Why this fascination with terminal applications?

tomd123 · 2009-09-04 22:41:28

One reason for using terminal apps is because they KISS.

Acecero · 2009-09-04 22:54:08

Ranguvar wrote:

Both have their advantages, but the console is overall far more flexible and much lighter, so it's preferable except where the GUI offers some specific advantage.

bernarcher · 2009-09-05 10:28:41

To me it is no fetish behavior in often using terminal apps.
However it depends.
If its a lazy job, just keeping scrolling and clicking around without any real keyboard need (as for e.g. lazy web browsing or viewing a pdf), I clearly prefer a GUI. But on keyboard-centric tasks nothing beats a terminal application (or a GUI with properly designed shortcuts, preferably vi-like for me).

zen3 · 2009-09-05 14:17:10

I prefer terminal apps (apps with no GUI) because of the speed that they provide you.
And the simplicity of course. Simplicity Does Matter (TM).

japetto · 2009-09-05 14:37:26

tomd123 wrote:

One reason for using terminal apps is because they KISS.

Renan Birck · 2009-09-05 15:25:59

The speed, the convenience (if X goes down/crashes, screen can 'hold' the session and I can ssh to the machine and continue from where I stopped), the lack of need for a mouse (useful when you don't have one handy and hate touchpads).

Just that. Of course YMMV.

skottish · 2009-09-05 16:16:36

I ended up using more terminal apps because I grew tired of things popping up, stealing focus from what I'm doing, and forcing me to pay attention to what the GUI designers think that I should be paying attention to:

"Are you sure...?"

Thinking for me isn't helpful for my work flow. It's one of the many things that makes Windows unbearable as a DE. In the process of looking for replacements I started to find one-to-one, or many times greater, replacements for apps.

pauldonnelly · 2009-09-05 17:02:40

tomd123 wrote:

One reason for using terminal apps is because they KISS.

Yeah, this is why I use the terminal so much. Believe me, I'd love to use GUI programs instead, but they usually manage to be even more awkward than terminal apps. Plus GUI programs don't integrate well with the command line.

takedown · 2009-09-05 18:05:00

any of you can give an example of your favorite terminal applications for everyday use?
ej: web - mail (gmail) - im - view pictures - file manager, etc

While I know and use many of them, I would like some advice

Wintervenom · 2009-09-05 18:13:53

takedown wrote:

any of you can give an example of your favorite terminal applications for everyday use?
ej: web - mail (gmail) - im - view pictures - file manager, etc
While I know and use many of them, I would like some advice

There are already [endless amounts of] threads about this that may give you some ideas.

Last edited by Wintervenom (2009-09-05 18:14:54)

Acecero · 2009-09-05 18:15:21

takedown wrote:

any of you can give an example of your favorite terminal applications for everyday use?
ej: web - mail (gmail) - im - view pictures - file manager, etc
While I know and use many of them, I would like some advice

http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=78490

t4k1t · 2009-09-05 18:16:11

KISS is always a good reason^^

I simply find terminal apps easier/more logical to use. Also I love keybindings and although there are keybinds in gui-apps too it's faster to stay on the keyboard than to grab the mouse between keystrokes.

I extensively use apps like inkscape or gimp so I can't live without mouse, but where it's possible I use terminal apps (VI ftw). It would be awesome to have inkscape etc. running in framebuffer xD

Lexion · 2009-09-05 19:11:15

I use term progs because they make me look cool in public, and are faster than guis. However, browsing, image editing, some tasks, etc... should be gui.

shining · 2009-09-05 20:03:35

Lexion wrote:

I use term progs because they make me look cool in public

for me it's exactly the opposite : I avoid using term progs because they make me look awkward in public

iBertus · 2009-09-05 20:50:44

I use GUI apps because it makes me feel awkward to only use 256MB/8.0GB of memory and only 20% of a single CPU core. I've got to justify how much this machine cost somehow and using the latest eyecandy is how I manage to accomplish this.

