When's the last time you had to use the terminal?

[aysiu]

Since Ubuntu has made more and more GUI frontends for tasks and supposedly implemented a graphical way of changing the Xorg.conf file, are people still needing to use the command-line or terminal? Or is it only by choice now?

[aimran]

I use the terminal all the time. Too lazy to put rhythmbox on my OB menu /blush.

[BDNiner]

where is the new graphical front end for editing the xorg.conf file.

[n3tfury]

oops, i chose #1 instead of "don't know if I'd had to use it or not because I choose to use it so often", so if a mod can fix that? :P

i like using the terminal because it's a learning curve that i want to come to grips with. i try and use it as often as possible.

[Paul820]

I am getting used to using it now. It a lot easier to download a program through the terminal than starting synaptic and then searching for the program i want. Although that's only if i know what i want to download, otherwise i would have to use synaptic. I sometimes move files around with the terminal, copy files etc. I even have a shortcut key set to start the terminal, the super key.

[aysiu]

I think the last time I had to use it was Edgy Eft. I was trying to get resume from suspend to work on my Dell Inspiron 500m and was looking at all sorts of guides on the internet requiring me to edit various configuration files (I guess technically you don't need the terminal to edit config files--you can just use a graphical text editor like Gedit, but I still count that as being terminal-ly).

As of Feisty Fawn, resume from suspend has just worked on my laptop, so I haven't had to use the terminal.

[funrider]

use it daily to feel like i am a geek

[Christmas]

I use the terminal daily, in fact I always have Konsole opened in combination with alltray, so it sits in the system tray. Without a terminal I feel like lost.

[Anessen]

I use it out of choice, and I use it a lot.

[kellemes]

I choose the terminal for most tasks..
I think most gui's suck, and in general aren't intuitive at all, let alone efficient. I'm glad Ubuntu isn't *yet?* closing the option to get everything done through terminal, as soon as I get the feeling it is.. I'll be gone hopping.

[aysiu]

I'm glad Ubuntu isn't *yet?* closing the option to get everything done through terminal, as soon as I get the feeling it is.. I'll be gone hopping. Ubuntu will never close the option to get things done through the terminal. They're trying to open GUI options so that those who use the CLI use it out of choice, not necessity.

[vexorian]

I love my terminal, I wouldn't ever trade my beloved geany+make+valgrind with a super slowish bloated and full of lame features Visual Studio 8 (Yes, I am serious)

Yes, I just like to use the terminal, but I didn't really HAD to use it to configure stuff ever since I installed feisty.

[bobbocanfly]

I use it all the time for loads of stuff. I even boot into one instead of GDM (Cuts a pile of time off my boot, about 3-5 seconds). Also got Irssi and rTorrent going in there.

[Acglaphotis]

Im always using the terminal.

[notwen]

Use it daily, I keep a instance of tilda running at all times. Does that count? =]

[Skorzen]

I voted for Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) - Still need to use it. It's extremely useful to do some tasks.

[Sunflower1970]

I find I use it just about all the time. I choose to use it because for some tasks it's just easier and quicker than a GUI.

[oldos2er]

I use the terminal all the time; usually it's faster than GUI. and how else are you going to run CLI programs?

[plb]

Use it all the time but then again I don't use Ubuntu :)

[Rinzwind]

4 minutes ago (Gutsy)

I love cli :) :guitar:

[qazwsx]

I don't know. I have now three terminal windows open.
Sometimes I run /etc/init.d/kdm stop and use 6 terminal sessions even watch some videos via mplayer using framebuffer :). Yesterday I found gpm which makes terminal more handy (mouse support). I reallyneed terminal-emulators.

[Fxy]

I use terminal all the time, in fact i use terminal to run windows 1.0 while developing stuff...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/Windows1.0.png

[p_quarles]

It's kind of hard to run Debian stable on a headless server without using the terminal. :D

I use it all the time to administer my Ubuntu boxes, as well, though. Software management, system tweaking, file management. I even prefer command line s/ftp over the graphical clients, because I find it simpler to type one command to go to any directory on either system than to click through menus.

[desertboy]

I was a windows user for many many years (Until Edgy, then Gutsy tribe 2, what a way to introduce yourself to Linux) but have found if you want to do the fun stuff it's all in terminal (Reminds of the old DOS & Amiga (which had a wicked CLI) days.).

I remember fondly spending many hours getting Beryl & Synce to work.

