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TermKit - a graphical terminal replacement

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Re: TermKit - a graphical terminal replacement

#201
TermKit could really help unix overcome the problem of discovery.

On the command line it takes extra steps to discover the switches and arguments that a given command presents. It's easy to miss a specific incantation that will bring forth the full power of a given command in a given situation. Git, for example, has an amazingly rich command. It's hard to discover what you can do so most people end up using just the few commands that they absolutely need.

Just as TermKit offers a selectable list of directories when one types a path, it would be great if it could provide a structured way to build commands invocations, that presents options and perhaps help content as you go.

In addition to helping newbies dive in and get stuff done, it would help more experienced users continually advance their knowledge of how to get the most out of the tools they use.

Re: TermKit - a graphical terminal replacement

#202
The problem with this fancy terminal is that the standardized tools, like cat and ls get abused in very bad ways...

What's the problem with ImageMagick's display for example? Or defining a new command that does pretty printing of images, like, say pls.

Don't fuck with our tool-chain buddy!^_^

Re: TermKit - a graphical terminal replacement

#203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? I see the same thing whenever you get a bunch of professionals together and start arguing about their tools. Doctors and different drugs/treatments, Contractors and brands of power tools. Programmers do seem to make the biggest deal about "all the fighting", everyone else seems to just accept that professionals are opinionated and arguing is how progress is made. But I'm on the inside with the programming stu…

Doctors and different drugs/treatments, Contractors and brands of power tools. From what I've seen, smart Doctors and Contractors eventually get to discussing empirical data and costs. Far too often, I've seen programmers just make up crap and state it emphatically.

... like you just did.

Re: TermKit - a graphical terminal replacement

#204
主意很棒,十分佩服作者所做的工作,之前我也有过类似的想法

为了不说错太多,我不知道这里是不是允许用中文?

.

图形化取得的成功有目共睹,而偏偏终端保持纯文本的简单

从学习linux的经历和这么久接触互联网看

.个人用户接触到的图形视频信息远多于文字

命令行有着天生的优越性,图形界面的鼠标操作完全显得累赘

同时另一方面命令行却难以控制界面又显得苍白了太多

即便是掌握了多数常用的快捷键也难以足够高效

对于一个整天上网并且忙碌于控制各种信息的人来说

.不能获得快速的操作方式是非常纠结的一件事情

.

在思考当中我期待着命令行可以和图形界面深度的结合

.就像是语音搜索和移动平台漂亮的界面结合那样

显然,命令行更精确,能做更多的事情,效率更高

期间关注了Ubiquity和Vimperator这类在浏览器的实现

.从效果上说,功能实在不足以让人将日常的操作迁移上去

.总归是一个好的尝试,我期待这更多

.

所以我认为作者的方向与上文两个插件走在同方向不同的路上

最终也许图形与命令深入契合之后便利更加明显

.也有可能此类产品难以被普通用户接纳

有点像从js console里面直接抓去和操作界面元素的意思

我想那么的未来总是会被不同的各种创意实现

.最终图形和命令的合作亲密无间

.

youtube的搜索参数也有点这意思

我附上Ubiquity和Vimperator的视频吧

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r54O47ZR64A&hd=1

http://youtu.be/XI1XwdtmtQY?hd=1

Re: TermKit - a graphical terminal replacement

#205
post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"if I did, I'd probably use Finder instead." The thing that strikes me as very, very cool about this project is that you might not need the Finder at all any more.

See, here's the thing: I like Finder. It's not perfect, but sometimes it is very handy. Even if TermKit ends up implementing the complete functionality of Finder, I'm not sure why I'd particularly like to have that functionality in my terminal window. And if it's only implementing the one Finder view I virtually never use? Forget about it. You know what would rock my world? A "lsf" command that emulated "ls" as much…

That's what I aim for termkit ls to be. The current ls is a toy meant to show off the potential.

As for why? Because it will be optimized for keyboard interaction and rapid context switching.

Re: TermKit - a graphical terminal replacement

#206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly, I think if you are a hacker you will stick with the shell the way it is, because knowing how stuff works with "zero" abstractions is power. Reminds me of this: http://i.imgur.com/jqIcv.jpg Also I mean as a hacker, not as an entrepreneur.

A shell is far from ‘zero’ abstractions.

Hence the quotes. Like someone else mentioned its the 'right' level of abstractions for most. Heck even the assembly isin't zero abstractions.

Re: TermKit - a graphical terminal replacement

#207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing about changes involving a "more modern learning curve and interaction" is that it's replacing something that already worked and users knew how to use. I'm quite bad for upgrading for upgrading's sake but I can understand why, of all people, traders at Bloomberg didn't want any kind of learning curve on their terminals. Yes, it's clearly better but users don't always want to change to something that does wha…

That doesn't mean you have to stop innovating. It just means that your customers might not be the people who are already using what you want to replace.

I think that's absolutely right.

Re: TermKit - a graphical terminal replacement

#208

I had a similar idea about 10 years ago, but never got around to implementing it. I'm amazed at the amount of hatred directed towards this - as if the terminal could in NO WAY be improved?!. But clearly it can. For example - wouldn't it be nice to have a terminal status bar with your CWD / git branch / etc in, without cluttering up space before $? Yep, you can use screen, and that destroys your ability to use the scr…

Ditto to that. I admit predisposition to liking Termkit because I also had a similar idea in the past and I had neither the time nor talent to go anywhere with it. Kudos to this guy for producing something that looks like a very large step in the direction of improved usability and a potential step towards improved performance if programs can be made to pass each other common structures without needing to serialize a…

I just saw this: http://jsonselect.org/#tryit

So putting that in.

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