freesoftwaremagazine.com — Who says that the command line is difficult? Many users don't even try and learn it because it "looks scary". Well, the command line isn't actually that complicated. If you're curious, read on! (And maybe let your Linux-newbie friends read on so that they don't call you quite so often...)
Jun 21, 2006 View in Crawl 4
strangerzeroJun 22, 2006
It's easier to click an icon. Most people don't want to fill there heads with all that command line stuff.
obsidian743Jun 24, 2006
A command line looks scary? TF? A blinking cursor with a symbol next to it looks scary? You know you can turn off the blink, right? Oh, wait...you mean the appearance of a command line implies some largely cryptic, drawn out commands for even simple tasks and God-knows-what for complex stuff? If a command line looks scary to someone they should save themselves the trouble and do us a favor, too. I, for one, am not at all hell-bent on converting everyone to Linux for the simple fact that it's not for everyone. There is no such thing as a "command line for everyone".This line:"If you know the correct commands, then you can start any program, check your computer%u2019s status, and see what files you have stored without having to find the listing in your menu"says everything about the article. LAFF.
obsidian743Jun 24, 2006
Or how about WinKey-R and just "c:"?nO0b theEHEHeh
geekeeJun 24, 2006
"Still useful for those who don't mind filling their heads with knowledge"I can think of better things to memorize than the options for ls
fortezzaJun 24, 2006
I stopped reading after it said the CLI was an older system. CLI apps are updated all of the time just like GUI applications, often an app has both a CLI and an GUI interface for doing the same tasks, and they are updated at the same time. As far as which to use, the answer is both. Whichever interface gets the job done more efficiently is the way to go. So if you want to delete a bunch of files, you can start a GUI file manager, select all files, right-click and choose delete, or go to the command line and do a "rm *". However, if you want to append a ".old" extention to the file names, then the command line it going to do it with one command, while a GUI ( e.g. Konqueror or Explorer ) is going to take forever to complete the same task. The tutorial could needs a LOT of work. Better luck next time.
Closed AccountJun 24, 2006
"This may surprise some of you, but most people have zero interest in "learning""ANYTHING.Who do the cow and sheep people call when their brain is forced to think? The geek.
twangoJun 25, 2006
"It's easier to just wave your hands around, but once you learn the language, you can communicate faster and more efficiently."I don't know about that, the way I wave my hands around communicates A LOT. (No, not asking for a date.)
twangoJun 25, 2006
"That doesn't mean they're dumb or lazy, and more than someone who uses a car for transportation is dumb and lazy for not caring about the advantages of manual transmission."I built my first computer in 1978. One part at a time. I typed in whole OS's from books, and reworked them to do what I wanted. Tons of languages, ass/disassemblers, handworked comm protocols. But Unix? Never has a more godawful rat's nest of cryptic crap been born.
nybble41Jun 26, 2006
@lunarworks - "Here's another metaphor: You're in a grocery store. A GUI is grabbing the exact item you want off the shelf, and putting it in the cart. A CLI is telling a clerk what you want, with the specific details so they can find it."Not bad, but consider that the "clerk" in this case is a computer, which can return with what you wanted instantly, provided it was properly described. Which would you prefer: (a) describing what you want to the clerk, and receiving what you asked for instantly, or (b) wandering around the store looking for specific items (which may have moved since you were last there). Option (b) would be advantageous only in cases where you don't know how to describe what you're looking for. The rest of the time I'd take option (a).
requiem18thJun 27, 2006
The answer to the question, what is the fastest way to do something, using the giu or the cli? Can be answered with another question. What shell are you using RIGHT NOW? If you are using a graphical shell like a file manager, the quickest way to interact with the file in front of you is by clicking on it. If you have your prompt open at "~/Desktop$ " the obvious way is by typing a command.Honestly tho, there are 3 extremly easy to remeber rules that will change the way new users see the cli.Rule number one, tab autocompletes, not only it it saves time, it prevents typos.Rule number two, --help will tell you any thing you need to know about a command.Rule number three, hit 'up' to get command history, saves more typing and/or let's you fix stuff.