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As a Windows user (embedded programming and gaming keeps me stuck to Windows) who has dabbled a bit in Linux over the last 10 years, the fact that GNU/Linux "as

As a Windows user (embedded programming and gaming keeps me stuck to Windows) who has dabbled a bit in Linux over the last 10 years, the fact that GNU/Linux "assumes you know what you're doing" is constantly frustrating. I've overcome this somewhat by stopping my current linux install from automatically starting the xwindow system. That way I have to use the terminal for some things. This has worked somewhat, but seems only to highlight how terrible interface is for those of us who aren't wizards. I like to phrase it as "Linux assumes you know what you're doing. Windows assumes you don't know what you're doing. Mac assumes you don't want to know what you're doing." Working in an interface that doesn't hold your hand can be liberating when you understand how that system works, but there must be a way we can step back. Maybe it would be worth adding something similar to the drop-down auto-completion boxes I see in so many modern IDEs. That way instead of reading the man page of every single command and program, I can (for example) get a list of possible arguments, and each of those arguments provides a summary of its function when highlighted. This could all be done in text, so that it would be available outside of the window system. Maybe it has already been done. Obviously such a system would be laborious to implement and obnoxious to seasoned bash users (though it should be easy to disable), but it would be extremely handy to those who (like me) only occasionally use Linux. In any case, something should be done that makes the system a little more welcoming to casual users.

koffiezet 8y ago
Both Windows and OSX are "GUI first" OS's, and Linux simply is not. The majority of the Linux systems out-there is headless - and it shows. I drop down to a terminal immediately on any Linux system for everything - GUI or not. On both Windows and OSX, I will most likely do things "the GUI" way first, especially file management with the finder or explorer - although on both these platforms, there are very viable or even excellent CLI environments. But I get what you're saying - even when looking at the PowerShell design, script documentation is a first class citizen there. As a scripting language I'm pretty impressed with it, but as a shell I find it an annoying place to be in. OSX on the other hand simply has a unix shell, with a respectable amount of CLI tools available to interact with the desktop. Sadly, Apple scripting has been a bit neglected in the last few releases and is not really supported anymore by all applications. disclaimer: I do not like Linux on desktop. My daily driver is a MBP with OSX, and I used to work on Windows (but still have a gaming box), and all my linux boxes are servers.
- sjcoles 8y ago
  > As a scripting language I'm pretty impressed with it, but as a shell I find it an annoying place to be in. Couldn't agree more. The syntax is fantastic for scripting as it has good support for objects, but it is not good as a shell due to the different return types and polymorphic behavior of some functions based on the type they are operating on. In *nix land this isn't a problem as everything is text.
rakoo 8y ago
There are such friendly shells, such as https://fishshell.com/ https://fishshell.com/ with auto completion and nifty features.
anelson 8y ago
FWIW I was in the same boat for many years, first on Windows then OS X. I'd learn a Linux trick or two then lose momentum and more importantly lose confidence that I could get around the CLI (and just as important, the maze of config files). What made a huge difference for me was setting up Arch Linux on my XPS 15 laptop. Following the install guide[1] forced me to go through the process of standing up a functioning Linux desktop from a much lower level starting point than I'd ever done with Ubuntu or CentOS or even Slackware. The whole experience reminded me of the first few times I built PCs as a kid: At first they were intimidating boxes full of complex circuit boards and imposing nests of ribbon cable, but putting a few together demystified all that in a hurry. Setting up my Arch laptop had the same result as it relates to Linux configuration in general and command line operations in particular. [1](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Installation_guide https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Installation_guide)

koffiezet 8y ago

Both Windows and OSX are "GUI first" OS's, and Linux simply is not. The majority of the Linux systems out-there is headless - and it shows. I drop down to a terminal immediately on any Linux system for everything - GUI or not. On both Windows and OSX, I will most likely do things "the GUI" way first, especially file management with the finder or explorer - although on both these platforms, there are very viable or even excellent CLI environments. But I get what you're saying - even when looking at the PowerShell design, script documentation is a first class citizen there. As a scripting language I'm pretty impressed with it, but as a shell I find it an annoying place to be in. OSX on the other hand simply has a unix shell, with a respectable amount of CLI tools available to interact with the desktop. Sadly, Apple scripting has been a bit neglected in the last few releases and is not really supported anymore by all applications. disclaimer: I do not like Linux on desktop. My daily driver is a MBP with OSX, and I used to work on Windows (but still have a gaming box), and all my linux boxes are servers.

sjcoles 8y ago
> As a scripting language I'm pretty impressed with it, but as a shell I find it an annoying place to be in. Couldn't agree more. The syntax is fantastic for scripting as it has good support for objects, but it is not good as a shell due to the different return types and polymorphic behavior of some functions based on the type they are operating on. In *nix land this isn't a problem as everything is text.

rakoo 8y ago

There are such friendly shells, such as https://fishshell.com/ https://fishshell.com/ with auto completion and nifty features.

anelson 8y ago

FWIW I was in the same boat for many years, first on Windows then OS X. I'd learn a Linux trick or two then lose momentum and more importantly lose confidence that I could get around the CLI (and just as important, the maze of config files). What made a huge difference for me was setting up Arch Linux on my XPS 15 laptop. Following the install guide[1] forced me to go through the process of standing up a functioning Linux desktop from a much lower level starting point than I'd ever done with Ubuntu or CentOS or even Slackware. The whole experience reminded me of the first few times I built PCs as a kid: At first they were intimidating boxes full of complex circuit boards and imposing nests of ribbon cable, but putting a few together demystified all that in a hurry. Setting up my Arch laptop had the same result as it relates to Linux configuration in general and command line operations in particular. [1](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Installation_guide https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Installation_guide)