LinuxQuestions.org - Clicking Icons VS Typing Commands

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- - Clicking Icons VS Typing Commands (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/general-10/clicking-icons-vs-typing-commands-519271/)

the reasons probably is that people either feel that linux still cant works as "plainly" as windows or there are just too many different but similar apps with the same purpose and goal ... even if we want to acheive some restricted goals , they all still seem to compliment each other and we still need them all to be around ...

have just learn how to do things in gtkdialog more "seriously" a bit , here is what you can use to mount an iso but beware ::

Code:

#!/bin/bash



export MAIN_DIALOG='

<window title="Main window" window_position="1" resizable="false">

      <vbox>

    <frame ISO Mount>

      

      <hbox>

      

      <vbox>

 

      <entry accept="filename">

  

        <variable>FILENAME_01</variable>

      <height>30</height><width>450</width>

      </entry>

      <entry accept="directory">

        <variable>FILENAME_02</variable>

      <height>30</height><width>450</width>

      </entry>

 

      </vbox>

      

      <vbox>

        <button>

        <label>Your ISO</label>

        <input file stock="gtk-open"></input>

        <action type="fileselect">FILENAME_01</action>

      </button>

            <button>

        <label>Mount point</label>

        <input file stock="gtk-open"></input>

    <action>print_this</action>

        <action type="fileselect">FILENAME_02</action>

      </button>

      </vbox>

 

      </hbox>

    </frame>

      

    <hbox>

      <text>

        <label>Options:</label>

      </text>

      <entry>

        <default>-o loop -t iso9660</default>

        <variable>OPTIONS</variable>

      </entry>

      <text>

        <label>Browse with filemanager:</label>

      </text>

    <combobox>

      <variable>FILEMANAGER</variable>

      <item>rox</item>

      <item>gentoo</item>

      <item>dillo</item>

    </combobox>    

    </hbox>



    <hbox>

      <button>

        <input file stock="gtk-ok"></input>

        <label>Ok</label>

      <action type="exit">do_mount</action>

    </button>

      <button>

        <input file stock="gtk-cancel"></input>

        <label>Quit</label>

      <action type="exit">Exit_Cancel</action>

    </button>



    </hbox>

      





      </vbox>

      </window>

'



#gtkdialog --program=MAIN_DIALOG



    I=$IFS; IFS=""

    for STATEMENTS in  $(gtkdialog --program=MAIN_DIALOG); do

      eval $STATEMENTS

    done

    IFS=$I

    

echo "--------------------"

echo "$STATEMENTS"

echo "--------------------"



case $EXIT in



 "do_mount")

    mount $OPTIONS $FILENAME_01 $FILENAME_02



    case $FILEMANAGER in

    "gentoo")

        gentoo --root-ok -1 $FILENAME_02

      ;;

    "rox")

        rox -d $FILENAME_02

      ;;

    "dillo")

        dillo $FILENAME_02

      ;;

    esac

    

 ;;

  

 "Exit_Cancel")

    echo "Exit_Cancel"

 ;;

  

esac

give it a filename and run it directly ...

probably something "in-between" are what we can do as a desktop user who always find windows "life-saving" ...

//beware , this works on my puppy and if anything else ... dont laugh ...

[EDIT ::]have just use it on my ubuntu 6.06 , works ok but at least i need to edit 2 lines to something like this ::

<height>24</height><width>450</width>

i dont know why ...

[EDIT ::]have just try it on redhat9 but need to fall-back onto older ways of gtkdialog , and still bascially the same dialog ::

http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alred/gtkdialog_09.jpg

although a bit limited in "features" and not as powerfull as the newer ones but i actually prefer this one ...

.

If I memorized the commands I'd just use them for showing off. Buttons can by novices and experts.

There are several things I do which are just too hard to do in a windowing environment. In that case, the command line and scripting provides the easiest way to get the job done. And, once I have done it once, I can make it as easy to call again as I like.

And I don't use the command line to impress people... actually, I tend to use more graphical tools when others are looking because I don't want to scare them off.

And, if you know the command line... it makes it a lot easier to fix something over a slow connection without needing to drive a couple hours just so you can have a button to click.

Too bad programs no longer are setup with function shortcut keys for menu items. It should be like this (although updated to 21st century):
Example.

