diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index e8447f3..1cedd58 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -26,56 +26,102 @@
 #include "nwipe.h"
 #include "context.h"
 #include "logging.h"
+#include "conf.h"
 
 config_t nwipe_cfg;
-config_setting_t* nwipe_conf_setting;
+config_setting_t *nwipe_conf_setting, *group_organisation, *group_customers, *group_customer_1, *root, *group, *setting;
 const char* nwipe_conf_str;
+char nwipe_config_file[] = "/etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf";
+char nwipe_config_directory[] = "/etc/nwipe";
 
-void nwipe_conf_init()
+int nwipe_conf_init()
 {
     FILE* fp;
 
     config_init( &nwipe_cfg );
+    root = config_root_setting( &nwipe_cfg );
 
     /* Read /etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf. If there is an error, determine whether
      * it's because it doesn't exist. If it doesn't exist create it and
      * populate it with a basic structure.
      */
-    if( !config_read_file( &nwipe_cfg, "/etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf" ) )
+
+    /* Does the /etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf file exist? If not, then create it */
+    if( access( nwipe_config_file, F_OK ) == 0 )
+    {
+        nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_INFO, "NWIPE_CONFIG_FILE %s exists", nwipe_config_file );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_WARNING, "/etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf does not exist" );
+
+        /* We assume the /etc/nwipe directory doesn't exist, so try to create it */
+        mkdir( nwipe_config_directory, 0755 );
+
+        /* create the nwipe.conf file */
+        if( !( fp = fopen( nwipe_config_file, "w" ) ) )
+        {
+            nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_ERROR, "Failed to create %s", nwipe_config_file );
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_INFO, "Created %s", nwipe_config_file );
+
+            /* Populate with some basic structure */
+
+            /* Add some settings to the configuration. */
+            group_organisation = config_setting_add( root, "Organisation_Details", CONFIG_TYPE_GROUP );
+
+            setting = config_setting_add( group_organisation, "Business_Name", CONFIG_TYPE_STRING );
+            config_setting_set_string( setting, "Universal Erasure Ltd" );
+
+            setting = config_setting_add( group_organisation, "Business_Address", CONFIG_TYPE_STRING );
+            config_setting_set_string( setting, "85 Albert Embankment" );
+
+            setting = config_setting_add( group_organisation, "Contact_Name", CONFIG_TYPE_STRING );
+            config_setting_set_string( setting, "V.Lynd" );
+
+            setting = config_setting_add( group_organisation, "Contact_Phone", CONFIG_TYPE_STRING );
+            config_setting_set_string( setting, "-------------" );
+
+            group_customers = config_setting_add( root, "Customers", CONFIG_TYPE_GROUP );
+
+            group_customer_1 = config_setting_add( group_customers, "Customer_1", CONFIG_TYPE_GROUP );
+
+            setting = config_setting_add( group_customer_1, "Customer_Name", CONFIG_TYPE_STRING );
+            config_setting_set_string( setting, "Erase My Discs" );
+
+            setting = config_setting_add( group_customer_1, "Contact_Name", CONFIG_TYPE_STRING );
+            config_setting_set_string( setting, "J.B" );
+
+            setting = config_setting_add( group_customer_1, "Customer_Address", CONFIG_TYPE_STRING );
+            config_setting_set_string( setting, "Somewhere St, Chelsea, London." );
+
+            /* Write out the new configuration. */
+            if( !config_write_file( &nwipe_cfg, nwipe_config_file ) )
+            {
+                nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_ERROR, "Failed to write basic config to %s", nwipe_config_file );
+                config_destroy( &nwipe_cfg );
+                return ( -1 );
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_INFO, "Populated %s with basic config", nwipe_config_file );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if( !config_read_file( &nwipe_cfg, nwipe_config_file ) )
     {
         fprintf( stderr,
                  "%s:%d - %s\n",
                  config_error_file( &nwipe_cfg ),
                  config_error_line( &nwipe_cfg ),
                  config_error_text( &nwipe_cfg ) );
-
-        /* Does the /etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf file exist? If not, then create it */
-        if( access( "/etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf", F_OK ) == 0 )
-        {
-            nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_INFO, "/etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf exists" );
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_WARNING, "/etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf does not exist" );
-
-            /* We assume the /etc/nwipe directory doesn't exist, so try to create it */
-            mkdir( "/etc/nwipe", 0755 );
-
-            /* create the nwipe.conf file */
-            if( !( fp = fopen( "/etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf", "w" ) ) )
-            {
-                nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_ERROR, "Failed to create /etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf" );
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_INFO, "Created /etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf" );
-
-                /* Populate with some basic structure */
-                // NOTE ADD CODE HERE NOTE
-            }
-        }
     }
-    return;
+
+    config_destroy( &nwipe_cfg );
+    return ( 0 );
 }
 
 void nwipe_conf_close()
diff --git a/src/conf.h b/src/conf.h
index 7bec47c..68f9174 100644
--- a/src/conf.h
+++ b/src/conf.h
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@
  * start of nwipe, prior to any attempts to access
  * nwipe's config file /etc/nwipe/nwipe.conf
  * @param none
- * @return void
+ * @return int
+ *   0  = success
+ *   -1 = error
  */
-void nwipe_conf_init();
+int nwipe_conf_init();
 
 /**
  * Before exiting nwipe, this function should be called
diff --git a/src/nwipe.c b/src/nwipe.c
index da1029f..5c52b11 100644
--- a/src/nwipe.c
+++ b/src/nwipe.c
@@ -113,9 +113,9 @@ int main( int argc, char** argv )
 
     /** NOTE ** NOTE ** NOTE ** NOTE ** NOTE ** NOTE ** NOTE ** NOTE ** NOTE **
      * Important Note: if you want nwipe_log messages to go into the logfile
-     * they must after after the options are parsed here, else they will
-     * appear in the console but not in the logfile, that is, assuming you
-     * specified a log file on the command line as an nwipe option.
+     * any 'nwipe_log()' commands must appear after the options are parsed here,
+     * else they will appear in the console but not in the logfile, that is,
+     * assuming you specified a log file on the command line as an nwipe option.
      */
 
     /*****************************