[lug] GUI support, can I help you?

[John Karns]

On Fri, 26 Oct 2001, John Hernandez said:

> They both have their advantages, I suppose.  I like it when a GUI tool
> is provided that can swiftly do the job of one or many CLI programs
> without having to remember switches or read man pages.

A great example of this is xcdroast, which replaces a slew of command line
options for 3 or 4 CLI tools which previously were the only means
available for use to work with audio CD's under Linux.  In the case of
xcdroast, the GUI is an add-on which drives the CLI tools.  Those who
choose to are free to use the CLI tools and may avoid the GUI.


> While I agree with Rob that visual representation can be very helpful,
> I'm often frustrated by the feeling of being "boxed-in" by a GUI.
> What's missing is the ability to glue tools together and the resulting
> automation that makes CLI so powerful (at times).
>
> The best users can leverage the power of both tools, where appropriate.

Amen.

OTOH, I know some sys admins from the MSW side who are supporting a Linux
box at a web / graphics development shop.  It's amazing what lengths they
go to in order to avoid investing any time in learning anything about
Linux; to the point of insisting on using a GUI tool to accomplish the
most trivial task.  A different mode of thinking to be sure; "if it can't
be done with a GUI, then it's not worth doing".  Interesting to see how
the GUI OS's have bred such a generation of people in the technical
community.

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John Karns                                        jkarns at csd.net