That way, if you want to click on the menu, you can, if you like you can use function keys instead, since they are written up at top they are easy to see.

I prefer shortcut commands where you type one key, then one other key; much more comfortable to type than typing two keys at the same time.

Instead of...
CTRL+N New Window
CTRL+T New Tab
CTRL+L New Location
CTRL+O Open File
CTRL+S Save File As
CTRL+F Find in this page
CTRL+G Find again

...you have...

F1 (menu appears), N New Window
F1 (menu appears), T New Tab
F1 (menu appears), L New Location
F1 (menu appears), O Open File
F1 (menu appears), S Save File As
F2 (menu appears), F Find in this page
F2 (menu appears), G Find again

We also need a central map of all keyboard commands. A person should be able to make a view screen appear listing all currently available shortcuts for the active window (and all other commands that will be heard by the computer). This would make it easier for programmers to coordinate commands, to make them more organized, and to make it easier for users to remember them. Applications like GNOME Terminal are a pain: you type a command for a curses application and it is sent to GNOME Terminal, not the application within the Terminal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by colinstu

If I memorized the commands I'd just use them for showing off.

Thats quite a daft statement.
Many things can be done much faster with the command line than with graphical tools, so sometimes using the GUI is "taking the long way home".

As said before each one has their areas of optimal use. One of Windows' biggest downside (imho), is the forced use of the graphical interface, instead of it being optional like with the X window system on *nix. Repairing a broken Windows box is made even harder because if the GUI won't start, you're screwed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by easuter

One of Windows' biggest downside (imho), is the forced use of the graphical interface

What do you mean by "forced use"? You're perfectly free to use a command prompt window under Windows if you want to, just the same as you're free to use a terminal emulator under Linux.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hand of fate

What do you mean by "forced use"? You're perfectly free to use a command prompt window under Windows if you want to, just the same as you're free to use a terminal emulator under Linux.

Yeah, but you are still forced to use the GUI. If there's something wrong and the gui won't load, in linux you ctl-alt-backspace and fix it on the CLI. In windows, there is no way to get at a raw CLI. Command prompt is fine when things are working in windows, but it's positively useless if the gui breaks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinematography

I never said you had to choose. I use both. I know a lot of people who use both. The argument was about whether or not people should be forced to use the command line. The perfect OS, in my opinion, would have a GUI good enough for casual users who would NEVER want to use the command line, and a command line strong enough for power users who would want to customize and automate ANYTHING.

I agree with that. No one should be forced to use the command line, but the command line should be available.

That's not what the first post was about, though.

Quote:

What do you mean by "forced use"? You're perfectly free to use a command prompt window under Windows if you want to, just the same as you're free to use a terminal emulator under Linux.

HAHAHAHAHAHA, yeah right. DOS doesn't even compare to a Linux shell environment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatrickNew

You took the words right out of my mouth.

@ hand of fate: try starting a windows box in safemode (F8), and selecting what they call the command prompt mode... The graphical interface will start and only then are you given a terminal.

you can actually replace that editbox with a combobox with listing of all possible mounting options(probably 10 to 20 of them) that you would use ... and change that label of "Your ISO" to something else ... so that it is a kind of "mount everything" windows ...

further more , you can also write-up more similar windows of this type for media conversions , printings , files conversions , cd/dvd authorings etc , etc , etc ... put all of them into your desktop menu ...

sometime you may need a listbox(or a table or a tree or whatever it is call) instead ... can download the source , compile it and have a look at the example directory(there are many ways to run a dialog) if you havent done that ::

ftp://linux.pte.hu/pub/gtkdialog/

btw , dont forget to have a look at xmessage too , maybe there are something that gtkdialog cant do ... and there is python which can also do gtk(i think) , the result would be something like EasyUbuntu ...

have a quick look at all of them and do some quick write-ups before you stick to one of them ... if not , by the time you became old , lazy and reactionary you will know that you actually prefer the older gtkdialog 0.58 ...

[edit ::]i cant see why gui lovers like us cant do this for ourselves , our own write-ups dont even need to be "heuristic" and "intelligent" , everything can even be hard-coded to our own personal needs which only we can understand on our own linux ...

.