Sorry, I believe you have the administration of a desktop and the use of any software mixed up with what a Graphical User Interface or CLI are. None of these are the same. CLI is the command line. Any GUI could have only one or many uses. You can start a program using the CLI, though sometimes it is easier to just click on an Icon. The CLI is more versatile than that. To me the administration of a desktop is setting it up. You usually use preferences and Settings for that, not the CLI.

Some apps have a really nice GUI and I would say that we should not discourage GNU+Linux developers from developing nice GUI front-ends and I like the concept which is in place for a long time that some mates work on command line core packages and some other mates or the same ones build GUIs to these packages usually as separate packages.

I am so glad I have switched to GNU+Linux years ago. I would be so f$**$* now with Windows or MacOSX. These days it is so beautifully ugly.
Just people please don't limit yourselves to the easiest distros, always have 2 or 3 installed. It is just 8GB for a fully blown Linux desktop, not 30GB for Windows or God know how much for MacOS.

However I am still baffled why so many if not all people from IEEE are working on Macs when looking at their gallery? Do you think they dual boot to Linux on them?

All the best.

There is an English word "prefer". I make no suggestion as to which is used for whichever task.

okay to update my earlier post Since I still have yet to get this linux to fetch a code from the net it would be much easier to download and run a installer in a gui environment. that being said I see a code on a webpage to use command line to fetch the source codebut when I type it in the command line I get error command not found or error file not found or error this or error that and I typed it exactly how it showed to type it. so yeah linux command line is alright if you have the code local but trying to fetch it is something of a bother. I'd much rather click and download it then install it.

Since I started working with Unix before GUI tools I would have to say my preference is the CLI. The problem I found with most of the GUI interfaces I've used, you can't repeat what you've done and if you could, they were not easily modified. When I started learning/using Veritas Software(VxFS VxVM) the one thing I liked about it was the GUI kept a history of the CLI commands it used to preform the requested GUI functions. These were not only a great learning tool, they could be put into a script. Add a variable(or a few), modify as needed and it was easy to automate functions. A very useful tool, more flexible and much faster then trying to use the GUI.

As a number of GUIs are doing the same thing(converting GUI to CLI) it sure would be nice if they too kept a history of those commands. It would be a great learning tool and allow for automating processes.

--
Jim

I have an easier time with the GUI. I've tried to use the command line, but have had trouble with it. The command is typed and I hit enter. It's like I never typed anything. The command line idea seems a bit archaic like GWBASIC :-))

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Please give us your idea of "The Administration of a Desktop" Your task. How does that have anything to do in Preference of a GUI and CLI?

I have made previous posts to that effect, I think, but "the administration of" suggests: keeping it up to date, changing settings, installing an configuring new utilities and programs, sorting, backing up and deletion of files...
I prefer to use the command line when I can. Which do you prefer?

I have been using the command line since MSDOS 2.7. It would be my Preference.

I prefer the COMMAND LINE

CLI because it represents a new frontier for me; and I still find it a heady experience that I can interact more directly with OS; still get a huge kick every time I hunt down a problem and fix it (happening more often now; think I have "passed the Cape" as the French put it); still get a sense of expanding power (ie: Joy!) at writing simple scripts to automate (very) simple tasks or little nothings, toys really.

In a word, as an escapee from the patronizing, grandmothering Monolithic State of Microsoft, I am enjoying the freedom to creatively differentiate my system from yours, using naught but a keyboard and the zen-rock-garden-like simplicity of the terminal.

I prefer using the GUI. The command line is an ancient way of using a computer. The only time I can see using the command line is if the GUI can't do it.

I currently prefer GUI. I do use the command line occasionally. I used UNIX over 2 decades ago, so I am slowly learning/relearning the commands.

Same here, if I know what to type.

Well, well, well.

Nothing much to add to the accumulated wisdom and experience here .

But. I'll try to focus things already observed here:

• Using either CLI or GUI is depending on individual experience during the use of linux
• it also depends on old habits
• "Joe Homeuser" and "real admins" have different needs
• preferences change in time as we learn
• neither CLI nor GUI have inherent virtue

Just for me, I have to note that I'm sort of sliding through the preferences of using one or the other as I'm learning more of the bash.

And then, the blessings of YAST2 haven't been appreciated by most ... so far .

*exits quickly*

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