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45 lines
1.4 KiB
45 lines
1.4 KiB
3 years ago
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title = "Using `alternatives`"
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date = 2021-06-21
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[taxonomies]
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tags = ["linux", "cli", "vim", "alternatives"]
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`alternatives` allows one to select a different executable for a normal command
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line program, but how does it work?
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<!-- more -->
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I'll give an example: I enjoy using NeoVim instead of Vim for different
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reasons. But there is a nag that I keep hitting: NeoVim executable is called
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`nvim` instead of the `vim` for... Vim.
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I could change two different environment variables, `VISUAL` and `EDITOR` to
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`nvim`, so any application that wants to open an external editor would call
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NeoVim instead. But, unfortunately, my muscle memory doesn't work with
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environment variables, so either I keep correcting myself to type `nvim`
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instead of `vim` or I find a way to, when I call `vim`, it should actually call
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`nvim`.
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The initial solution is to use aliases, so `alias vim nvim` (in Fish) would
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make `vim` actually run `nvim`... except when I use `sudo`, which doesn't
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expand the alias before its call. The actual solution would be something
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global, that takes care of this.
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And that's what `alternatives` do.
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In my case, what I actually need to do is run the follow command:
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```
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sudo alternatives --install /usr/bin/nvim vim /usr/bin/vim 1
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```
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What does it do:
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* Say I want to use `/usr/bin/nvim`
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* ... which I'll call "vim" (which is the name `alternatives` uses in its
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configuration)
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* ... making a symlink into `/usr/bin/vim`
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* ... with priority 1.
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