In defence of the Command Line Interface

[malspa]

I'm assuming that there are lots of things that can be done from the command line for which there's no GUI equivalent. I don't know for sure if that's true or not. When I look at something like man rsync, my impression is that there isn't a GUI out there that can do everything that you can do with rsync from the command line. Further, I'm thinking that it would be a huge undertaking to develop GUI answers to everything that can be done at the Linux command line, that it would take more time and effort than people are willing to put into it.

Am I wrong about all that? What do other folks think?

Do you use a GUI at all? Gnome, KDE, XCFE?

Of course I do. Currently using all three of the above, in different distros.

You could also reverse you entire statement with the same result.

Yeah, there are some things that I can do with the GUI that I can't easily do from the command line -- if I can do them at all. An example that comes to mind is getting a thumbnail preview of a .jpg file by hovering over the filename with the cursor in Konqueror.

But I'm guessing that most of the time it's the other way around -- more often it's the GUI that's lacking some of the options that are available at the command line.

[angry_johnnie]

I remember ages ago, when I first started using computers, one would turn the computer on and boot straight to a command prompt. One had to know what one was doing back then.

It wasn't until some years later when GUI became the standard for pretty much everything. And, even then, I would say up until the late 90's, it was still quite useful to be familiar with a command line. Fixing Windows ME, for example, was a lot easier with some understanding of DOS.

And then we came about the 21st century and everything became point and click for almost everyone who used a computer. That, added to the fact that many people who hadn't used computers before started using them then, is the reason, I think, there's so much complaining about shells in general.

Back in the days when the command line was the standard, and one had to know what one was doing, using a computer must have seemed like some sort of obscure art for those who didn't know. So, those who didn't know, didn't learn. But, when GUI took over, computers stopped being this little obscure thing for the geeky, nerdy, bunch. All of a sudden, computers became friendly and understandable. One no longer had to actually know what one was doing. It was all wizards, and point, and click, and yes, and next.

In general, people migrating from windows, are familiar with GUI-based apps. Having to use a command line, must feel like going back in time 20 years or so. And then, the computer starts to look like that geeky, nerdy, obscure thing it used to be. That must be pretty uncomfortable.

I love shells of all kinds. But, I know where people who complain are coming from, and I can't blame them for complaining. Nobody has ever forced me to use GUI. Why would I force anyone to use the shell? Why would I even try to convince anyone how incredibly fun and useful it is? How would I feel if someone tried to convince me of how ridiculously anachronistic and unfashionable it is to use a shell, when there are so many cool GUI alternatives out there?

In the end, it all boils down to what one wants to do with one's computer. Freedom of choice means I get to choose, and so do you.

[urgnom]

Well, if you keep hitting "ls" in Windows you can keep on doing so. The PowerShell accepts ls. Or you can just define a batch file called ls.bat that contains the single word dir. That was my way out of misery on XP (although I added some stuff for switches later on).

[blur xc]

I have to disagree!!!
I mean whats easier to drag a file into a folder or to etite a command to move it ?

If you know what you are doing- typing the command, every time...

If you don't know what you are doing- just click drag all you want, and let us cli types be.

I know a guy that was handed an external usb hard disk with 128gigs of music on it. All the music is on it in two file formats - mp3's and m4a's (and who knows what else). He's going on and on about what a pain it will be the separate the music formats and only copy the ones he wants to his computer. I didn't say anything- don't want to be preachy, but it would be so simple in bash.

BM

edit- I'm getting the impression that you have really poor typing skills. Hunt and peck much? My apologies if I'm wrong...

[blur xc]

Think of it this way:
When we are small, we point at the pictures.
When we grow up, we learn to read and write using alpha-numeric characters.

Lol - permission to quote that in my sig line?

BM

[aysiu]

If you know what you are doing- typing the command, every time...

If you don't know what you are doing- just click drag all you want, and let us cli types be.

I know a guy that was handed an external usb hard disk with 128gigs of music on it. All the music is on it in two file formats - mp3's and m4a's (and who knows what else). He's going on and on about what a pain it will be the separate the music formats and only copy the ones he wants to his computer. I didn't say anything- don't want to be preachy, but it would be so simple in bash.

BM

I know the general point you're trying to get across, but in that particular instance, it would be easy even in the GUI. You just do a search for everything, including subfolder. Then you sort the results by file type, highlight the MP3s and cut and paste them into one folder and then highlight the rest of the M4As and cut and paste them into another folder.

[Ioky]

well. command line is old. but is much more advance. unless you are doing something that graphic is a must. computer work much better and faster with command line. If an OS ship without command line, and script language. I wouldn't use it. that is it. I can live with an OS without GUI though.

I mean just try to imagine you need to turn 10000 images's color to B/W, in GUI. You will have to go into a image edit, and hit edit BW, save it, yes, write over it, and so on.

In command line, I can do it with a single command.

days... or 5 second. I think this is pretty clear.

[fatality_uk]

DropBox install.

Gui: Download deb, click, install, setup. Easy and very quick.

CLI: http://wiki.dropbox.com/TipsAndTrick...edLinuxInstall. Well, just read the page!

[dragos240]

CLI is just awesome.

[fatality_uk]

CLI is just awesome.

Totally agree, in the right circumstances.