Themaister · 2009-09-05 22:22:29

Indeed. It's a waste to sit with a great rig and not use it for anything. I generally only use CLI-apps when they are the fastest/best/etc alternative there is. Bloat is rarely an issue because of this.
Well, I encode video a lot and compile stuff with -j 8, so ...

koch · 2009-09-05 22:29:27

ok, i have the rig for gaming under windows and i like playing with good hardware but i do not like bloated software so most of the programs i use are lightweight or cli.

eldalion · 2009-09-05 22:33:19

shining wrote:

Lexion wrote:
I use term progs because they make me look cool in public
for me it's exactly the opposite : I avoid using term progs because they make me look awkward in public

Same here. I even configured a guest account with a huge facebook icon which fires up firefox in private browsing mode. And a massive Emesene icon too because windows live messenger is way too popular over here in Europe.

Invaluable when having 20+ friends sleeping over for a couple of days and suddenly everybody needs to check something online.

Aprz · 2009-09-06 04:10:02

Ncurses is hot. Plus with xterm or and some other terminals, we can still use our mouse if we choose to (it's a compiled in option).

Stalafin · 2009-09-06 11:04:12

eldalion wrote:

shining wrote:
Lexion wrote:
I use term progs because they make me look cool in public
for me it's exactly the opposite : I avoid using term progs because they make me look awkward in public
Same here. I even configured a guest account with a huge facebook icon which fires up firefox in private browsing mode. And a massive Emesene icon too because windows live messenger is way too popular over here in Europe.
Invaluable when having 20+ friends sleeping over for a couple of days and suddenly everybody needs to check something online.

You got an entire mansion or smth?!

zowki · 2009-09-06 11:47:42

Terminal apps are generally faster to use. Especially file management with midnight commander and text editing with vim.

ngoonee · 2009-09-06 13:20:10

Stalafin wrote:

eldalion wrote:
shining wrote:
for me it's exactly the opposite : I avoid using term progs because they make me look awkward in public
Same here. I even configured a guest account with a huge facebook icon which fires up firefox in private browsing mode. And a massive Emesene icon too because windows live messenger is way too popular over here in Europe.
Invaluable when having 20+ friends sleeping over for a couple of days and suddenly everybody needs to check something online.
You got an entire mansion or smth?!

Or really close friends...

Perhaps they're all tiny? I can't imagine allowing 20+ friends access to my computer, guest account or no.

userlander · 2009-09-06 14:00:53

ngoonee wrote:

Stalafin wrote:
eldalion wrote:
Same here. I even configured a guest account with a huge facebook icon which fires up firefox in private browsing mode. And a massive Emesene icon too because windows live messenger is way too popular over here in Europe.
Invaluable when having 20+ friends sleeping over for a couple of days and suddenly everybody needs to check something online.
You got an entire mansion or smth?!
Or really close friends...
Perhaps they're all tiny? I can't imagine allowing 20+ friends access to my computer, guest account or no.

Really. No one over there has heard of a laptop?

eldalion · 2009-09-06 16:55:01

Well, for a week of partying with fellow students, people usually bring beverages and food instead of laptops.

On the other hand, cli apps are great when I need to finish something quickly with no IM or the latest youtube clip getting in my way.

userlander · 2009-09-06 19:36:00

eldalion wrote:

Well, for a week of partying with fellow students, people usually bring beverages and food instead of laptops.
On the other hand, cli apps are great when I need to finish something quickly with no IM or the latest youtube clip getting in my way.

Beverages and food instead of a computer? ??? I don't get it - are you making a joke?

Arch Linux

#26 2009-09-04 22:41:28

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#27 2009-09-04 22:54:08

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#28 2009-09-05 10:28:41

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#29 2009-09-05 14:17:10

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#30 2009-09-05 14:37:26

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#31 2009-09-05 15:25:59

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#32 2009-09-05 16:16:36

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#33 2009-09-05 17:02:40

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#34 2009-09-05 18:05:00

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#35 2009-09-05 18:13:53

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#36 2009-09-05 18:15:21

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#37 2009-09-05 18:16:11

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#38 2009-09-05 19:11:15

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#39 2009-09-05 20:03:35

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#40 2009-09-05 20:50:44

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#41 2009-09-05 22:22:29

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#42 2009-09-05 22:29:27

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#43 2009-09-05 22:33:19

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#44 2009-09-06 04:10:02

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#45 2009-09-06 11:04:12

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#46 2009-09-06 11:47:42

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#47 2009-09-06 13:20:10

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#48 2009-09-06 14:00:53

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#49 2009-09-06 16:55:01

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

#50 2009-09-06 19:36:00

Re: Why this fascination with terminal applications?

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