GUI only disconnects us only further from the computer, something I forgot in the years since win95.

[daynah]

I think the added option "I choose to use it" is creating a celing on the poll. I voted on when was the last time I HAD te use it... even though I type apt-get install all the time.

To test, I tried my NTFS evternal in gutsy and it works. I don't know what else I would NEED to type in terminal. Maybe if I had done a clean install and was installing games? But I personally haven't used terminal in gutsy yet except dicking around trying to do dumb stuff. Which I think was wore the intent of the question...

[FuturePilot]

I messed up my vote.:( I said Gutsy but that's just because I prefer to use the terminal for certain things. I actually feel more comfortable using the terminal to edit my xorg.conf than displayconfig-gtk (I have more control). And there are many other things that I just prefer to use the terminal for.

[public_void]

Can't do without it. I even set the verbose argument for command just to see whats happening. I don't feel in control when using a GUI. With a terminal you have the power at your fingertips, literally.

[snickers295]

i like using the terminal because you can get programs and commands running a lot better with it then clicking a icon.

[Irihapeti]

When did I last have to, as in the only way to get out of a jam (or do some essential task) - I don't know. Maybe a couple of months ago when apt choked on a partially-installed package. I use it quite a bit out of choice, though. Just a couple of minutes ago did sudo apt-get update, which is a lot quicker than opening synaptic.

[aysiu]

Wow. 31% still need to use it even in Gutsy Gibbon. Well, the developers will keep on truckin' along I guess.

[rustybronco]

Because it takes so long to get what you need through a gui!!!!
Hummmmmm? apt-get or system>administration>synaptic...
> >hardware info or lspci, lsusb...
That equates have to.
The terminal is the first thing I add to the panel on a fresh install.

[macogw]

I installed Kubuntu Gutsy on my friend's laptop the day after release, and even with the new drivers installed by the restricted manager and a reboot, the X configuration GUI wasn't allowing over 800x600, so I had to manually edit xorg.conf which it turned out what still using "nv" even though the restricted manager said that nvidia-glx-new was "in use". The installation lasted two days. Her Windows Vista imploded, and her reinstallation of Windows blew away Ubuntu.

Last time I used the terminal: a few hours ago with Cygwin on Windows XP so I could have the lovely vim instead of having to use a stupid text-editor-that-requires-a-mouse.

[zeDuffMan]

I use it far more than I ever thought I would. It saves so much time.

[petersjm]

I guess as with everyone that's been around for more than release or three, once I got used to the terminal in the past, I use it now simply because it's quick and easy. When I upgraded to Gutsy, I was so tempted to try never to use the terminal, just to see how "user-friendly" it was (read: windows-like friendly). But I killed that idea when I aptituded an app (within minutes of upgrading!) with the terminal just 'cause I couldn't be bothered to search for it in synaptic! I figure a newbie could probably get by without it, but I for one think it essential, just because I know how easy it is to use!

[fuscia]

i use it all the time. i have three open now (htop, streamripper and ncmpc).

[misfitpierce]

I chose never had to use

Why?

Simple... I never had to really use terminal... Did I want to or choose to?
Yes... Basically dont have to use terminal but you can want to :)

[SunnyRabbiera]

I still use the terminal but its once in a blue moon these days...

[voided3]

I use it to get the latest ATI drivers and install .run packages and such (like google earth at UT2k4). Now that I know a bunch of basic commands, it really is handy. On a daily basis though it doesn't really see any action.

[kevdog]

Terminal kick A$$

Who wouldn't want to use the terminal?? Its so much faster and more efficient. (Hmm maybe that is one of the reasons I like Ubuntu/Linux)?

[aysiu]

For the 29 (so far) of you who have had (not chosen) to use the terminal in Ubuntu 7.10, can you mention quickly what you had to use it for? I'm just curious. Thanks!

[macogw]

For the 29 (so far) of you who have had (not chosen) to use the terminal in Ubuntu 7.10, can you mention quickly what you had to use it for? I'm just curious. Thanks!

Well, like I said in my case, the restricted driver manager would say that nvidia-glx-new was in use when it was definitely not. The X configuration thing was correct in saying that 800x600 was the max resolution for the currently in-use driver, because xorg.conf said it was nv. The restricted driver manager lied about enabling the good driver, and the only way to force it to use the right driver was to edit xorg.conf.

[herbster]

I use it all the time, I love it. I also love GUI. That's linux to me, getting the best of both worlds.

