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I think it's a myth that Linux users aren't interested in GUI tools. According to stack overflow statistics, Ubuntu is the most popular Linux based OS amongst d

by zxcvcxz 11y ago

I think it's a myth that Linux users aren't interested in GUI tools. According to stack overflow statistics, Ubuntu is the most popular Linux based OS amongst developers, which is an OS that is much more GUI based than say Arch linux. According to the same stats, Linux and OS X usage is statistically tied at ~21%. If you take into account the fact that only about 2% of computer users run Linux at all it's pretty clear that programmers disproportionately prefer Linux (and to a lesser extent OS X) to other systems. I personally have already moved away from github, but I still wish they would build some tools that work on Linux.

etwigg 11y ago
Shameless plug: I recently built a new linux GUI git client. The people who use it really like it. Still working on docs to better explain what makes it different. Like GitHub's client, it's more than just a wrapper around the CLI, but unlike GitHub's client it exposes git's full power (tags, cherry-pick, rebase, etc.) If you'd like to try a new linux gui client, give it a spin! Video in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4UQpGk1Ry8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4UQpGk1Ry8 Free download Win/Mac/Linux: https://secure.diffplug.com/versions/1.6.1 https://secure.diffplug.com/versions/1.6.1
- Nux 11y ago
  You should publish some screenshots of it.
  - etwigg 11y ago
    100% agree! Was hoping to have the full manual done today, but it's not ready yet. Kinda worked out - I'll spend today ducking as the GitHub goliath whooshes over me for HN readership's attention ;-). The rest of the product's docs are complete and full of screenshots: https://docs.diffplug.com/1.6.1/ViewerDiffers/TextViewerDiffer/ https://docs.diffplug.com/1.6.1/ViewerDiffers/TextViewerDiff... so the git client will be too. This client animates changes to the DAG, so I'm experimenting with animated gifs so that the manual can capture the feel of using it.
- zamalek 11y ago
  Your diffing doesn't suck! That alone is really valuable. What really sucks on Windows is merging: there are very few products that deal with merging at a basic competency level (the git merge markers usually wreak havoc). One criticism: that jgit tab needs a serious UX pass. It's extremely scary looking to someone who has never used it (me). That being said, I'll be keeping a very close eye on your kickstarter. Very close.
  - etwigg 11y ago
    Thanks for the feedback! On the spectrum from "iOS" to "airplane cockpit", I think GitHub is trying to be iPhone, but I think git has enough inherent power (like an aircraft) that you leave a lot of functionality on the table if you constrain yourself to a "no training required" interface. It's certainly something to aspire to, though! If there's anyone out there who thinks they can clean this up, I'm always looking for partners :) Based in SF, open to remote collaboration, contact info in my profile. The differ / merge resolution story is gonna get a whole lot better real soon.
JeremyMorgan 11y ago
I wouldn't try to speak for everyone who uses Linux of course, it's just been my observation. With my "roots" in computing being in the command line driven 80s, I still feel way better using command line stuff and likely will never change. It doesn't mean I am opposed to GUIs in general, there are certainly things I would never consider doing from a command line, but git isn't one of them.
chimeracoder 11y ago
Let me preface this by saying that I am a full-time Linux user and have been for several years. I run Debian on my laptop and Arch Linux on my home machine. Both use i3 (no DE), and I do all my work at the command line or in applications that I launch from the command line[0]. I love the Linux terminal. I don't even own a non-Linux machine, not counting the various OS X devices I've used at work when one is required. > I think it's a myth that Linux users aren't interested in GUI tools. It's definitely a myth, and a very dangerous and self-fulfilling one. I would strongly appreciate a GUI option for many common command-line tools. I like the command-line, and do most of my work there. But sometimes GUI tools are nice to have. The problem is that most GUI tools on Linux really suck, and most Linux tools don't even have a GUI at all[1]. Contrary to popular belief, it's not due to the inadequacy of GUI toolkits on Linux, but simply due to a lack of time actually spent developing these tools. This ends up being self-fulfilling, because it raises the barrier to getting started on Linux, which keeps out people who would be otherwise very comfortable on Linux as an OS, but simply dislike being forced to use the command-line exclusively. [0] Never bothered with dmenu, never really felt the need to set it up. [1] I'm not counting ncurses-based interfaces as GUIs for these purposes.
- ryanlol 11y ago
  I for one feel very uncomfortable using other OSes due to the lack of text UIs. And it seems pretty likely that a vast majority of linux devs feel similarly, considering how few softwares start out with just a GUI instead of the other way around.
- yhager 11y ago
  > I am a full-time Linux user and have been for several years. I run Debian on my laptop and Arch Linux on my home machine. Both use i3 (no DE), and I do all my work at the command line or in applications that I launch from the command line[0]. I love the Linux terminal. I don't even own a non-Linux machine, not counting the various OS X devices I've used at work when one is required. Wow, that's exactly my case as well :). I could've written this, almost word for word (except I run debian on my servers, and archlinux on my laptop/home machines).
craigds 11y ago
I don't think it's a myth, but it definitely is self-fulfilling (since it puts off users who would otherwise use Linux, but don't because they don't want to exclusively use the CLI) Personally I use a mac nowadays but still use and prefer the command line for this kind of thing. I tried using Github for Mac but quickly gave up the first time I had to do something vaguely complicated. I guess I'm still a linux person at heart - you can tell if you prefer to 'brew install everything and have never actually used the App Store except to install Xcode :)
- girvo 11y ago
  My discovery of `brew cask`[0] has meant that the App Store is avoided at nearly all cost. I'm a Linux user at heart, too -- one of the only reasons I use OS X is that it feels like "Unix, but with nice powerful GUI apps as well"! [0] http://caskroom.io/ http://caskroom.io/

