diff --git a/development.ini b/development.ini
--- a/development.ini
+++ b/development.ini
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ max_request_body_size = 107374182400
 #cheaper-step = 1
 
 ## COMMON ##
+#host = 127.0.0.1
 host = 0.0.0.0
 port = 5000
 
@@ -554,16 +555,16 @@ propagate = 1
 class = StreamHandler
 args = (sys.stderr,)
 #level = INFO
+level = DEBUG
 #formatter = generic
-level = DEBUG
 formatter = color_formatter
 
 [handler_console_sql]
 class = StreamHandler
 args = (sys.stderr,)
 #level = WARN
+level = DEBUG
 #formatter = generic
-level = DEBUG
 formatter = color_formatter_sql
 
 ################
diff --git a/kallithea/tests/test.ini b/kallithea/tests/test.ini
--- a/kallithea/tests/test.ini
+++ b/kallithea/tests/test.ini
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ max_request_body_size = 107374182400
 
 ## COMMON ##
 host = 127.0.0.1
+#port = 5000
 port = 4999
 
 ## middleware for hosting the WSGI application under a URL prefix
@@ -224,6 +225,7 @@ rss_include_diff = false
 
 ## options for showing and identifying changesets
 show_sha_length = 12
+#show_revision_number = false
 show_revision_number = true
 
 ## gist URL alias, used to create nicer urls for gist. This should be an
@@ -341,6 +343,7 @@ beaker.cache.long_term.expire = 36000
 beaker.cache.long_term.key_length = 256
 
 beaker.cache.sql_cache_short.type = memory
+#beaker.cache.sql_cache_short.expire = 10
 beaker.cache.sql_cache_short.expire = 1
 beaker.cache.sql_cache_short.key_length = 256
 
