diff -r 1d9938bed21d autobuild/configfile.py
--- a/autobuild/configfile.py	Tue Mar 29 13:49:47 2011 -0700
+++ b/autobuild/configfile.py	Fri Apr 01 11:34:43 2011 -0700
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
         if build_configuration is not None:
             return build_configuration
         else:
-            raise ConfigurationError("no configuration for build configuration '%s'" % 
+            raise ConfigurationError("no configuration for build configuration '%s' found; one may be created using 'autobuild edit build'" % 
                 build_configuration_name)
    
     def get_build_directory(self, platform_name=get_current_platform()):
@@ -106,10 +106,10 @@
         Returns the absolute path to the build directory for the platform.
         """
         if self.package_description is None:
-            raise ConfigurationError('no package configuration defined')
+            raise ConfigurationError("no package configuration defined; one may be created using 'autobuild edit package'")
         platform_description = self.package_description.platforms.get(platform_name, None)
         if platform_description is None:
-            raise ConfigurationError("no configuration for platform '%s'" % platform_name)
+            raise ConfigurationError("no configuration for platform '%s' found; one may be created using 'autobuild edit platform'" % platform_name)
         common_platform_description = self.package_description.platforms.get('common', None)
         config_directory = os.path.dirname(self.path)
         if platform_description.build_directory is not None:
@@ -139,10 +139,10 @@
         Returns the named platform description. 
         """
         if self.package_description is None:
-            raise ConfigurationError('no package configuration defined')
+            raise ConfigurationError("no package configuration defined; one may be created using 'autobuild edit package'")
         platform_description = self.package_description.platforms.get(platform_name, None)
         if platform_description is None:
-            raise ConfigurationError("no configuration for platform '%s'" % platform_name)
+            raise ConfigurationError("no configuration for platform '%s' found; one may be created using 'autobuild edit platform'" % platform_name)
         else:
             return platform_description