I have started to like the Terminal. Like all those people who never used anything else other than MS Windows OS, I was afraid of doing things by typing commands manually. I wanted graphical user interface for every thing. Now that I am using Ubuntu for sometime, I have realized that sometimes it is easier to do things via CLI than using a GUI. The first downside is that the GUI consumes more CPU power and memory to perform simplest tasks. Which means that doing things GUI way takes more time than doing the same things by typing commands.
For example there is a file on your Desktop that you want to move to some folder where you need administrative privileges to paste a file. Now if you decide to do it the GUI way, you will have to first select the file and copy it, then you will have to run file manager (Nautilus, Thunar, Konqueror, etc.) with root privileges. Then you will have to locate the folder where you want to paste the file and finally paste it.
Doing the same task with command line all you have to do is to type this command:
sudo cp /home/nom/Desktop/desktopfile.txt /var/www/
Users can even make little scripts to perform various tasks. Like in my previous post I mentioned creating a bash script that automatically sets my keyboard layout on XFCE start up. You even have power to modify commands and create shortcuts aka “Alias” for most commonly used commands. Learning this powerful way to do things is easier. There are lots of tutorials available on the web introducing beginners to Linux command line interface. I would like to mention Ramon Casha’s excellent tutorial “The Linux Terminal – a Beginners’ Bash” which helped me a lot. Ramon takes an easy approach to show you just how powerful this Terminal is by teaching how to perform some basic commands. I strongly recommend this tutorial to all newbies.
I have begun to understand and appreciate the command line interface, myself. However I do find many of the commands hard to learn. Even when with a quick chart it is difficult to remember how to use them all…
I especially have problems with arguments. They are often unlogical and appears to be just random gibberish.
hi,
now must i say welcome to the real world of linux … its all about CLI in linux .. the main power .. and believe you me… its like an addiction when u turn into some black screen viewing guy with no mouse and fancy pointer and window borders 🙂 … i my self am very easy with CLI .. i still dont know much about desktop and how they work .. but when it comes to real hardcore linux power … i am in love with that black screen and terminals 🙂
and if you learn bash and its scripting then you are a command guru in linux and this is what linux wants from you !