Console-based applications
On Fri, Feb 16, 2007 at 12:04:56PM -0600, John Heim wrote:
> Mainly its because a lot of applications only work in graphics mode.
>
> I still use Windows as my desktop because i need to use a graphical web
> browser. I'm stuck with Windows and Internet Explorer. Lynx just doesn't
> cut it. Most people around here use the Windows version of firefox. If I
> could switch to linux and use firefox, I would.
In my case, I don't need any Web sites that rely on Javascript and DOM
support, so Elinks, Lynx, Emacs/W3, etc., are all just fine.
>
> Right now, it depends on what you want to do. But eventually, support for
> character browsers, email programs, spreadsheets, and word processors will
> be dropped. You'll still be running your linux servers in character mode
> but that's about all you'll be able to do.
I disagree with the above. Console-based applications (especially e-mail
software) are still under active development, and they'll be around for as
long as there are people who want them sufficiently to contribute to their
ongoing improvement and maintenance. That's one of the advantages of free
software. Also, people who are used to the Unix and Linux way of working don't
use word processors. Instead, they write their documents in a text editor such
as Vi or Emacs, in a format such as LaTeX or Docbook XML. Typesetting software
is then used to prepare Postscript, or more typically these days, PDF output
for printing; and the very same source files can be used to generate HTML and
other formats as well.
If you read Eric Raymond's book, the Art of Unix Programming, you'll discover
the technical reasons why text-based and command line applications are so
deeply embedded in the Unix tradition and why this is likely to remain the
case.
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