update-alternatives

Set default editor in Ubuntu

To change vi editor run

root@backup:~# update-alternatives --config vi
There are 2 choices for the alternative vi (providing /usr/bin/vi).

  Selection    Path                Priority   Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0            /usr/bin/vim.basic   30        auto mode
  1            /usr/bin/vim.basic   30        manual mode
  2            /usr/bin/vim.tiny    10        manual mode

Press  to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 
root@backup:~# 

To display current vi config, run

root@backup:~# update-alternatives --display vi
vi - auto mode
  link best version is /usr/bin/vim.basic
  link currently points to /usr/bin/vim.basic
  link vi is /usr/bin/vi
  slave vi.1.gz is /usr/share/man/man1/vi.1.gz
  slave vi.fr.1.gz is /usr/share/man/fr/man1/vi.1.gz
  slave vi.it.1.gz is /usr/share/man/it/man1/vi.1.gz
  slave vi.ja.1.gz is /usr/share/man/ja/man1/vi.1.gz
  slave vi.pl.1.gz is /usr/share/man/pl/man1/vi.1.gz
  slave vi.ru.1.gz is /usr/share/man/ru/man1/vi.1.gz
/usr/bin/vim.basic - priority 30
  slave vi.1.gz: /usr/share/man/man1/vim.1.gz
  slave vi.fr.1.gz: /usr/share/man/fr/man1/vim.1.gz
  slave vi.it.1.gz: /usr/share/man/it/man1/vim.1.gz
  slave vi.ja.1.gz: /usr/share/man/ja/man1/vim.1.gz
  slave vi.pl.1.gz: /usr/share/man/pl/man1/vim.1.gz
  slave vi.ru.1.gz: /usr/share/man/ru/man1/vim.1.gz
/usr/bin/vim.tiny - priority 10
  slave vi.1.gz: /usr/share/man/man1/vim.1.gz
  slave vi.fr.1.gz: /usr/share/man/fr/man1/vim.1.gz
  slave vi.it.1.gz: /usr/share/man/it/man1/vim.1.gz
  slave vi.ja.1.gz: /usr/share/man/ja/man1/vim.1.gz
  slave vi.pl.1.gz: /usr/share/man/pl/man1/vim.1.gz
  slave vi.ru.1.gz: /usr/share/man/ru/man1/vim.1.gz
root@backup:~#