select-default-ispell

select-default-ispell

The select-default-ispell command is a Debian-specific utility designed to manage the default interactive spell checker used on the system.

It presents a menu of available ispell-compatible programs (like ispell, aspell, or hunspell) installed on the system and allows the administrator (or a user with sufficient privileges) to choose one as the default.

This selection affects which spell checker is invoked when a program or script requests the system's default interactive spell checker. This can be useful to standardize spell checking across different applications or to select the most appropriate spell checker for a specific language or task. The changes are system-wide or user-specific, depending on the execution context and options.

The configuration is handled through Debian's alternatives system, ensuring a clean and consistent way to manage alternatives like default programs or libraries.

This command is specific to Debian-based systems and utilizes the Debian alternatives system. The list of available ispell programs depends on the installed packages.

Running select-default-ispell typically presents a menu in the terminal. You then select the number corresponding to the desired ispell program. The alternatives system is then updated to reflect your choice.

The select-default-ispell command was introduced as part of the Debian operating system's configuration tools to manage the default interactive spell checker. It leverages the Debian alternatives system, a mechanism for managing multiple versions or implementations of the same command or library. Its purpose is to provide a user-friendly way to configure the system-wide default ispell program, ensuring consistency and ease of use for applications that rely on a spell checker.

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