@@ -537,8 +540,8 @@ propagate = 1
 
 [logger_sqlalchemy]
 #level = INFO
+level = ERROR
 #handlers = console_sql
-level = ERROR
 handlers = console
 qualname = sqlalchemy.engine
 propagate = 0
diff --git a/scripts/generate-ini.py b/scripts/generate-ini.py
new file mode 100755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/generate-ini.py
@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
+"""
+Based on kallithea/bin/template.ini.mako, generate
+  kallithea/config/deployment.ini_tmpl
+  development.ini
+  kallithea/tests/test.ini
+"""
+
+import re
+
+makofile = 'kallithea/bin/template.ini.mako'
+
+# the mako conditionals used in all other ini files and templates
+selected_mako_conditionals = set([
+    "database_engine == 'sqlite'",
+    "http_server == 'waitress'",
+    "error_aggregation_service == 'errormator'",
+    "error_aggregation_service == 'sentry'",
+])
+
+# the mako variables used in all other ini files and templates
+mako_variable_values = {
+    'host': '127.0.0.1',
+    'port': '5000',
+    'here': '%(here)s',
+    'uuid()': '${app_instance_uuid}',
+}
+
+# files to be generated from the mako template
+ini_files = [
+    ('kallithea/config/deployment.ini_tmpl',
+        '''
+        Kallithea - Example config
+
+        The %(here)s variable will be replaced with the parent directory of this file
+        ''',
+        {}, # exactly the same settings as template.ini.mako
+    ),
+    ('kallithea/tests/test.ini',
+        '''
+        Kallithea - config for tests:
+        initial_repo_scan = true
+        vcs_full_cache = false
+        sqlalchemy and kallithea_test.sqlite
+        custom logging
+
+        The %(here)s variable will be replaced with the parent directory of this file
+        ''',
+        {
+            '[server:main]': {
+                'port': '4999',
+            },
+            '[app:main]': {
+                'initial_repo_scan': 'true',
+                'app_instance_uuid': 'test',
+                'vcs_full_cache': 'false',
+                'show_revision_number': 'true',
+                'beaker.cache.sql_cache_short.expire': '1',
+                'beaker.session.secret': '{74e0cd75-b339-478b-b129-07dd221def1f}',
+                'sqlalchemy.db1.url': 'sqlite:///%(here)s/kallithea_test.sqlite',
+            },
+            '[logger_root]': {
+                'level': 'DEBUG',
+            },
+            '[logger_sqlalchemy]': {
+                'level': 'ERROR',
+                'handlers': 'console',
+            },
+            '[handler_console]': {
+                'level': 'NOTSET',
+            },
+        },
+    ),
+    ('development.ini',
+        '''
+        Kallithea - Development config:
+        listening on *:5000
+        sqlite and kallithea.db
+        initial_repo_scan = true
+        set debug = true
+        verbose and colorful logging
+
+        The %(here)s variable will be replaced with the parent directory of this file
+        ''',
+        {
+            '[server:main]': {
+                'host': '0.0.0.0',
+            },
+            '[app:main]': {
+                'initial_repo_scan': 'true',
+                'set debug': 'true',
+                'app_instance_uuid': 'development-not-secret',
+                'beaker.session.secret': 'development-not-secret',
+            },
+            '[handler_console]': {
+                'level': 'DEBUG',
+                'formatter': 'color_formatter',
+            },
+            '[handler_console_sql]': {
+                'level': 'DEBUG',
+                'formatter': 'color_formatter_sql',
+            },
+        },
+    ),
+]
+
+
+def main():
+    # make sure all mako lines starting with '#' (the '##' comments) are marked up as <text>
+    print 'reading:', makofile
+    mako_org = file(makofile).read()
+    mako_no_text_markup = re.sub(r'</?%text>', '', mako_org)
+    mako_marked_up = re.sub(r'\n(##.*)', r'\n<%text>\1</%text>', mako_no_text_markup, flags=re.MULTILINE)
+    if mako_marked_up != mako_org:
+        print 'writing:', makofile
+        file(makofile, 'w').write(mako_marked_up)
+
+    # select the right mako conditionals for the other less sophisticated formats
+    def sub_conditionals(m):
+        """given a %if...%endif match, replace with just the selected
+        conditional sections enabled and the rest as comments
+        """
+        conditional_lines = m.group(1)
+        def sub_conditional(m):
+            """given a conditional and the corresponding lines, return them raw
+            or commented out, based on whether conditional is selected
+            """
+            criteria, lines = m.groups()
+            if criteria not in selected_mako_conditionals:
+                lines = '\n'.join((l if not l or l.startswith('#') else '#' + l) for l in lines.split('\n'))
+            return lines
+        conditional_lines = re.sub(r'^%(?:el)?if (.*):\n((?:^[^%\n].*\n|\n)*)',
+            sub_conditional, conditional_lines, flags=re.MULTILINE)
+        return conditional_lines
+    mako_no_conditionals = re.sub(r'^(%if .*\n(?:[^%\n].*\n|%elif .*\n|\n)*)%endif\n',
+        sub_conditionals, mako_no_text_markup, flags=re.MULTILINE)
+
+    # expand mako variables
+    def pyrepl(m):
+        return mako_variable_values.get(m.group(1), m.group(0))
+    mako_no_variables = re.sub(r'\${([^}]*)}', pyrepl, mako_no_conditionals)
+
+    # remove utf-8 coding header
+    base_ini = re.sub(r'^## -\*- coding: utf-8 -\*-\n', '', mako_no_variables)
+
+    # create ini files
+    for fn, desc, settings in ini_files:
+        print 'updating:', fn
+        ini_lines = re.sub(
+            '# Kallithea - config file generated with kallithea-config *#\n',
+            ''.join('# %-77s#\n' % l.strip() for l in desc.strip().split('\n')),
+            base_ini)
+        def process_section(m):
+            """process a ini section, replacing values as necessary"""
+            sectionname, lines = m.groups()
+            if sectionname in settings:
+                section_settings = settings[sectionname]
+                def process_line(m):
+                    """process a section line and update value if necessary"""
+                    setting, value = m.groups()
+                    line = m.group(0)
+                    if setting in section_settings:
+                        line = '%s = %s' % (setting, section_settings[setting])
+                        if '$' not in value:
+                            line = '#%s = %s\n%s' % (setting, value, line)
+                    return line.rstrip()
+                lines = re.sub(r'^([^#\n].*) = ?(.*)', process_line, lines, flags=re.MULTILINE)
+            return sectionname + '\n' + lines
+        ini_lines = re.sub(r'^(\[.*\])\n((?:(?:[^[\n].*)?\n)*)', process_section, ini_lines, flags=re.MULTILINE)
+        file(fn, 'w').write(ini_lines)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()