However the CLI is the best tool for other things. For example configuring the X Server using a GUI is not a good idea because at some stage you are going to end up being locked out by a misconfigured X Server. Midnight Commander and SSH are a godsend for remote system administration, and local system administration, and I would never consider using a GUI tool for that.

The GUI’s advantage is that you don’t have to remember very much since you simply search and click on one of the items and see what happens. Its disadvantage is that you are tempted by the instant gratification to click on an inappropriate choice and mess something up, so for root access and critical system administration tasks the CLI is far superior.

The CLI is completely uniform across distributions and versions, and it still works when most things have gone wrong – eg. when the user has messed up the X Server, and parts of Gnome, and for remote access you don’t need to set up remote X, VNC, NX, and various ways to access the machine securely and through a firewall, so for tech help CLI is much better than the GUI. The problem is that many noobs don’t understand this and don’t bother to write down what they learn from tech help. Perhaps this should be explained to them on a sticky note on every help forum.

Once we can assume that the help seeker and the “guru” have a mutual understanding about things like
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

and “netiquette” in a specific thread, I really wonder how somebody doesn’t feel the urge to read, learn new things and try them out on their own. That’s at least half of the fun and enlightening at times.

I’m the kind of guy people call to “fix something”. I’m sure all of you are as well. Gals included, of course

What I can’t stand is lazy people. And people who’d like to be spoon-fed (figure of speech ). Maybe there’s actually a need for a PC user driver’s license just to reach the point where people are as knowledgable about their IT hardware as they are about their cars. I’m still not sold on this idea. Whatever.

Then (just as an example) I often see people who could easily win the SMS typing marathon/fast track at the Olympic Summer Games. So, there are obviously resources for that and non whatsoever for thinking and typing for themselves in front of a “real” computer? Probably a matter of shifted priorities…

As noted by others, I see CLI commands as the shorter, more logical variant to screenshots with lengty explanations. Which, by the way makes the reader read and scan and parse the picture as well as accompanying explanations. And it takes a lot more time to create/upload/annotate screenshots/screencasts. And it increases traffic. It really does.

So, what’s one line of CLI “voodoo” compared to unnecessary cumbersome bloat of text and graphics? A big win, if you ask me.

I probably forgot a few important points, but I’m willing to step off my soap box for now.

I dunno since I’m a dumb shell user for the last 15 years and it isn’t my job to teach you UNIX for free. It took me and others like me years to learn. You expect to gain this knowledge without the required effort. That is rude, wouldn’t you agree?

OTOH, almost everything in UNIX administration can be scripted and automated, unlike GUI-centric OSes used by the masses. It takes 1 or 2 cmds to explain exactly how to set something. Not a video showing which window to open, menu, menu, button, button, checkbox, Option to set something.

There are these magic things called “man pages” that often explain everything about a command. Learning -how- to read a man page took me a few days. After which, I was good to go with any other man page provided. Programs that provide .info or html files instead need to be caned into man-page submission, IMHO. When IBM stopped installing man pages by default …. well, I’ve stopped using AIX and my company doesn’t buy IBM machines anymore.

After I post a solution with some typing involved, a non-shell user will usually say that it shouldn’t be THAT difficult. Uh, just because they had to type 25 characters. A “thank you” would have been nicer.

Unplug your mouse for a day and use your computer. Just for fun, this is how sight impaired people work daily.

One thing I’d like to see from the CLI experts is a tutorial that could be followed by a novice and that teaches the basics of commands and demonstrates why the CLI is more efficient then the GUI.

CLI commandos have a trained eye. You scan spot a typo in a command. Or you can scan 30 lines of text for the 1 line you need in 3 seconds flat. But for those without those ninja like skills….often the command line scares them.

(Perhaps this is the reason that MS is moving in this direction as mentioned in the post above.)

This might also help any newer users to understand why asking for GUI help when cli help was already given sometime meets with some rudeness. In the case of a moderatly complex issue you have just asked the person that gave a great 5 minute answer to take another 20-50 minutes just because you are uncomfortable opening a command window and typeing a few lines of text. If you really need GUI instructions often detailed “how to” documents have already been written. They can be found with google. Also there are a number of good distribution specific books that can be purchased with this style of help.

We do understand your preference, it just is not always resonable to take enough time to give a good GUI answer.