[Mazza558]

Perhaps the poll would have been better with options for people who simply choose to use it? I can see a lot of responses where people use CLI out of choice.

[aysiu]

Perhaps the poll would have been better with options for people who simply choose to use it? I can see a lot of responses where people use CLI out of choice.
I did include that response on the poll:
I don't know if I'd had to use it or not because I choose to use it so often

What else could I have done?

[regomodo]

i use cli all the time. Not because there aren't any gui tools but because sometimes it is a lot quicker/simpler to use it.

[TheMono]

I couldn't go by without Yakuake.

[-grubby]

I use it a lot, not because I have to,but because I want to

[Vansinnesvisan]

I've never understood the aversion to the terminal so many people have. The terminal is the most powerful tool on your system and people fear it? Odd, very odd.

[aysiu]

I've never understood the aversion to the terminal so many people have. The terminal is the most powerful tool on your system and people fear it? Odd, very odd.
I had this aversion back in April 2005 when I first started using Linux. That aversion is what put me on to Mepis instead of Ubuntu at first. What got me off that aversion was http://www.ubuntuguide.org

Why I even had that aversion in the first place, though, I don't know.

[p_quarles]

I had this aversion back in April 2005 when I first started using Linux. That aversion is what put me on to Mepis instead of Ubuntu at first. What got me off that aversion was http://www.ubuntuguide.org

Why I even had that aversion in the first place, though, I don't know.
The learning curve is certainly much steeper than with a good GUI. I'm pretty certain that this is where the aversion comes from. Plus, that learning curve goes up along with the power of the CLI being used.

My first computer experiences were with relatively simple CLIs (C64 BASIC and MS-DOS 5.0). My first experience with a *nix command line was on my university's telnet server. I think it took me like half an hour to figure out how to check my quota usage.

Bash and similar shells are fantastic if you know what you're doing, and pretty baffling if you don't.

[vexorian]

For the 29 (so far) of you who have had (not chosen) to use the terminal in Ubuntu 7.10, can you mention quickly what you had to use it for? I'm just curious. Thanks!
My bet is: Newbie wants a new apt, codec / etc and he looks for help and he finds sudo apt-get install instead of "go to system\administration\synaptic" , pick this one.

[aysiu]

My bet is: Newbie wants a new apt, codec / etc and he looks for help and he finds sudo apt-get install instead of "go to system\administration\synaptic" , pick this one.
So they didn't necessarily have to use the terminal but just thought they had to use it. I'm sure that accounts for some of those votes.

[Billy_McBong]

i love the terminal i use it all the time

[Irihapeti]

I had to - yes, had to - use the terminal just a few minutes ago. An installation script had got interrupted, and I couldn't open synaptic. It gave me an instruction to use in the terminal before it quit. So I did that and it fixed the problem nicely.

[mthei]

I prefer the terminal. Even when I download a .deb file, I unpack it through the terminal. In fact, I just used it ten minutes ago to install gnumeric. And I'd like to get used to using the command line to configure things (unless it's giving me trouble, then I'd probably just do it via a graphical alternative), as if i decide to stop using Ubuntu and go for something else, it would be nice to understand it with as little trouble as possible.

[Scruffynerf]

Running feisty - just about daily. But then, I like tweaking things.

[zetetic]

I think the question implies that using the terminal is a bad thing, or something we should avoid.

That's why I don't like the terms in which the question is formulated, especially this part: <you had to use>.

The question seems biased...

Using the terminal is not something "we have to do in absence of a better (gui) alternative"!

As a matter of fact, the terminal is usually the best way to do tasks in an efficient, rapid, secure and reliable manner!

If we start treating linux users as idiots, only idiots will you linux.

cheers,

zetetic

[p_quarles]

@zeletic: As I said above, I use the shell for quite a few things, and it is my only access to one of my computers.

That said, I think you're missing the point. Yes, for those of us who know our way around, using the shell is a lot more convenient and efficient than GUI equivalents (for some things; I could, but am not going to, use CLI word processors). At the same time, there are numerous people who both want to be able to control their computer, but are not willing or able to put in the time required to get a handle on bash. One of Ubuntu's goals is to make itself accessible to everyone, so each release aims to improve the ability of users to do things the way they want.

I don't think anyone is saying it's a punishment to use the command line. The question was intended to guage Ubuntu's current success in providing tools for those who don't wish to.

