How to reinstall configuration file

Question

How do you revert or reinstall a configuration file in Debian/Ubuntu?

I accidentally overwrote the file /etc/bluetooth/main.conf. Running dpkg -S /etc/bluetooth/main.conf shows that the package bluez provides it, but when I run sudo apt-get install --reinstall bluez, it doesn't get reinstalled.

Answer 1

Solution 1

Run the following command, replacing package-name with the name of the package:

sudo apt-get -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confmiss" install --reinstall package-name

Solution 2

If you have .deb package then go to that directory where package is exist and run,

dpkg -i --force-confmiss package-name.deb

Answer 2

You should mv the file out of the way:

mv /etc/bluetooth/main.conf /etc/bluetooth/main.conf.old
apt-get -o DPkg::options::=--force-confmiss --reinstall install bluez

I don't know if you can get apt to overwrite an existing config file, that's why you should move it out of the way first.

Answer 3

Commenting on @Rahul's answer, I found --force-confmiss only works if the configuration file doesn't exist; only then will dpkg install it. If the configuration file has been modified (as described in the question), the following will have dpkg prompt the user to overwrite it:

sudo apt-get -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confask" install --reinstall package-name