Gui

[kwdy]

I have been reading a couple of threads on the board here and it seems like most of the more advanced Linux users don't like GUI interfaces. I'm still pretty new to Linux myself, I'm currently running FC2 as a personal desktop. I'm familiar enough with using YUM and APT to install new hardware from the console but I prefer to use a GUI. I don't know if you all dislike GUI's because your running a server?

I guess its just a matter of preference. I surf the web, download and watch some old episodes of MST3k with bittorrent (using Azureus GUI) and maybe a few games.

Just wondering why don't some of you like a GUI interface?

[inha]

I'm by means not an advanced user but I'd guess a lot of this is about stability. Think of a program like some gun, there more moving parts there is in it the more likely it is to blow up in your face.

[ghaefb]

I like GUI(gtk2) apps, but it's just the power of CLI that I love the most

I like to do my file management from CLI, because I'm forced to write the correct command.
You can mess up a lot of stuf with filebrowsers.. this clickn' drag thig can be very dangerous.

It's really great... you can do everything from terminal, you control the whole system.
Imagine that you could do that with a single GUI app
It's not possible...

[foolish]

I'm a GUI fanatic, I'm a gnome-HIG (Human interface guidelines) groupie, but I will use the best tool for the job, and sometimes that tool is the powerful command line.

To get more friendly with the commandline, try www.linuxcommand.org

I think one of the reasons linux users tend to prefer the command line is that most GUIs, but maybe open source GUI in particular, isn't that user friendly. GUI isn't user friendly, good GUI is, just like CLI (command line interface) isn't effective, good CLI is.

There's been a lot of examples of horrid gui, try to use kbear (kde ftp client) for a couple of minutes and see for yourself why most people use lftp or ncftp (command line ftp-clients).

Thankfully, there's been great progress in GUI lately and more importantly, a lot more focus on just what makes a good GUI. The upcoming 2.8 release of GNOME will prove that good GUI does exist in open source. Take the new nautilus for example, people who used to use the command line for file managing (like myself) are now using nautilus, because the new nautilus works.

As more good GUI is created, more people will use GUI and even better, people will start to think of open source desktops as user friendly and start migrating.

I don't think it is that us linux users don't like GUI as a concept, it's just that we'll use the best tool for the job, and as long as GUI blows, the best tool is the command line.

[AliOop]

I'm a GUI fan myself. If I can find a way, I'll use it. But I have to admit that there is nothing wrong with CLI. Once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze. For example, quite a lot of folks at this forum just love Synaptic which is the front end (GUI) for apt-get. While I have both, I prefer Yum. And I use it via the CLI. I think it more a matter of taste. I think you'll find you will be using a combination of both. I know I do.

[kosmosik]

Originally Posted by kwdy

I'm familiar enough with using YUM and APT to install new hardware from the console but I prefer to use a GUI. I don't know if you all dislike GUI's because your running a server?

well I use CLI mostly - where it can do its job for email f.e. or text editing, system adiministration, file management - not for drawing bitmaps and surfing web (no decend textmode browser aviable) but I f.e. enrich my web browsing with text mode RSS agregator... it is of course matter of personal preference but IMHO shell is often the fastest way to do stuff (like renaming 4235 files with given pattern, and so on). also when you use shell often after some time you realize that much of repetative task you do can be well automated - and that is what for computer is. on the other hand it requires skill and GUI is plain simple to use for like anybody - so it is personal preference... it of course has server orgins - as you would do most of system administration with scripts and shell utilities - but right now one can manage a simple server only with GUI (f.e. on remote display over network) so it is not the case now...

Originally Posted by kwdy

Just wondering why don't some of you like a GUI interface?

I like GUI when it is suitable - f.e. I can't imagine drawing without a mouse (I did some server side graphics generation mind you, but it is not the same), or browsing the web - right now web is mostly graphical. you can't do much of web functionality without graphical browser. and I'am fine with that... but I don't like so called "user friendly" interfaces. those which load you with plenty of irrevelant information, popuping windows, widgets, sounds, helpers and so one it only disturbs me with my job... I am talking about XP UI in particular but some of Linux UI's have this also... when I wan't to read my email I obviously don't want to upgrade my system via Windows Update, I don't want to take any tour of Windows, I don't want to click anywhere I just want my email... maybe that is why I will launch pine at tty1 and simple dig into my conversations

all I meant that GUI and CLI are OK, it is best to use best of both. but in some cases GUI is so messed up that it sucks...

[Jman]

I like GUI tools. They make things simple and intuitive.

Like many here though, I see the power of the command line. I can specify exactly what I want without going *click* *click* *click* dozens of times. Linux power users are usually keyboard people.

What I like is that I can choose. I can do things exactly the way I want or I can let the GUI do it.

[triplehead]

i used to like gui but more than often you get different result than you think. so i prefer command line. By the way i still have my red hat 5.2 manual on my "library".

I use the cli as a file browser because it fast, although natilus is improving. but I really dilike having to use the cli to configure a .conf file. you just shouldn't have to, but guis just don't give you all the option. oh well.

[MNKyDeth]

I really enjoy a good gui but when it slows my system down that's where I draw the line. So, imo, I prefer good looking DE/WM like enlightenment or fluxbox. Using emelfm2 as the file manager with eterm is just fast. A gui has it's place and so does the terminal. In the end, to each his own.