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The CLI has a massive blind spot in today’s operating systems: it knows nothing useful about events. Yet events are the primary way anything happens on a computer, whether it’s a user system or a server.
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>On the command line, the context is obvious. But CLI contexts are only obvious if the computer user is already familiar with the CLI which biases the learned mind to perceive things as obvious when they really are not. A lot of CLI commands syntax are based on position instead of explicit argument names. E.g. creating file system links via CLI has opposite syntax positions in Linux vs Windows: - Linux: ln srcfile ta…
Context isn't the same as syntax? Yes, command line suffers from discoverability of which different applications (such as ln/mklink) may not be consistent. It is one of the bigger problems (imho) of the cli but it doesn't go against GPs point. The command line does have a learning curve (partly because of the above), but it is also quite rewarding.
The cli excels because it is extremely flexible, with far more options available than a set of buttons could ever display. But discoverability rounds down to 0, and there are footguns. It seems like spreadsheet software has found an almost drop in ui that would greatly enhance the cli.
The CLI has a massive blind spot in today’s operating systems: it knows nothing useful about events. Yet events are the primary way anything happens on a computer, whether it’s a user system or a server.
In unix world, everything is a file, so you can poll the file waiting for something to happen. And there’s the whole signal thing and dbus exists.
Files are not a good abstraction for events. Signals are broken in many ways. And DBus is both extremely clunky to use and non-portable.
There isn’t a built-in event paradigm similar to how streams and pipes are an integral part of the Unix-style CLI.
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If you're experienced with the command line, it's easy to use GUIs and get good results. If one starts with GUIs and doesn't really understand what is behind, then all kinds of trouble happen. So I guess, as with any tool, understanding is key.
Not all GUIs are just a graphical wrapper for a CLI. But in general sure, understanding the tech behind helps.
But then again, if you're working in AutoCAD, you'd never say "I used to work in CLI only, now I use GUIs more and more".
Clearly they meant GUIs that have CLIs behind, or at least CLI alternatives.
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The more experience I accumulate, the more I rely on GUIs. Explanation: when I was younger I used exclusively the CLI and underestimated GUIs. Now I tend to appreciate GUIs and use them more.
Can you give some examples? Which GUIs are you using?
Another example could be qemu and the GUIs that we have nowadays. One final example would be simply drag and dropping files via Finder instead of using cp/mv
The command line is still king. Whenever I see new coders struggle, it usually is because they: - Don't know the context of what they are executing - Don't know about the concept of input and output On the command line, the context is obvious. You are in the context. The working dir, the environment, everything is the same for you as it is for the thing you execute via ./mything.py. Input and output are also obvious.…
> Buyer: "But this dealership has mechanics on staff. If something goes wrong with my station wagon, I can take a day off work, bring it here, and pay them to work on it while I sit in the waiting room for hours, listening to elevator music." Bullhorn: "But if you accept one of our free tanks we will send volunteers to your house to fix it for free while you sleep!" Did Linux distros actually offer support at some po…
> Did Linux distros actually offer support at some point? (By what I assume would be some project contributor ssh-ing into your machine) I don't think that was the intended implication. I think the analogy is more akin to: "If send us a bug report, we'll fix it and ship a new version that you can download and use for free." In the olden days, you'd have to buy a new version of commercial software if it didn't work fo…
I think DEC had one or two. And you could find someone who would meet you somewhere to help you out, it was an exciting time. Also there were lots of install fests for Linux.
Most activity took place on USENET, so getting help was rather easy.
For example, I had asked how I could connect 2 monitors to my 386SX, one controlled by a VGA card, the other via a mono-card, each monitor with a couple of VTs. That was doable with Coherent on install. A day later I got a patch.
Things moved very quickly back then :)
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Newborns don't have to learn how to suckle. It's a reflex, called a suckling reflex. Lacking a suckling reflex is an indicator of disease. Basically a newborn suckles everything that goes into the mouth, nipple or not.
Are you a woman? Have you had children? Have you partnered a woman as your child and her cried through the night, both trying to make this “breastfeeding” thing work; both failing. “How can something so intrinsic to basic survival, be so hard!”. And yet it is. Talk confidently when you have experience.