What do you use your terminal for?

[cartisdm]

I'm basically a Window user that decided linux was cool and gave it a shot. I love it but I feel like I don't use it to it's extend. Kinda like owning a ferrari and using it as a daily driver. Now I keep reading that the terminal is the bread and butter of linux, what exactly do you use it for (aside from running commands that involve copy & paste action)? When people say they use it for everything do you like open web browsers, close programs, open other stuff with it or what? What are some basic commands you run and what's the benefit?

[-grubby]

I do too many things to list with the terminal...it's so useful

[JeffoOfMetal]

I don't see what there is to do in the terminal...
All I use it for is installing apps that I don't see in Adept.

Please, list some uses for Terminal.:confused:

[Tipo]

I was using Terminal stuff and got used to it before using the GUI for installation, so I use the Terminal for installing programs.

On my Gentoo box, I don't think there's half a day that goes by without me using it for something or another.

[LaRoza]

I don't see what there is to do in the terminal...
All I use it for is installing apps that I don't see in Adept.

Please, list some uses for Terminal.:confused:

The terminal is a way to talk directly to the operating system. Even Window's command prompt is very useful, and I use it often.

I use the terminal for speed, in Linux and Windows.

For Linux:

* installing programs
* creating directories and files
* editing files
* starting some apps
* compiling
* finding stuff
* and others

In Windows:

* creating directories and files
* editing files (yes, I use vim in Windows)
* starting some apps
* some useful command line programs
* compiling
* finding files (much better than the Windows search feature)
* and others.

I don't use it because I have to, but because it is so handy.

[cartisdm]

I don't see what there is to do in the terminal...
All I use it for is installing apps that I don't see in Adept.

Please, list some uses for Terminal.:confused:

yea that's pretty much how I am. But it seems to me there's a lot of other useful reasons for it.

[-grubby]

I don't see what there is to do in the terminal...
All I use it for is installing apps that I don't see in Adept.

Please, list some uses for Terminal.:confused:

for example, you can kill all instances of a program by running
killall program-name

[p_quarles]

I use the terminal for just about everything that isn't significantly enhanced by a graphical application. Examples of what I don't use it for: web browsing, image editing, multimedia, and managing my schedule. The only real exception here is the fact that I often use Kate to edit text files -- it's just such a nice editor. Still, I'd say I use Vim about half the time.


Even Window's command prompt is very useful, and I use it often.
Have you tried PowerShell? I've only been using it for a couple of days, but it seems very nice compared to the default XP CLI. It requires .NET 2.0 and WGA authentication, but it's a free download once you've taken care of that.

[LaRoza]

I use the terminal for just about everything that isn't significantly enhanced by a graphical application. Examples of what I don't use it for: web browsing, image editing, multimedia, and managing my schedule. The only real exception here is the fact that I often use Kate to edit text files -- it's just such a nice editor. Still, I'd say I use Vim about half the time.

Have you tried PowerShell? I've only been using it for a couple of days, but it seems very nice compared to the default XP CLI. It requires .NET 2.0 and WGA authentication, but it's a free download once you've taken care of that.

I use Kate also, great app.

No, I will look into it, but I use Vista will it work?

(I also use Cygwin in Windows, very nice)

[rfruth]

terminal provides 'under the hood' operation as U know, its so useful, here is my current list
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ajgsz8nqvtv3_100df9hrq

[foxmulder881]

I seem to always use the terminal on a daily basis. But when people ask me "what do you use yur terminal for?", I can never give them a straight answer.


It's like nathangrubb posted, it's used for so many things that you can't list them.

I do use it everyday for Midnight Commander (console file manager).
It's open 24/7 on my PC as well as a terminal window. (See screenshot below)

Although not directly related to the terminal, I always use the Alt+F2 prompt for launching all my applications.

http://img.techpowerup.org/071225/Screenshot.png

[jviscosi]

Mostly compiling software, running apt-get, editing config files, killing processes, creating symbolic links, mounting/unmounting file systems, writing scripts ... system-level stuff like that. Also, running command-line java programs.

[init1]

There are many uses for the terminal:
File managing
Starting applications
Killing application
Editing files
Mounting file systems
Unmounting file systems
Installing software
Removing software
Logging in
Shutting down
Installng Linux to my USB drive
Compressing files
Decompressing files
Monitoring disk space
Monitoring RAM and swap usage
Swapon
Swapoff
Formatting disks
Changing alsa volume
Checking uptime
Copying file system images to floppies
Many other things as well.
That is what I use the terminal for :D

[p_quarles]

I use Kate also, great app.

No, I will look into it, but I use Vista will it work?

(I also use Cygwin in Windows, very nice)
Yep. There are versions for XP, Vista, and Server 2K3 and 2K8. (Cygwin is nice indeed -- I run XP in a VM, though, so I don't really have much use for it).