[AndyCooll]

Well, I've answered that I can't remember because I use the command line often.

That answer actually masks a multitude of thoughts. For I can't remember when I had to use the command line but there are a number of occasions when I just find it easier to use it. I should point out that I've never actually learnt the command line, just enough to get by. I am, and probably always be, a point and click guy but I do appreciate having access to the power of the command line.

:cool:

[Presto123]

In Feisty, I have HAD to install with the terminal because certain app's did not work in the gui.

I don't remember the programs offhand, but they were probably eluding me in the GUI set-up. I believe the problem was that the program(s) in the gui just did not work with my computer.

[Spr0k3t]

The terminal is one of my primary tools in Linux. I use it daily for various needs. There was a couple situations after Gutsy that I had to make use of the terminal though.

1: Fix my sound through alsamixer
2: Fix the video. Restricted-driver-manager would not accept the nvidia-glx-new selection. I had to remove --purge and reinstall.
3: Fix the wireless in my 2nd laptop. The restricted-driver-manager would not install the fwcutter packages, had to do this by hand before they could be enabled.

Only the first option required using the terminal to fix it. The other items on the list could have been taken care of by using synaptic package manager. However, it was faster to use the terminal than to sort through the list, or even search for it.

[petersjm]

My bet is: Newbie wants a new apt, codec / etc and he looks for help and he finds sudo apt-get install instead of "go to system\administration\synaptic" , pick this one.

I agree. There are a multitude of people on these forums that, when a newbie asks a question like "how do I install..." or "how do I fix this...", many people will automatically make a CLI reference: "Easy, you just sudo apt-get install..." instead of saying "open Synaptic and click..."

I propose a GUI Day on UbuntuForums, whereby specifically in the Beginner's forum, all CLI solutions are off-limits for 24 hours - if no one knows a GUI solution to someone's problem, only then can they make a CLI reference. Then maybe the devs should be looking at ways to improve GUI support for that particular problem in the future! :D

[popch]

I propose a GUI Day on UbuntuForums, whereby specifically in the Beginner's forum, all CLI solutions are off-limits for 24 hours - if no one knows a GUI solution to someone's problem, only then can they make a CLI reference.

Have you ever tried to explain to someone how to find some button, list entry or command in a GUI when you do not even know what language his GUI is displaying? I am not thinking about the menu structure within one well defined program window. Think about controls that are to be used which are revealed by the GUI in a series of steps involving the coming and going of different dialog windows.

[Shin_Gouki2501]

maybe its a habbit but i install applications via:

apt-get

is there a simpler way?!

Also i tend to look at my network conf with ifconfig.

ALSO EVERY programm that is not in the repos need to touch the CLI for install.

So i dont get ur point, i even say its impossible to use ubuntu without CLI, even if u want to install just a "few" <<uncommon>> programms such as realplayer or helix for webradio...

but i see a point in the upper posts , so there ARE alternatives but they are nto used by the experinced because they LIKE CLI and the "new" users dotn use them because they didnt't know how and the experienced users tell them to use CLI.

Interesting paradox.

ID we could change about that it would be great!

[Rhapsody]

I use it anyway for Irssi and optipng, but I have to use the terminal on 7.04 because KDE won't stick to an 85Hz refresh rate for whatever reason, and I have to reset it using nvidia-settings each time it starts.

[smithman89]

So far, in gutsy, just once to invoke
compiz --replace

[FredB]

Well. I use it everyday for some archiving - faster than file-roller - and for installing some software, faster than with Synaptic.

Maybe because I am using linux for years ? ;)

[mysticmatrix]

I really never NEEDED to use CLI in Gutsy. Even I was able to change graphics(xorg.conf) from GUI.

But it's easier and quicker to work in CLI, IMO.
So, I still use it.

[AZzKikR]

I love the fact that you can configure stuff using the CLI and using a GUI front-end. I hope this combination will never leave Ubuntu (nor any other Linux distribution).

As for my vote: I choose to use it so often!

[keithcleaver]

I don't use it that often, but when I do, it's for important sytem tasks.

I experimented with the CLI yesterday by wiping my Linux partition, and installing a CLI system. I then used it to install all the other bits and pieces I wanted (X.org, WM, Apps etc.) on top. I was impressed with how smooth everything was.

[Luggy]

I do use the terminal quite often because I like it. However I sense that the nature of this thread has to do with Linux readiness, and thus the last time I had to use the terminal to get something working was a few minutes ago ( in gutsy ) when I had to explicitly kill firefox because it locked up and I used the force quit applet to close it and it wouldn't allow me to start it again.


