With all that said Garry, can I assume you don't use a DE and just use a CLI? What about all those commands you have to remember with options to go with them along with syntax, etc. DE's do away with all that, which is why DE's are so popular. But every DE includes a terminal for CLI work. The best of both worlds' you might say-----
No, one should never just "assume" anything,
I do, use a Windows Manager, WM , OpenBox, mostly, ....also do have
a DE, and to some extent use it a little,......like I mentioned, mostly that is
for my wife,
You are right, on we can have the "best" of both worlds,..... I like the
"tint2" panel very much,...for example,...with it,...instead of typing out
' firefox
http://forums.debian.net ' , I just click the little "firefox" icon in the
panel,....
What about all those commands you have to remember with options to go with them along with syntax
I never can remember them, no need to,....mostly I keep a text file, with notes,....
depending, on the task,...and simply copy/paste the command ,....
I use the 'history' command, often, and for example, let's say I have to do
something new, that I never have done before.
A regular normal DE, probably , usually does not have the task in any of the
menus either,...so there really is no option, but to use the CLI, or spend hours
and hours searching for some, "script" or app, that can be installed, and then
give you a "clickme button", in a menu,....maybe.
First I look , for and think about what commands I will need to run, in order
to perform the task,...once I have that, I start, ,.....let's say, there are 3 commands
I need to perform this task, or 3 steps,....so the 1st step (command),
I write it, and if it works out ok, I am done, and move on
to the next step,...next command, run that, and then the 3rd,...
ok, expecially when it is something difficult to remember, and if
it is a task I will be doing again sometime , ... I have everything
I did, in my 'history',....so I copy/paste those lines, into a text file,
with a name, that describes what it is for, so the next time I need
to perform that task or something similar, all I do is open the text file, ...
select, copy/paste each line into the terminal, as needed.
Some times, I even use the 'history', and text file, to write a simple
script, that can be started with just one word, ' ./dothis-chore.sh ' or .pl
depending,........ I do like and use a file manager, that any WM ,or DE includes,
So yes sometimes, I use a DE or WM as well,....however after all said and
done, one can still perform any task they need to, even if and when the DE
is not avialable, does not work, or does not include any menu for that task.
Without the DE, one can still operate, but without the terminal,...one is
kind of "dead in the water" so to speak,......to me that is not very efficient,
the DE is a application, but if it fails, it should not mean you can not still
continue with your work, and the system keep running.
I do agree the DE, or a WM make things easier, and at time faster,
seeing that you posted, while writeing:
----------- utilities on remote servers
That is a interesting point, and I kind of chuckle, because so many times
we have had these kind of "power users" come to the forum, and they are
totally lost, because the have no DE or GUI, when they access a remote server,
via ssh,...... with that said,... I have some chores to do,
...any way I enjoy the discussion.
I do like to have menus, etc,... that have the more "routine" tasks easy to
select and run, by just clicking a button, or icon, etc,.....but it is tragic, how
most of the modern "powere users" are so dependent on that.