Re: [tlug] CLI admin how-to ideas?

[Jonathan Q <jq@example.com>]

Marlo Rocci (comslave@example.com) wrote:

> The first computer I worked on professionally: IBM 5100

Then quit bellyaching for a GUI :-)


>  I've been learning the locations of documents on linux basics,
> and I know eventually I'd get it all figured out.

That's a greater problem, by far, for a beginner than not having a GUI:
finding out what you need to know, and where to get that information.

> However, the past eight years of computer evolution have been about moving
> away from the command line.  All I'm asking is: Where is linux on this
> issue?

We've been steadily improving the command line (bash and zshell) and
not moving away from it at all.  X has always been there and has always
had its place, but Linux is not moving away from
command line administration.  I think it's safe to safe that if such
a thing were happening, you'd find a lot of experienced Linux hands
moving away from it and onto the BSD flavor of their choice (as some
already have, for other reasons).

The fact is, sysadmins don't want GUI admin tools.  I'll throw one other
"why not" onto the pile:

I've run X apps across a 128K connection.  It can be done, but it's
painfully slow, and I would *sure* hate to have to deal with junk like
that when trying to fix a borked system remotely.  Even console graphics
(ncurses) make their weight felt across a (relatively) low-speed
connection like that.

One of the great strengths of *nix is its superior remote administration
capabilities.  Those capabilities spring straight from the CLI, and it
will be a long, long time before most people have bandwidth to their
homes that's fast enough to make remote administration over a GUI even
practical, let alone comfortable.

Jonathan