[LaRoza]

Yep. There are versions for XP, Vista, and Server 2K3 and 2K8. (Cygwin is nice indeed -- I run XP in a VM, though, so I don't really have much use for it).

I dual boot, and I program and just want the GNU tools. Cygwin give me all that I know and love with no hassle. I have everything just right...

I will have to boot into Windows someday to check out this shell. :)

[EdThaSlayer]

I use it when I need to delete a LOT of files, when to install apps, and how to figure out some things GUI's can't do at the moment.

[fuscia]

i've been using the terminal more and more. now that i've been using wmii, i'm using the terminal for almost everything.

unless i want to look at youtube or do image searches, i'm using elinks.

the other thing i do primarily besides surfing and 'boarding', is music. i use mpd+ncmpc to play my collection, mplayer to play streaming radio and streamripper to add to my collection. (i'll use kscd for cds as it offers the least opposition).

i'm doing more and more file management in the terminal while using thunar for moving large groups of files (like music files).

most of the text and configuration editing i've done has been using nano.

i still use gimp quite a bit (though not as much, now that i'm using wmii (i just don't see the need for wallpapers in this wm). and, if' i need to burn a cd, i'll use k3b.

edit: i still consider myself very much an end user and someone who doesn't really know what he's doing.

[rjmdomingo2003]

Torrent downloads using rtorrent :KS

[Kitsun]

Calculator

Terminal + Python starts faster than the GNOME calculator, so I do that instead.

I also use OpenSSH alot, its incredibly useful.

[muskratmx]

The most common use of the CL for me is to do root work. But I do use MC file manager every day because it's quick and simple.

[noremac]

I dont use it a lot, as a new Linux user, but I do use a entirely for simple image edits, then uploading those images via FTP, all from one term window. Very handy.

-C

[blithen]

I do too many things to list with the terminal...it's so useful

Same.
Hell, I use it for my music player.

[jperez]

Wait, there's a GUI program installer? :lolflag:

When I was getting used to Linux, I used Synaptic/Adept, but now that I feel a bit more seasoned, which is actually fast if you really just give up trying to understand it like Windows and accept it for being Linux (better), I opted for the CLI. I actually found myself using the CLI in Kubuntu more often since Adept is slow. Want something run immediately? Use the Terminal.

Program Installation/Uninstallation
Rename/Move Files
Killing Processes
Open programs on the fly
Edit text-based files using nano quickly

I love the Terminal now. It's my friend.

Jesse~

[hhhhhx]

I use mine for running simple commands, or loading certan programs, mostly noobish stuff :)

[Kingsley]

These are my most frequently typed commands for the past 3 weeks. I mainly use the terminal to install/upgrade programs, manipulate directories/files, edit text files, and to configure Xorg.



94 su
77 cd
55 sudo
52 ls
28 cvs
24 nano
22 glxinfo
19 ./autogen.sh
18 clear
14 yum

[t0p]

I use the GUI for the obvious things - web browsing, photo editing, watching videos... and installing packages, with Synaptic - but the CLI has lots of uses.

I do administrative stuff in terminal; general file work, like copying, moving and deleting, especially if I'm dealing with lots of files;I SSH into my shell account on a remote BSD server; I use nano to do about half of my text file editing (the other 50% is in gedit). And other stuff too - stuff that I can't name right now, but which will seem so obviously terminal-work when I think of it.

[smartboyathome]

I use the CLI to force mount partitions (when I am in a hurry, I sometimes hard shutdown Windows, which causes it not to be mounted), for diagnosing problems, for installing programs which can't install, etc. I find myself using the run dialog box more instead of the command line, since I still use GUI a lot.

[cartisdm]

I use the GUI for the obvious things - web browsing, photo editing, watching videos... and installing packages, with Synaptic - but the CLI has lots of uses.

I do administrative stuff in terminal; general file work, like copying, moving and deleting, especially if I'm dealing with lots of files;I SSH into my shell account on a remote BSD server; I use nano to do about half of my text file editing (the other 50% is in gedit). And other stuff too - stuff that I can't name right now, but which will seem so obviously terminal-work when I think of it.

Whats the difference between nano and gedit?

[p_quarles]

Whats the difference between nano and gedit?
The main difference is that Nano doesn't depend on an X-server.

[jperez]

Gedit has more features than nano because of the fact that it's GUI driven. Other than that, there's not much of a difference.

Nano is a text-based...text editor that has a limited interface, but it get's the job done fast. No waiting to load an interface, just have it load a file and you're ready to edit.

Jesse~

[cartisdm]

If any of you all feel like jumping over to the support forum take a look at my other thread about terminals

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=4015010#post4015010

[hessiess]

instaling programs and compilaing programs