Does the package at:
http://nginx.org/packages/mainline/ubuntu/dists/bionic/
contain the instruction to create all the needed config files and folders?

Having managed to go from 1.14 to 1.17, I find anomalies: at least one missing folder and its files, undeleted files with the suffix '.deleted', etc.

If needed, catch up here:
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=313323

The --reinstall did not actually do enough.

Note: this topic is a continuation of:
https://forum.nginx.org/read.php?2,287202