$killall firefox-bin

[starfry]

The terminal is one of the major advantages of a unix-like operating system. It is not a failing to find yourself using the terminal, it is empowering. I have yet to find something I can not do via the command line and the ability to shell script tasks can not be under-estimated.

the "cmd" prompt on Windows does not even come close.

Stand up and be proud to use the terminal :)

[vexorian]

maybe its a habbit but i install applications via:

apt-get

is there a simpler way?!

Also i tend to look at my network conf with ifconfig.

ALSO EVERY programm that is not in the repos need to touch the CLI for install.

So i dont get ur point, i even say its impossible to use ubuntu without CLI, even if u want to install just a "few" <<uncommon>> programms such as realplayer or helix for webradio...

but i see a point in the upper posts , so there ARE alternatives but they are nto used by the experinced because they LIKE CLI and the "new" users dotn use them because they didnt't know how and the experienced users tell them to use CLI.

Interesting paradox.

ID we could change about that it would be great!
It is the people that distribute those program's fault (unless it is dev versions) There should always be binary packages, I for example most of the times just download the .deb, which takes a double click to install.

Luggy: A system restart would have worked, and thus terminal was not necessary.


agree. There are a multitude of people on these forums that, when a newbie asks a question like "how do I install..." or "how do I fix this...", many people will automatically make a CLI reference: "Easy, you just sudo apt-get install..." instead of saying "open Synaptic and click..."

I propose a GUI Day on UbuntuForums, whereby specifically in the Beginner's forum, all CLI solutions are off-limits for 24 hours - if no one knows a GUI solution to someone's problem, only then can they make a CLI reference. Then maybe the devs should be looking at ways to improve GUI support for that particular problem in the future!

I actually think it is way easier for the newbs to use the CLI, you only need to tell them how to open the terminal and then it is just copy pasting, I sense it would be harder to ask them to follow a lot of instructions on how to use the GUI , because I tried to explain windows by phone a lot of times and it takes a hiuck amount of time to explain people correctly how to use the GUI , so I actually think in a way the CLI makes it easier for the newbs.

But I think we should now begin to exploit apturl when telling people to try some package.

BTW, is there a way to install apturl on feisty?

[aysiu]

I don't know why people think I'm implying terminal use is necessarily a bad thing.

I'm asking in the spirit of "When was the last time you had to travel?" Many people enjoy traveling if it's for pleasure. Some even enjoy traveling for business. And a few people hate traveling for business or for "pleasure." But the fact of the matter is--whether you enjoy it or not--sometimes you have to travel (for your job, for family obligations, whatever).

Likewise, I'm asking when do you have to use the terminal (as opposed to choosing to use it). I personally choose to use it quite often.

[KCPokes]

Maybe its not a matter of HAVING to use the terminal, but frankly I just know how to do more command line then I do via a GUI. I do believe they have come a long way toward making it such that people do not have to use the terminal, which works well for the vast majority.

[dimbulb1024]

I have one program that I need to launch from terminal.
Thingamablog is java based and I can only get it to launch by using the terminal.

[EdThaSlayer]

I use the terminal all the time. To do little things like chmod. I also like to play around with the terminal.

[jrharvey]

i have had to use the terminal once to save my Nvidia settings. After that i haven't had to use it since I got gutsy.

[dimbulb1024]

I use the terminal all the time. To do little things like chmod. I also like to play around with the terminal.

I have to agree, I like playing around with terminal also. It is interesting the things you can do with it especially via sudo and thus not having to log in via root.

[505]

I use it all the time, but when I really needed it was this morning. It wasn't actually the terminal, but TTY1 (even scarier...). I installed the new Nvidia binary drivers, but something always goes wrong with that. Failsafe X server isn't all that great, so I killed X, and started typing code at the command line until it worked.

[kopinux]

i havent touched it yet since gutsy.

[equal]

I love how everyone is announcing how they love using CLI rather than answering the question. While I, too, am a CLI junky, the last time I ever NEEDED to use it was Edgy. I still do use it because it's a lot faster for most installations and configurations.

[Incense]

Last time I had to use it was this week to see why gimp would not open.

[jfrancis]

Q.When's the last time you had to use the terminal?

What's a terminal?

:biggrin:

[y6FgBn)~v]

A few minutes ago to get my printer to work.

