuhl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e495f1/32.png) [@Alain\_Kreienbuhl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Alain_Kreienbuhl)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/debconf-cant-get-it-to-conf/16183/1 "2014-09-11T15:40:33Z")

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Hello,

I’m doing on a on a debian wheezy the vanila :

- debconf: name=locales question=‘locales/locales\_to\_be\_generated’ value=‘en\_US.UTF-8 UTF-8, fr\_FR.UTF-8 UTF-8’ vtype=‘multiselect’
- debconf: name=locales question=‘locales/default\_environment\_locale’ value=fr\_FR.UTF-8 vtype=‘select’

yet nothing happens…

/etc/default/locale untouched

cat ./locale.gen |grep -v “^#” untouched

The strange thing is that on the 1st pass state is “changed” and not after.

What I a missing ?

Thanks

Alain

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**Author:** ![Karl\_E\_Jorgensen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c4cdca/32.png) [@Karl\_E\_Jorgensen](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Karl_E_Jorgensen)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/debconf-cant-get-it-to-conf/16183/2 "2014-09-11T17:53:22Z")

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Hi

> Hello,
> 
> I'm doing on a on a debian wheezy the vanila :
> 
> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- debconf: name=locales question='locales/locales\_to\_be\_generated' value=  
> 'en\_US.UTF-8 UTF-8, fr\_FR.UTF-8 UTF-8' vtype='multiselect'  
> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;- debconf: name=locales question='locales/default\_environment\_locale' value  
> =fr\_FR.UTF-8 vtype='select'
> 
> yet nothing happens...
> 
> /etc/default/locale untouched  
> cat ./locale.gen |grep -v "^#" untouched

That is to be expected. Debconf only changes the configuration  
\*database\* - which is typically used when pre-seeding installation of  
packages.

Once installed, changing this will have little effect: Well-behaved  
packages will read the current configuration files (files: not debconf  
database), and use those as defaults for the configuration answers.  
So I cannot see it being of any use unless you are \*installing\*  
packages.

To reconfigure packages afterwards, you're better off updating the  
relevant configuration files - usually followed by a restart of the  
relevant daemon(s).

It is worth noting that the debconf database must not be confused with  
a registry. It is not. The \*real\* configuration is in the  
configuration files : /etc/somewhere. Debconf is just a handy way for  
package developers to interact with the user, and not worry about the  
user interface.

> The strange thing is that on the 1st pass state is "changed" and not  
> after.

Yes - It changed the value in the database on the first run. On  
subsequent runs, the database value does not need changing.

Hope this helps

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Alain\_Kreienbuhl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e495f1/32.png) [@Alain\_Kreienbuhl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Alain_Kreienbuhl)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 9:44am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/debconf-cant-get-it-to-conf/16183/3 "2014-09-12T09:44:33Z")

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Okay thanks for your reply.  
But what is the use case for debconf with locales as illustrated in the [http://docs.ansible.com/debconf\_module.html](http://docs.ansible.com/debconf_module.html)

Once a use debconf what’s next ?

Thanks

Alain