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Kushia, in Why do you use the terminal?
@Kushia@lemmy.ml avatar

You use it because you like to be efficient your use of a computer.

I use it because I’m a bossy arsehole and I like telling things precisely what to do.

We are not the same.

gerryflap, in Why do you use the terminal?
@gerryflap@feddit.nl avatar

For tasks that I know, I’m faster in the terminal. For tasks where I’m less familiar or that are very important (like disk partitioning) I prefer a GUI because with a GUI I can usually see a bit better what I’m doing.

Terminal tasks for me include copying stuff, setting folder permissions, uncompressing or compressing folders, quick edits in vim, etc.

bennieandthez, in Why do you use the terminal?
@bennieandthez@lemmygrad.ml avatar

This is like asking why do you use a hammer to put nails.

nomecks, in Why do you use the terminal?

Because when you’re screwing with important systems it’s generally better to write scripts.

phoenixz, in Why do you use the terminal?

Because I can do things in 30 seconds what two windows admins take 15 minutes to do with their point and clicking. Not even making this up, this happened.

WeLoveCastingSpellz, in Why do you use the terminal?

terminal is just faster sometimes

possiblylinux127, in Why do you use the terminal?

Because its better

knfrmity, in Why do you use the terminal?

I user a terminal so that that everyone around me thinks I’m “hacking” when I’m just running updates or configuring something.

dinckelman, in nix warnings

It’s exactly what it says. Your nix config has a setting that has no effect without enabling the experimental feature that uses it. Either enable the feature, or remove the setting

wwwgem, in Why do you use the terminal?
@wwwgem@lemmy.ml avatar

Terminal is faster when you’re used to it and sometimes offer more customization options to some apps that has both a GUI and TUI/CLI version.

I use the terminal (st with zsh and tmux) for:

  • file management (advcpmv, fd, trash-cli, fzf …)
  • emails (neomutt)
  • text editing/coding (neovim)
  • project management (taskjuggler)
  • image viewing/organization (ucolla,ge)
  • online video browsing (ytfzf)
  • calendar (khal)
  • ssh
  • vpn
  • news aggregator (newsboat)
  • web, bookmarks manager (buku)
  • passwords manager (pass)
  • dotfiles manager (stow)
  • not in the terminal but I also have a lot of scripts used in rofi to control my audio input/outputs, launch a web search, access my bookmarks, autocomplete username and password fields

I’m sure I’m missing some obvious tools I use daily. It’s hard remember everything when it becomes so natural.

I have shared my experience with some of these tools here.

pixelscript, in Why do you use the terminal?

Here’s the ELI5 answer I’d give to your friend:

Computers are like servants. They do whatever you ask of them. But to be able to ask them things, you must do so in their language. On the extreme low level that means writing code to make programs, but on a higher level, it means talking to programs someone else already wrote using special commands.

The buttons and switches on a GUI that you can click on with a mouse are like pre-recorded commands that instruct the computer to do some specific thing. The button or whatever will have a symbol or text description that lets you intuitively know what it’s for, and when you click on it, it plays a pre-recorded command to the computer in its language that tells it to do that thing. With these buttons, you can ask things of the computer in its language without having to know that language.

As you get more intimate with the computer, this system can start to feel a bit stiff. You’ve essentially got a butler who doesn’t speak your language, and any time you need to give him a task, you have to fumble through a basket of pre-recorded tape recorder messages to find the one for the task at hand, and play it to him. For more complex tasks, you may need to chain several of these together. It gets slow and awkward. And god forbid you don’t even have a tape recording for the thing you need.

It’s easier if you learn the butler’s language yourself. Then you can ask him for things directly. You’re not bound to any collection of pre-recorded messages to use, you can tell him exactly what you need. And if you don’t happen to know the word for something, you can look it up. It cuts out all the faffery with fumbling over a tape recorder looking for the messages you need to play.

Using a terminal is roughly the computer equivalent of speaking to your butler in his native language. You’re not limited to only the buttons and features any particular program lets you have; you can make up exactly what you need on the spot. And you never have to bounce your hand between a mouse and keyboard to do it, you can keep your hands in one position at all times, which really adds up over time in both speed and comfort.

Practicing this will also give you the side perk of better understanding how the computer actually works overall, and what it’s actually doing. This knowledge can come in super handy when diagnosing problems with the thing. When a GUI gives up, a terminal can keep digging.

vzq, in Why do you use the terminal?

The terminal is the entire reason I use Linux. All the GUI stuff on Linux is average at best. The terminal is ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

stepanzak, in "Combokeys" instead of hotkeys. [Feature/new command suggestion]

This might be what you’re looking for. Here is a YouTube video tutorial.

astraeus, (edited ) in Getting a Server Running - SteamOS - Best Path Forward?
@astraeus@programming.dev avatar

You’re trying to run a .bat file on Linux that’s written specifically for Windows installs. Usually .bat is run on Windows, .sh on Linux. If you have a .sh file, use that instead. If there is no .sh equivalent you may be able to tweak the .bat to run on Linux, but I don’t know if that’s a reasonable path forward or not depending on how much Windows logic is in that file.

hperrin, in Why do you use the terminal?

My server doesn’t have a GUI, so the terminal is what’s there. As for my desktop, terminal is just easier for some things. And for my own stuff, it’s easier and faster than building a GUI for all the things I’m doing.

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