select-default-ispell

select-default-ispell [options]

--help
    Displays a brief usage message and exits.

--version
    Shows the version information of the command and exits.

The select-default-ispell command is a utility primarily found on Debian-based Linux distributions, designed to allow users or system administrators to select the default spell-checking program invoked when the ispell command is run. In the Debian ecosystem, this functionality is commonly managed through the update-alternatives mechanism, which handles situations where multiple programs provide the same core functionality (e.g., ispell can be provided by the original ispell program, aspell, or hunspell).

While ispell itself is an older spell checker, this command ensures that applications configured to use ispell will utilize the user's preferred underlying engine and dictionary. Running the command usually presents an interactive menu from which the desired alternative can be chosen. Although the command might still exist for backward compatibility, the modern and more general approach to managing such defaults is typically via the update-alternatives --config link_name command, such as update-alternatives --config ispell.

This command is largely specific to Debian-based distributions. Its functionality is often integrated into, or superseded by, the more general update-alternatives system. Users are increasingly advised to use update-alternatives --config ispell directly for more flexible control. The ispell program itself is older, with aspell and hunspell being more commonly used modern alternatives for spell-checking. This command primarily sets the default ispell alias, not necessarily the system-wide spell checker for all applications.

When run without arguments,
select-default-ispell typically presents an interactive numbered list of available spell checker alternatives (e.g., aspell, hunspell) configured as 'ispell'. Users can then input the number corresponding to their desired default choice.

This command largely acts as a specialized front-end to the Debian
update-alternatives system. It manipulates the symbolic links managed by
update-alternatives for the 'ispell' alternative group, ensuring that the selected program is the one executed when 'ispell' is invoked.

The select-default-ispell command emerged as part of the Debian project's efforts to manage system-wide defaults for applications where multiple implementations exist. It aimed to provide a user-friendly way to choose the preferred ispell dictionary or backend. Over time, as the update-alternatives system became more robust and ubiquitous across Debian and its derivatives, specific helper scripts like select-default-ispell have become less central. While still present in some older systems or for backward compatibility, its role has largely been subsumed by direct interaction with update-alternatives, making it a historical artifact representing an earlier approach to default selection.

update-alternatives(8), ispell(1), aspell(1), hunspell(1)