6.5.3 Alternative commands

To make the command vi run vim, use update-alternatives:

     # update-alternatives --display vi
     ...
     # update-alternatives --config vi
       Selection    Command
     -----------------------------------------------
           1        /usr/bin/elvis-tiny
           2        /usr/bin/vim
     *+    3        /usr/bin/nvi
     
     Enter to keep the default[*], or type selection number: 2

Items in the Debian alternatives system are kept in /etc/alternatives/ as symlinks.

To set your favorite X Window environment, apply update-alternatives to /usr/bin/x-session-manager and /usr/bin/x-window-manager. For details, see Custom X sessions, Section 9.4.5.1.

/bin/sh is a direct symlink to /bin/bash or /bin/dash. It's safer to use /bin/bash to be compatible with old Bashism-contaminated scripts but better discipline to use /bin/dash to enforce POSIX compliance. Upgrading to a 2.4 Linux kernel tends to set this to /bin/dash.