Thank you AKoine for telling me about "sudo aa-complain cupsd"

Worked like a charm :)

[MrBordello]

But the terminal is so cool ...
Do you ever had a windows problem (back in the days, of course) and asked anybody for help? Its like: "then you click on bla, now you should see blabla! no? err ... "
Here in the forums are thousands of problem solved by saying: "open the terminal (hardest part), type sudo bla, post output here". Two replies later: "I see... type sudo blabla" - problem solved.
What's so bad about the terminal?

[ViRMiN]

I use the terminal everyday and will continue to do so.

[aysiu]

What's so bad about the terminal? Nothing's bad about it.

I just asked when the last time people had to use the terminal was (as opposed to chose to use the terminal).

[ticopelp]

I use it all the time, for apt-get and such.

Probably the last time I had to use it was when I was compiling Pidgin from source because there wasn't a .deb file, or editing my xorg.conf or hosts file.

[Henry Rayker]

I don't think you ever HAVE to use the terminal...it is your choice, after all, to use an OS so fundamentally built around the terminal...

Honestly, I think if people quit looking at the terminal as a chore ("But windows doesn't have it, so it MUST be bad. They wouldn't be the top selling OS if they didn't know best!!") and started to look at it as an astoundingly powerful tool (with an albeit high learning curve) everything would be much better.

[ericesque]

I spotted this post on the front page.
First line: When was the last time you had... [to use the terminal?]
Second line: by so-and-so: 3 minutes ago

:)

[zach12]

I use it for installing programs and configing

[jken146]

I understand aysiu's point, new users are intimidated by the terminal and all that, but I don't think that there should be a GUI tool to match everything you can do in the terminal. In many cases, I just find it easier to use the terminal -- it would take me longer or would be more difficult if I used the GUI alone. This is a crucial feature of Linux for me. Also, I think it's healthy for the user to have a bit of proficiency with the terminal - knowledge of a few commands and the ability to read man pages equips you to deal with an awful lot of situations and to troubleshoot quite a few problems on your own.

I don't think that Ubuntu, even though it emphasises user-friendliness, should try to go down the route of providing graphical ways of doing everything, because that separates the "Joe average user" (if there is such a person) from the kind of people who tinker and/or develop with their OS. I think people should be encouraged to tinker with their OS, to find out how it works, and that way they will become more capable of helping themselves and more aware of what it takes to do things properly (e.g. secure themselves well). People who are just doing point-and-click all the time risk being ignorant of what exactly they are doing - they don't have to think as much.

The terminal is useful when X locks up. It's needed when you can't log in and e.g.have to change a password. A lot of 'average users' need to do these things.

To answer the, er, question, I say Gutsy because today I had to do update-initramfs, edit a line in GRUB (does the GRUB prompt count?) and start compiz this way because any other method would not work.

I find that there are loads of new users on these forums who mess up their xorg.conf files and need to run dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg (or edit the file directly) in recovery mode. Of course, they *could* boot to a live CD and reinstall Ubuntu, but it would be ridiculous to suggest that.

The terminal currently has a massive place in Linux distros, including this one, and I don't see why that should change. In my opinion, Ubuntu has a great set of GUI tools to ease newbies in, while at the same time having some excellent documentation (and of course this amazing community) to teach people whatever else they need or want to know. To me, "Linux for Human Beings" doesn't mean it has to be completely intuitive and easy to use from the start; it means that there should be simple and effective ways of empowering the user to exercise the freedoms that come with his/her software. That doesn't mean that people shouldn't be able to use the GUI if they want to, just that I think the distro should encourage understanding of and proficiency with Linux rather than pretending it isn't necessary.

[ViRMiN]

I use it 'cause I'm 'ard and not a wuss who needs buttons to click! (Only joking!)

I'm happy using shells as I'm used to it; I think it's worthwhile learning to use it, as it comes in handy. I do a lot of scripting both with shells, Perl and other languages and benefit from the power that's available. I must say, I do prefer to use Firefox than Lynx though :D

[NullHead]

I use my term all of the time :lolflag: some times I even use the web in it with lynx 8-)

[ViRMiN]

I use my term all of the time :lolflag: some times I even use the web in it with lynx 8-)

Only real time I used lynx is when things have got a bit awry! Heheh! It is nice to have a GUI browser. Other than that, I'm CLI-friendly :)

[gn2]

The last two terminal commands I used were:
sudo aptitude install xubuntu-desktop
To install from the alternate CD to my laptop which cannot run a Live CD and then to get all the useful bits and pieces installed:
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

I know I could have got this through Add/Remove or Synaptic, but it's the one thing I like doing with the terminal, just to say goodbye as it were.
After that I do not use the terminal for anything, but it's nice to know it's there if I ever do need it.

