For creating an alias for a command in Linux, which file typically gets edited?

The file that is typically edited to create an alias for a command in Linux is the user-specific configuration file located at ~/.bashrc. When a user wants to define aliases, the ~/.bashrc file is the most common choice because it is executed whenever a new terminal session is started in interactive mode for a bash shell. This means that any aliases defined in this file will be available in all subsequent terminal sessions for that user.

By placing alias definitions in ~/.bashrc, users can customize their command line environments easily, making it convenient to use shortened command forms or even redefine existing commands. This capability greatly enhances productivity by allowing users to create shortcuts for frequently used commands.

The other files mentioned serve different purposes. For instance, /etc/profile is a system-wide initialization file applied to all users, while ~/.bash_profile and ~/.profile are often used for login shells, which do not automatically execute ~/.bashrc. Therefore, for most common alias setups, ~/.bashrc is considered the appropriate file to modify.