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Point-and-click vs. the command line isn't just about hand holding. Setting things up with the command line might seem less convenient, but it's very easy to ma

Point-and-click vs. the command line isn't just about hand holding. Setting things up with the command line might seem less convenient, but it's very easy to make a script when you want to automate that setup routine. I'm a little surprised that the grandparent post had trouble setting up Django, though. Once you've installed the python-django package, you should be able to follow the Django tutorial straight away.

freehunter 14y ago
Setting things up with the command line might seem less convenient, but it's very easy to make a script when you want to automate that setup routine. This comes off to me as a major disconnect. It almost looks like you're saying making a script to automate a setup is as easy as a point-and-click interface. I would say setting up the script is less convenient, in that you need to learn basic shell scripting first. Point and click requires you to learn basically nothing. Using a CLI rather than a mouse requires worlds more brain power and is worlds less intuitive when you're coming from a Windows world.
- klez 14y ago
  Ok, now repeat your setup procedure on 50 machines. Writing scripts is a medium-long term investment. You're right that for one off tasks it's quicker to point and click, but once you need to repeat that task, scripts are faster.
- takluyver 14y ago
  I agree that it's much less intuitive, but it's worth explaining why we put up with that. It's not just because Linux isn't as polished as Windows - shell scripts are a feature. A case in point: I was setting up automated tests on a Windows machine today, and I had to install pywin32 automatically in a virtualenv. Both the download page and the installer are built for a human to click through, and are problematic to do from a script.
webreac 14y ago
When you want to document a process, it is easier to copy paste a couple of commands than to take a dozen of screendumps with check boxes.

freehunter 14y ago

Setting things up with the command line might seem less convenient, but it's very easy to make a script when you want to automate that setup routine. This comes off to me as a major disconnect. It almost looks like you're saying making a script to automate a setup is as easy as a point-and-click interface. I would say setting up the script is less convenient, in that you need to learn basic shell scripting first. Point and click requires you to learn basically nothing. Using a CLI rather than a mouse requires worlds more brain power and is worlds less intuitive when you're coming from a Windows world.

klez 14y ago
Ok, now repeat your setup procedure on 50 machines. Writing scripts is a medium-long term investment. You're right that for one off tasks it's quicker to point and click, but once you need to repeat that task, scripts are faster.
takluyver 14y ago
I agree that it's much less intuitive, but it's worth explaining why we put up with that. It's not just because Linux isn't as polished as Windows - shell scripts are a feature. A case in point: I was setting up automated tests on a Windows machine today, and I had to install pywin32 automatically in a virtualenv. Both the download page and the installer are built for a human to click through, and are problematic to do from a script.

webreac 14y ago

When you want to document a process, it is easier to copy paste a couple of commands than to take a dozen of screendumps with check boxes.