[-grubby]

I've NEVER had to use the terminal except once to configure my NVIDIA-DRIVERS. I use the terminal out of choice because I find it MUCH faster than synaptic. In fact, I can search the repositories by running:


apt-cache search X

[akiratheoni]

The last time I HAD to use the terminal was when I just quad booted Mandriva. Apparently it used an older kernel than Ubuntu or Fedora 7 so when I would boot those OSes, it would boot with the older kernel and my mouse wouldn't get recognized. I had to copy Ubuntu's kernel over to Mandriva's /boot folder then edit Mandriva's menu.lst to boot from the new kernel.

Also, can't forget the countless crashes of the Xserver. But I don't mind. Using the terminal is FUN! :)

[hellion0]

"Had" to use? When I copied over the info from an older /etc/fstab file for some network mounts into my desktop's fresh install.

I use it daily, though. My IRC client of choice runs in a terminal.

[Vignesh S]

I use the terminal all the time, especially when I want to install a new program that's in the repositories. Those times, I simply cannot be stuffed going through my GnoMenu just to get to Synaptic, only to then wait for it to load, type my password in, and so on and so forth. I also use it to install software that isn't in a .deb package e.g. installing source

[aysiu]

I use the terminal all the time, especially when I want to install a new program that's in the repositories. Those times, I simply cannot be stuffed going through my GnoMenu just to get to Synaptic, only to then wait for it to load, type my password in, and so on and so forth. I also use it to install software that isn't in a .deb package e.g. installing source
It sounds as if you didn't read the original post:
are people still needing to use the command-line or terminal? Or is it only by choice now? So in your case, you are choosing to use the terminal. You don't need to use it.

[SunnyRabbiera]

Q: When's the last time you had to use the terminal in Ubuntu?
A: Two weeks ago when setting it up for a friend

Q: When's the last time you had to use the terminal in Linux?
A: Yesterday, when using alien to convert a .deb into a .rpm

[fatcrab]

2 weeks ago to load sillypoker.

[scottuss]

Wow this old thread got resurrected :)

I wondered why the version choices were old lol.

Anyway I choose to use it on a regular basis

[murderslastcrow]

Last time I used it was to encode an ogg from a stream, but I'm sure there was a plugin for it. The only thing I can say a normal Ubuntu user would do that needs the command line is installing encrypted DVD playback. And still, if you buy Linux installed on your computer, that's usually included, and you can get official codec packs elsewhere.

So yeah, sometimes I use it just because it feels snazzy and is faster than clicking a thousand buttons. But I tend not to use it in front of other people so they don't get the impression that you need it.

[lisati]

Other than checking something out, the last time I used termianl was a few days agao, to use ffmpeg to help fix the aspect ratio on a video clip that I'd transferred from my DVD recorder.

[SuperSonic4]

Reinstalled Arch recently so a couple of days ago.

I choose to use the command line because it is more powerful and efficient for what I need to do

[Shpongle]

nearly at every time i log on , im using it to compile java lately

[rcastoro1]

I am getting used to using it now. It a lot easier to download a program through the terminal than starting synaptic and then searching for the program i want. Although that's only if i know what i want to download, otherwise i would have to use synaptic. I sometimes move files around with the terminal, copy files etc. I even have a shortcut key set to start the terminal, the super key.

Can you explain how its easier to download a file using the terminal, how do you find the Filename and URL to the program you want so fast? This is the only reason i avoid downloading with the terminal

[mindaslab]

Just 15 minutes ago

[Hamchan]

Can you explain how its easier to download a file using the terminal, how do you find the Filename and URL to the program you want so fast? This is the only reason i avoid downloading with the terminal

With the references to synaptic, I can only assume that they are talking about installing programs using apt-get. Instead of launching the software center and searching for a program, they are simply typing

sudo apt-get install foo

then letting the terminal take over. It certainly is a lot quicker to install programs using a package manager over the CLI than any other method I've seen, as long as you know what you are installing and it's in the repos.

[DexterLB]

5 minutes ago. I use it for practically anything that can be done in it instead of the GUI