Do You Prefer the Command Line or a GUI When Administering Your Linux Desktop?
 

Based on feedback in this thread, the official LQ polls continue. Next up, Do You Prefer The Command Line Or A GUI When Administering Your Linux Desktop?

Note that we'll likely have a follow-up poll along the line of "Do You Prefer the Command Line or a GUI When Working in a Linux Desktop?", but I'd be interested in getting feedback on whether or not the distinction is large enough.

--jeremy

Some things CLI is better, somethings the GUI is easier.

I prefer:
Command line for server setup and initial config of linux on a desktop.

Gui for all subsequent configuration so that the user can do it themselves.

I answered Gui to the question because I believe that most configuration after initial setup is done that way. However, I prefer command line otherwise.

CLI for server management, GUI for desktop management.

Guess it depends on what your definition of administration is, but anyway I will always choose CLI over a GUI

CLI.

If it has to be done on multiple boxes then CLI (so it can be scripted whenever possible)

good point. when administering (http server, ssh server, scp, ...) i'd prefer to script it...

when working on actual stuff (email, video-conferencing, web browsing) i prefer gui.

Thanks for the feedback. At this time it seems likely we'll have an additional poll.

--jeremy

While I didn't see that before I posted this poll, it's always possible there will be some overlap between official polls and member posted polls.

--jeremy

No preference. I do what I need to do under the medium I can best access things.

Desktop to me means just a general use system, not a server.

If I have a display environment and my distro provides widgets to view and control something like speaker volume, or WIFI choice, then I just use the UI widgets that are there.

If I need to do something like edit my bash_profile or change my user group configuration, then I use the command line.

I work with older hardware and limited resources.
 

While I prefer a GUI interface, I generally use lightweight desktops, like icewm, lxde or openbox, and find myself using the command line when I can't find the appropriate GUI.

Both!
 

GUI for most things, CLI for trouble-shooting & repair? I guess that's it...