by zxcvcxz 11y ago

etwigg 11y ago

Shameless plug: I recently built a new linux GUI git client. The people who use it really like it. Still working on docs to better explain what makes it different. Like GitHub's client, it's more than just a wrapper around the CLI, but unlike GitHub's client it exposes git's full power (tags, cherry-pick, rebase, etc.) If you'd like to try a new linux gui client, give it a spin! Video in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4UQpGk1Ry8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4UQpGk1Ry8 Free download Win/Mac/Linux: https://secure.diffplug.com/versions/1.6.1 https://secure.diffplug.com/versions/1.6.1

Nux 11y ago
You should publish some screenshots of it.
- etwigg 11y ago
  100% agree! Was hoping to have the full manual done today, but it's not ready yet. Kinda worked out - I'll spend today ducking as the GitHub goliath whooshes over me for HN readership's attention ;-). The rest of the product's docs are complete and full of screenshots: https://docs.diffplug.com/1.6.1/ViewerDiffers/TextViewerDiffer/ https://docs.diffplug.com/1.6.1/ViewerDiffers/TextViewerDiff... so the git client will be too. This client animates changes to the DAG, so I'm experimenting with animated gifs so that the manual can capture the feel of using it.
zamalek 11y ago
Your diffing doesn't suck! That alone is really valuable. What really sucks on Windows is merging: there are very few products that deal with merging at a basic competency level (the git merge markers usually wreak havoc). One criticism: that jgit tab needs a serious UX pass. It's extremely scary looking to someone who has never used it (me). That being said, I'll be keeping a very close eye on your kickstarter. Very close.
- etwigg 11y ago
  Thanks for the feedback! On the spectrum from "iOS" to "airplane cockpit", I think GitHub is trying to be iPhone, but I think git has enough inherent power (like an aircraft) that you leave a lot of functionality on the table if you constrain yourself to a "no training required" interface. It's certainly something to aspire to, though! If there's anyone out there who thinks they can clean this up, I'm always looking for partners :) Based in SF, open to remote collaboration, contact info in my profile. The differ / merge resolution story is gonna get a whole lot better real soon.

JeremyMorgan 11y ago

I wouldn't try to speak for everyone who uses Linux of course, it's just been my observation. With my "roots" in computing being in the command line driven 80s, I still feel way better using command line stuff and likely will never change. It doesn't mean I am opposed to GUIs in general, there are certainly things I would never consider doing from a command line, but git isn't one of them.

chimeracoder 11y ago

Let me preface this by saying that I am a full-time Linux user and have been for several years. I run Debian on my laptop and Arch Linux on my home machine. Both use i3 (no DE), and I do all my work at the command line or in applications that I launch from the command line[0]. I love the Linux terminal. I don't even own a non-Linux machine, not counting the various OS X devices I've used at work when one is required. > I think it's a myth that Linux users aren't interested in GUI tools. It's definitely a myth, and a very dangerous and self-fulfilling one. I would strongly appreciate a GUI option for many common command-line tools. I like the command-line, and do most of my work there. But sometimes GUI tools are nice to have. The problem is that most GUI tools on Linux really suck, and most Linux tools don't even have a GUI at all[1]. Contrary to popular belief, it's not due to the inadequacy of GUI toolkits on Linux, but simply due to a lack of time actually spent developing these tools. This ends up being self-fulfilling, because it raises the barrier to getting started on Linux, which keeps out people who would be otherwise very comfortable on Linux as an OS, but simply dislike being forced to use the command-line exclusively. [0] Never bothered with dmenu, never really felt the need to set it up. [1] I'm not counting ncurses-based interfaces as GUIs for these purposes.

ryanlol 11y ago
I for one feel very uncomfortable using other OSes due to the lack of text UIs. And it seems pretty likely that a vast majority of linux devs feel similarly, considering how few softwares start out with just a GUI instead of the other way around.
yhager 11y ago
> I am a full-time Linux user and have been for several years. I run Debian on my laptop and Arch Linux on my home machine. Both use i3 (no DE), and I do all my work at the command line or in applications that I launch from the command line[0]. I love the Linux terminal. I don't even own a non-Linux machine, not counting the various OS X devices I've used at work when one is required. Wow, that's exactly my case as well :). I could've written this, almost word for word (except I run debian on my servers, and archlinux on my laptop/home machines).

craigds 11y ago

I don't think it's a myth, but it definitely is self-fulfilling (since it puts off users who would otherwise use Linux, but don't because they don't want to exclusively use the CLI) Personally I use a mac nowadays but still use and prefer the command line for this kind of thing. I tried using Github for Mac but quickly gave up the first time I had to do something vaguely complicated. I guess I'm still a linux person at heart - you can tell if you prefer to 'brew install everything and have never actually used the App Store except to install Xcode :)

girvo 11y ago
My discovery of `brew cask`[0] has meant that the App Store is avoided at nearly all cost. I'm a Linux user at heart, too -- one of the only reasons I use OS X is that it feels like "Unix, but with nice powerful GUI apps as well"! [0] http://caskroom.io/ http://caskroom.io/