Debian doesn't install or remove packages based on their Status settings until you run something like apt-get dselect-upgrade. This command actually does several steps for you at once -- Install, Remove, and Configure. The Install and Remove steps shouldn't need to stop to ask you any questions. The Configure step, however, may ask any number of questions in order to set up the package just the way you want it.

There are other ways to run these steps. For example, you can choose each step individually from the main dselect menu.

Some packages use a system called debconf for their Configure step. Those that do can ask their setup questions in a variety of ways, such as in a text terminal, through a graphical interface, or through a Web page. To configure one of these packages, use the dpkg-reconfigure command. You can even use it to make sure all debconf packages have been completely configured:

# dpkg-reconfigure --all
debconf: package "3c5x9utils" is not installed or does not use debconf
debconf: package "3dchess" is not installed or does not use debconf
debconf: package "9menu" is not installed or does not use debconf
debconf: package "9wm" is not installed or does not use debconf
debconf: package "a2ps" is not installed or does not use debconf
debconf: package "a2ps-perl-ja" is not installed or does not use debconf
debconf: package "aalib-bin" is not installed or does not use debconf

This will produce a very long list of packages that do not use debconf, but it will also find some that do and present easy-to-use forms for you to answer the questions that each package asks.