Restore /etc/ configuration files from the default

A related serverfault question describes how to restore package conffiles if you've removed them, and requires that you track down the actual .deb file.

All you need to do:

• Find the list of conffiles provided by the package:

  dpkg --status <package>
  

  (look under the Conffiles: section).

• Remove those conffiles yourself.

• Reinstall the package. If you've found the .deb file,

  dpkg -i --force-confmiss <package_deb>.deb
  

  Alternatively, passing the dpkg option via apt should work:

  apt-get install --reinstall -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confmiss" <package>
  

Besides remove apt-get also offers the purge command which cleans out your config customizations, which can then be followed by an apt-get install

apt-get install -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confnew" packagename