dh_metainit: command not found

Maybe Your $PATH variable doesn't contain the default paths? echo $PATH should give something like:

[root@server ~]# echo $PATH
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/root/bin

If it's empty, You may set the PATH variable with this command

export PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/root/bin"

On Debian possible default full paths are:

/usr/bin/dh_metainit - from package: dh-metainit

You may install the required package with command apt-get install {package}

Error in other languages:
dh_metainit: bevel nie gevind nie
dh_metainit: comandă negăsită
dh_metainit: comando não encontrado
dh_metainit: commande introuvable
dh_metainit: command not found
dh_metainit: käsku ei ole
dh_metainit: không tìm thấy lệnh
dh_metainit: komanda nerasta
dh_metainit: Kommando nicht gefunden.
dh_metainit: kommandot finns inte
dh_metainit: komut yok
dh_metainit: nie znaleziono polecenia
dh_metainit: níor aimsíodh an t-ordú
dh_metainit: no se encontró la orden
dh_metainit: no s'ha trobat l'ordre
dh_metainit: opdracht niet gevonden
dh_metainit: parancs nem található
dh_metainit: perintah tidak ditemukan
dh_metainit: príkaz nenájdený
dh_metainit: příkaz nenalezen
dh_metainit: команда не найдена
dh_metainit: командата не е открита
dh_metainit: 命令找不到
dh_metainit: コマンドが見つかりません